Shift.
A study in manufacturing logic.
2022
This project investigates how manufacturing influences design by developing the same trestle set for three different production volumes: 10, 1,000 and 10,000 units.
Rather than adapting a finished design to different production methods, each production volume became the starting point of the design process. Every manufacturing technique introduced its own constraints and opportunities, requiring the geometry, construction and structural logic of the trestle to evolve.
The result is a series of objects that share the same identity while responding to different manufacturing realities. Together they demonstrate that production is not simply a method of making, but an integral part of the design itself.
Final object
Across all three production scenarios, the trestle set is defined by a single, continuous form that combines structural efficiency with visual simplicity.
A flat top provides stable support for a tabletop, while the tapered geometry ensures stability and allows the trestles to nest for compact storage and transport where the production method permits. Each version is designed as a single component, reducing assembly and reflecting the logic of its manufacturing process.
Although the production techniques differ from: fiberglass and polyester casting to rotation moulding and injection moulding, the essential character of the design remains recognisable. Rather than creating three different products, the project explores how one design can adapt while preserving its identity.
Series 10
Material: Polyester and fiberglass (6mm thickness)
Technique: Polyester molding. Applied with a spray gun in reusable polyester molds with in-mold coloring.identity.
Series 1000
Material: HDPE
Technique: Rotational molding.
Granules are placed in a heated, rotating mold, melting and forming uniform walls. After cooling, the trestle is demolded.
Series 10 000
Material: Polypropylene (4mm thickness)
Technique: Injection molding. Granules are melted and injected under pressure into a steel mold. The plastic hardens and the product is ejected. Due to the flexibility of the polypropylene, reinforcement ribs were needed.
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