Design of a

work station for designers

by

Mr. Aditya Shankar & Mr. Ankit Basak

Roll no. (2017501 & 2017504)

Supervisor:
Mr. Sudhir Kumar

Design Discipline

PDPM INDIAN INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING,
JABALPUR
NEED OF THE PROJECT
The designer’s workspace place a very important role
in a designers life as it would always influence the
work of designer but the major problem that
designers have felt that these workspaces are not
made according to them as they are mostly focused
on different occupations most of the times designers
have to design this for themselves
The design and the layout of the work space have a
large amount of impact on designers emotion.
Impact of workspace

Mood
Work
flow

Clients
perspective

Work
management

Space
management

collaborations
Style
The first thing needed to figure out is style as style
would influence the mood of the designers.

Modern Royal

Ornamental Minimal
Style chosen

Minimal style
The minimal style was chosen as it gives
• better working
• Better focus due to lack of complexities
• Easy use due to simple design
Colour theory
As mentioned earlier the user need a very important
role of emotion that can be invoked via colour.

The work table is of neutral colour and through

controllable RGB led mood lighting can be set
Colour scheme
Colour scheme is needed to be chosen first as that
would help in making the layout and furniture choice
easy

Hot

Neutral chosen

Cool

Why?
Neutral colour scheme was chosen as it would not
influence the mood of the designers as colour do
influence the process of decision making and hence
design.
Need of Workstation
The designer’s workstation is one most important
things a designer has but the major problem that
designers have felt that these workstations are not
manufactured by any company and most of the times
designers have to design this for themselves. But
another problem that they face is that these custom
made workstations once made cannot have any
modifications.
Although the fabrication cost of the workstation is
not high and is about ₹20,000 to ₹30,000 but the
process of designing it and fabricating is time
consuming as well as presence seeking as the work
station is specifically designed for single person he
has to present at the times of fabrication hampering
his own time that he or she can use in other projects.

The above images shows the workstation of a

designer which basically represents how and what he
uses his work station
Things to be focused on while
designing

Hours of Different kinds of

work going on
work simultaneously

Using Design Collaboration

tools while with teams
working at the
workstation
Long hours of work

The designers job usually involves long hours of

work and that leads to different problems due to
unavailability of these workstation.
And with long hours of work the person looses focus
and hence decreases the quality of the work.

Focus

Time

This is a general idea of how focus varies with time.

In the initial hours the focus increases but as the time
passes the person starts to loose focus which can be
corrected with the change of design of the work
station.
Long hours of work
Long hours of work

We need to focus on Ergonomics so as to remove any

kind of fatigue in the body due to long hours of
work. Even the material selection can effect the
quality of the work.

The other thing that needs to be taken care is the

working Ambience of the working environment
which can also be included in the workstation to
enhance the work experience of the designer (user of
the workstation) and hence also enhancing the
quality of work by him.

Ambience
Light : Mood-lighting can be used in the work
station to have an impact on the designers mood
while designing. As mood is a very important part of
while designing.

Sound : The sound also has a major impact on

people and hence use of sound therapy could help
relaxing the designer (user of the workstation).
Different work

A lot of projects and works go on simultaneously and

it is equally important to give attention to all the
work.

Digital as well as Manual work go together and we

need to take care of it keeping in mind that each
work has different requirement of tools, interaction,
and use. Like screens, keyboard, mouse etc for
digital work and cutting tools, cutting mat, stationary,
markers etc.
Collaboration

Being a designer need to do collaboration with teams

which might be other designers as well as non
designers hence the work station should be such that
any novice user should be able to use it.
Moreover presentation with clients can also happen
on the workstation hence it should have provision to
do the same.

