July, 6, 2011
“Form follows function” is a principle associated with architecture and industrial design in the 20th century. The principle is that the shape of something should be primarily based upon its intended function or purpose.
Kitchen chairs follow that principle. Bean bag chairs do not. Which would you rather sit on at the dinner table?
I picked the chair example for a reason. About a month ago I wrote about a pretty bad toy, a briefcase for your child. (See “Birth of The Office Drone.”) One of my problems with that toy was the lack of imagination involved in playing with it. At that time I also came across this product. The following chair for your child may have the opposite problem, too much imagination went into its creation.
Following the principle of form following function, you’d expect the “Children’s Paper Chair” to be some sort of chair.
It is not.
No child could comfortably sit on that thing, especially if the child uses it a lot. The roll will get smaller and smaller and harder and harder to sit on, let alone use. It is a very awkward way of drawing. (I also might have to think about letting strangers look at my daughter while sitting in that position.)
Sitting the other way is no better, the child is cramped. And one dirty diaper or accident will ruin the whole roll.
It is a lousy, uncomfortable chair. It is a lousy, uncomfortable way of drawing. So what went into the thinking behind that product?
I suspect it was something along the lines of “Hey. We have all these rolls of paper lying around, what the heck are we going to do with them?”
Mr. Blog's Tepid Ride 
Now I know what I want for Christmas…
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Would you like markers or crayons with that?
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Yes, please, but only if they are absolutely uncomfortable and possibly dangerous. To go well with the chair, you know.
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I only buy toxic markers with the highest possible lead content. I have to import them from a European third-world nation. If the case makes it to Italy without setting off any radiation detectors I hope you enjoy them. For as long as you can.
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Save a tree. Don’t buy this stupid seat.
I also think your Virginia personal injury lawyer is going to be all over this one–a kid rolls off the roll and gets brain damage and he’s going to be getting the call!
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Nothing good will come of this thing. And if this is a seat then big rocks are too.
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The premise is kind of neat, but…
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Wonder if the person who created this has ever been anywhere near a child? Seems a table (with an actual chair) would’ve been a better idea, though certainly not as “innovative.”
Thomas is right – this thing is a lawyers dream!
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