We are addicted to chairs. In the United States we spend roughly 1/3 of our lifetime sitting. There are more variations of chairs than almost anything else ever made. In today’s cultural climate, slouching in front of computers and televisions has changed the average spine from a gently curved and elongated contour to a more pronounced “S” shape. This has caused 90% of adults experiencing back-pain at some time in their lives in the US.

My thesis is a “deep dive” into this health crisis from a designer’s perspective. Here I explore how simple everyday products, such as chairs and pillows, can evolve with humans and affect our lifestyle: how they can alter our anatomy; how we respond within the cultural and social context; and how we make the next design decisions. Through my research, I have gained in-depth knowledge of spinal health and posture by talking to health professionals including a chiropractor, a sports therapist, a neuromuscular therapist, and an Alexander Technique teacher. I began challenging the traditional ergonomics and concepts of comfort, and approached design from a truly body-conscious perspective.

My thesis is composed of two designs: the RESTore pillow and the ACTive desk seating. My novel pillow design offers proper support for the passive body; it also helps to restore the neutral spine while sleep- ing. The desk seating offers proper amount of support and assists the body’s natural movement while performing deskwork.

The pillow and chair designs demonstrate the unexplored possibilities of a body-conscious design ap- proach and present future opportunities to apply the same approach to other areas of design.