Design tools

The user would need to use various design tools like

empathy mapping, brainstorming etc and hence a
dedicated space for those activity.
Key activities

Chart Title
300

250

200

150

100

50

0
interaction interaction sketching ideating using maintaining recreational
with clients with group softwares records activities
mates
group workers lone workers

Insights

Though the user don’t spend much time with the

client but it has a great impact on the work
Sketching, ideating and using software's are the
activities that requires maximum time.
Working scenario and postures
 Posture analysis

These are the posture in which most of the time the body is
Posture analysis

An angled surface is preferred while sketching and rendering.

Anchor points as well

as pressure points that
could have a negative
impact on the quality
of the work.
Use of work tables by designers

custom

angular

Flat tables

L shaped

flat tables angular L shaped custom

The most preferred work station is the L shaped table

followed by angular, flat tables and custom .
Even in custom made gables a significant number of tables are
L shaped.
Key words

Based on the focus points decided few keywords

were selected :
• Sophisticated
• Nature
• Environment
• Minimal
• Organised
• Dynamic
• Interactive

These keywords were selected on the basis of how

would a designer feels while using his workstation
that is not specifically designed for him. As those
would be the qualities that he would desire in the
new workstation.
Development

On basis of our focus we choose keywords and on

the basis of those keywords we made the mood board
so that the design of the workstation can justify the
things a designer would need in the workstation.
Mood board for inspiration
Domain explored

Through the research we divided workspaces into

two main categories :
• Open

• Closed
Closed can be further sub-divided into
• Fully closed

• Partially closed

While designing there can be some confidential

projects and hence privacy is needed thus open
workspace was rejected.
Partially closed workspace was chosen keeping in
mind that people will interact from both the ends.
Domain selected

Partially closed

Gives both freedom and privacy to the user.

Observation / criticism
Inspiration / criticism
Inspiration / criticism
Inspiration / criticism
Inspiration / criticism
Inspiration / criticism
Inspiration / criticism
Workspaces comparison
Railway Cinema Hall Schools Hospitals

Material Oil cloth, wood, Sound absorbing Hard materials

metals.

Colour scheme Neutral Dark and cool tones Neutral tones Muted
generally

Texture Nothing specific not Soft Smooth with rounded Clean and sanitized
good edges

Lighting Centralised Diffuser and dark General and natural Focused and bright

Style None Theatre style Rigid Clean

Emotional impact Nostalgia Anticipating Depends on class Stressed and tense

Interactions Sociopetal seating Sociofuegal With classmates and Fairly nice and well
teacher, can be done done
well or mediocre

Sounds Wheels (background) Movie Background noise, Hospital devices

students talking

Storage Under seats Cup holders Lockers, dedicated Small amounts

spaces

Emphasis On information Movie Studies On the patient

Comfort Varies but generally Based on price Minimal High priority

minimal generally good

Layout Very generalised Rows of seats Varies generally Well done

church style

Seating Modifiable Fixed and reclinable Fixed Beds

Functionality Functional Works Minimal High functioning, very

efficient

Sanitation Low Good Good High

Safety Mediocre High priority Good High

Experience Varies based on Depends on movie Varies significantly Based on the

journey situation

Smells Bad Air freshness Location Medical

Info and coding Well done Well done Based on age groups Well done

Aesthetics Not foucused Subtle, muted Minimal Functional

Mental model Seterotypical Standard Standard Rigid

Security Minimal Minimal Good High

Workspaces comparison
House
Railway Cafeteria
Cinema Hall Restaurant
Schools Library
Hospitals Design studio

Material All
Oil categories
cloth, wood,
depend Plastics,
Sound absorbing
wood, glass Same
Hard materials
as cafe Sound absorbing Carpeting, glass, clean
on
metals.
user preferences materials

Colour scheme Neutral Warm

Dark and
andcool
inviting
tones Same
Neutral
astones
cafe Muted Neutral to cool
generally

Texture Nothing specific not Smooth

Soft and rich Premium
Smooth with
feelrounded Wood
Clean and
textures
sanitized Smooth
good edges

