Charlotte Hamilton
Product and Furniture Design BA (Hons)
Chelsea College of Arts UAL
Graduates: 2024
Specialisms: Furniture / Design for Social Good / Sustainable Design
My location: Brussels, Belgium
Charlotte Hamilton
First Name: Charlotte
Last Name: Hamilton
University / College: Chelsea College of Arts UAL
Course / Program: Product and Furniture Design BA (Hons)
Graduates: 2024
Specialisms: Furniture / Design for Social Good / Sustainable Design
My Location: Brussels, Belgium
About
As a graduate designer, I have specialised in furniture design. I believe in designing to make a difference by making design accessible to all. The most direct way to do this is through social design; be it designing for a community, urban design or as part of a reintegration scheme. My placement year working for the Belgian National Rail service, up-cycling train waste in collaboration with a reintegration design studio played a big part in forming me as a social designer. I have a very hands-on approach to design. I go from designing to prototyping and making meaning I have an in-depth understanding of materials and how they work.
The furniture kit makes woodworking accessible through teaching and up-skilling in order to reduce furniture waste through the sense of satisfaction and ownership - known as the endowment effect. You can build your own chair, stool or table using basic woodworking skills and the detailed instruction booklet. The inspiration behind the project was a wood workshop that I facilitated with participants from VIA charity and the London Green Wood, an outdoor wood workshop. The idea was that the participants who are in rehabilitation would benefit from spending time in nature whilst learning basic woodworking skills in order to discover a passion, talent or simply have an activity to focus their minds on. The up-skilling process can then be continued through the fabricate furniture kit. The project shows the design development in order to achieve an accessible furniture kit whilst also challenging the user in order that basic furniture skills be improved. There are three distinct joints used in various ways depending on whether a chair, stool or table is built. The joints are different shades of green as it is a stress-relieving and calming colour. The kit consists of materials and basic tools needed, as well as an instruction booklet.
Competitions
