Furniture Design
Industrial Design
Iterative Prototyping
The Reading System
Three objects, one system — the Marshmallow Chair, Diamond Light, and Wonder Bookrest were designed together to improve college students’ posture while reading recreationally, inspired by Karim Rashid’s formal language of soft geometries and vibrant color.
Stylized 3D render of the Marshmallow Chair with ottoman, Diamond Light, and Wonder Bookrest concept
Role
Furniture Design & Fabrication
Timeline
3–5 Weeks
Tools
Cardboard, Foam & Vinyl Fabrication
Method
Iterative Prototyping
The problem

Bad posture in college students often stems from the reading environment — chairs without lumbar support, insufficient lighting that causes users to lean forward, and books held low in the lap.

The design question: what can we create to improve college students’ posture while reading a book, and how can we support good posture by creating a relaxing, inviting environment for recreational reading in a private space?

Hand-drawn mind map exploring postural problem areas, centered on Bad Posture
Fig. 1 — Mind map exploring postural problem areas
Ideation

Thumbnail sketches explored the full formal spectrum for all three objects — geometric vs. organic chairs, cloud-like vs. adjustable bookrests, and lamps with sculptural stems and wine-glass–shaped heads.

The Marshmallow Chair (soft, rounded, with ottoman), Diamond Light (geometric vinyl head, flexible copper neck), and Wonder Bookrest (adjustable laptop-stand base with integrated book clip) were selected as a cohesive trio.

Grid of ten thumbnail sketches exploring forms for all three objects
Fig. 2 — Thumbnail sketches for all three objects
Pin-up sheet of the Marshmallow Chair shown from four perspectives
Fig. 3 — Marshmallow Chair pin-up
Pin-up sheet of the Diamond Light and Wonder Bookrest concepts and their assembly
Fig. 4 — Diamond Light & Wonder Bookrest pin-up
Iteration 1 — Marshmallow Chair

The base used thick cardboard cylinders as support pillars, with rounded-square cutouts for the seat base and cardboard strips wrapped around the edges for the walls. Seat padding used stuffing and foam; the back cushion was layered cardboard with a scrap wood support piece inside, covered in stuffing and white stretch fabric.

Armrests used layered cardboard with stuffing on both sides, wrapped in the same fabric. An ottoman replaced the originally planned kneeling pad — a thick cardboard cylinder cut to height, padded on top, and wrapped in stretch fabric.

Cardboard cylinder base construction next to a pile of white stuffing
Fig. 5 — Base construction
Back cushion construction: cardboard cutout, wood support piece, and hands packing stuffing
Fig. 6 — Back cushion construction
Iteration 1 — Diamond Light & Wonder Bookrest

The lamp head was two sawed plastic cups connected at their mouths — then wrapped in clear geometric vinyl with color-changing string lights bundled inside. The neck used 10 floral wires wrapped with office tape, bent 90° at the head junction, and seated in a bent copper tube base.

The bookrest used a flexible cutting board covered in geometric vinyl, a modified hair clip (spring loosened with pliers) for the book holder, and a laptop stand base with decorative craft sticks along the arms.

Making the Diamond Light: string lights inside the plastic cup head, glowing teal, and the assembled lamp on a desk
Fig. 7 — Making the Diamond Light
Making the Wonder Bookrest: vinyl-covered cutting board flat, holding an open book, and angled on its stand
Fig. 8 — Making the Wonder Bookrest
Low fidelity prototype of the Diamond Light standing on its copper tube base
Low fidelity prototype
Low fidelity prototype of the Wonder Bookrest, front and angled detail views
Low fidelity prototype — detail
“Three objects, one posture system — the chair supports the spine, the lamp follows the shoulder, and the bookrest raises the page to meet the eye.”
Iteration 2 — refinements

Based on user feedback: duct tape trimmed uncomfortable edges; seat cushion padding was increased; armrest angle was reduced for sturdiness; back supports were reinforced; the ottoman was angled with layered cardboard supports for better foot posture.

The lamp was detached from its copper stand and woven directly into the chair’s back support beams to shine over the user’s shoulder — the most requested change. String lights were replaced with a higher-count, brighter strand. The bookrest gained a wider cardboard base with padded underside (repurposed stuffed pillows), painted to match the vinyl surface.

Chair refinements: white fabric-wrapped chair, taped cylinder support, and finished ottoman
Fig. 9 — Chair refinements
Bookrest refinements: cardboard base cut to shape, teal paint being mixed, and painted pieces drying
Fig. 10 — Bookrest refinements
Detail of the back support structure where the lamp's copper tube was woven through the chair
Fig. 11 — Lamp woven through chair back support
Who I worked with

The Reading System was designed and fabricated by a team of two, from the mind-mapping and ideation stages through both rounds of physical prototyping and refinement.

Final product

The final trio — Marshmallow Chair, Diamond Light, and Wonder Bookrest — works as a single reading system: a supportive, cushioned seat with a matching ottoman, a shoulder-height lamp woven directly into the chair’s back support, and an adjustable bookrest that raises the page to eye level.

Together, they turn a recreational reading nook into a posture-conscious environment without sacrificing comfort or color.

The finished trio: Marshmallow Chair with ottoman, Diamond Light, and Wonder Bookrest assembled together
Final trio — assembled system
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