Lighting Centralised General

Diffuser and dark General and diffuse
natural Natural
Focusedand
andindividual
bright Focused and natural
light

Style None Varies

Theatre style Based
Rigid on cuisine Depends
Clean on age of Modern and
library functional

Emotional impact Nostalgia Relaxed

Anticipating
hang out Excited
Dependsand
oneager
class Very
Stressed
emotional
and tense Motivated

Interactions Sociopetal seating With

Sociofuegal
staff, friends, Same
With classmates
as cafe and With
Fairlybooks
nice and
andwell With work surfaces
teacher, can be done surfaces,
done librarian and colleagues,
well or mediocre clients but also need
privacy

Sounds Wheels (background) People

Movie background Same
Background
as cafenoise, Silence
Hospital devices Ambiance
music students talking

Storage Under seats None

Cup holders Same
Lockers,
as cafe
dedicated For
Small
library
amounts
books, Important
spaces minimal for users

Emphasis On information Table

Movie Same
Studies
as cafe On the books
patient Work

Comfort Varies but generally Medium

Based on price High
Minimal Not
Highapriority
priority Important
minimal generally good

Layout Very generalised Average

Rows of seats Aesthetics
Varies generally
over Socio-feugal
Well done layout Well planned,
function
church style functional with open
space

Seating Modifiable Fixed and reclinable Same

Fixed as cafe Variable
Beds Customisable

Functionality Functional Varies

Works Same
Minimal
as cafe Good
High functioning, very Very important
efficient

Sanitation Low Good Same

Good as cafe Good
High Good

Safety Mediocre Good

High priority Same
Good as cafe Not
Higha priority Important

Experience Varies based on Mostly

Dependsgood
on movie Same
Variesas
significantly
cafe Generally
Based on the
good Enthusiastic
journey situation

Smells Bad Food

Air freshness Same
Location
as cafe Old
Medical
books Fresh

Info and coding Well done Non

Wellgeneric
done approach Same
Basedas
oncafe
age groups High
Well priority
done need to Well thought through
be done well

Aesthetics Not foucused High

Subtle,
focus
muted Same
Minimal
as cafe Age
Functional
of the library Clean and minimal

Mental model Seterotypical Based

Standard
cafe Generic
Standard Stereotypes
Rigid No mental model,
unique

Security Minimal Low

Minimal Mediocre
Good Not
Highpriority High
Ideation
Ideation
Ideation
Ideation
Ideation
Ideation
Ideation
Ideation
Ideation

Chosen workspace and furniture

Detailing

Presentation
Toilet board

storage

Garden
Mat

Book storage and shelf

Detailing
Detailing

Metal: for strength

Detailing

Leather: for sophisticate feel

Detailing
Detailing
Detailing
Detailing

wood: for sophisticate and natural

feel
Detailing

Smooth metal : For minimal and

clean look and neutral colour
Detailing
Detailing

Plastic: for white board cum

presentation board
Detailing

Black acrylic: for better strength

Detailing

wood: To make unity in texture of

workspace
Detailing
Detailing

Plastic Chromium metal Leather

Soft wood Textured metal

Detailing
Adding back ground lighting and shadows.
Furniture design from ID perspective

We tried to do furniture design from the perspective

of Industrial design in which Double diamond model
of design process was followed. In the research we
found that the furniture that we use should have a
emotional value along with the functional value.
The emotional value of the product was added by
doing research on human behaviour on different
workspace conditions. The furniture aspect got better
when it was done along with workspace of the area
as then it was done as a system thinking project.
Workspace design from ID perspective

We tried to do workspace design from the

perspective of Industrial design in which Double
diamond model of design process was followed. In
the research we found that the workspace the main
element was emotion of the user and if it serves a
pourpose then it is an added bonus to the design.
The emotional value of the product was added by
doing research on human behaviour on different
workspace conditions that was done for furniture
design. The furniture is an integral part of workspace
hence furniture gets equal attention in this field also.
Thank You