Modi Mat
Branding, Product, User Research
A multi-disciplinary team spent the Summer 2012 term investigating the living needs of low-income housing dwellers in India, and then building furniture prototypes for use in the high quality, low-cost housing championed by social entrepreneurship nonprofit Ashoka.
Role
Contextual Research
Furniture Design
All-In-One Folding Mat
Modi Mat is a folding mat which can be modified to adapt to the changing functions of a single living space. The word Modi is a common boy's name in India, and comes from the English word "modify". The inspiration behind the Modi Mat came from my research on small single family living spaces in Bangalore, India, ranging from the slums to new housing units. The spaces I observed ranged from ~300~400 square feet, usually shared
by 3~5 family members. There was no "study room", "dining room", "family room", or "bedroom": instead, a single room adopted many functions through out the day as the dweller moved from one activity to the next. I realized that in such a small yet multi functional space, the furniture needed to accommodate these changes.
Research Methods Used During Field Research in Bangalore, India
The team spent 10 days in Bangalore, India conducting field research and visiting local furniture makers.These are some field research activities we practiced to help think comprehensively about Indian users, craftspeople, and manufacturers.
The team spent 10 days in Bangalore, India conducting field research and visiting local furniture makers.These are some field research activities we practiced to help think comprehensively about Indian users, craftspeople, and manufacturers.
