Where We Sit.

So I'd just like to start off by saying the idea of this entry, when discussed in class, really just reminded me of Knocked Up. The Vegas hotel scene: "there are five different types of chairs in this room". That basically set the tone for me, and I knew I'd have to use chairs. As a long day, this seemed like a good idea. So here are thoughts, as scribbled throughout the day and re-read, at just after 3am.

• Woke up, and the first chair of the day to greet me is my trusty computer chair. They're so ugly; I subscribe to the idea of form following function, but there's something about my chair that makes it hard on the eyes. It lacks any fancy adjustments (other than height), and it's ancient, so there's a screw missing which makes perching on it (as is the best way to describe interaction with it) a bit of a balance act. It's made me think about how someone really needs to focus on their design as a selling point; let those crafty Apple people at it, maybe.
• Does the toilet count as a chair? I'm not sure if I should even go there...
• My dining room chairs are a lot nicer. The arm supports are a joke; they're just the form of the backrest slopping down towards your sides, but as they're maybe an inch thick, they don't provide any support. Soft leather, and a single sturdy-looking metal pole coming out of the bottom, which then branches out into four simple legs. So similar to the computer chair, but so much better looking. They swivel, which I feel was an excellent idea on the designer's behalf; we tend to have discussions last far past the last dish, so turning to talk to someone specifically is that much easier. Maybe there is a reason for the lack of armrests; proper eating etiquette?
• Hamilton's bus seats really aren't that bad now that they've been reupholstered in some kind of rug-like material. I imagine wear will be a bitch though. The design is straight-forward; fit people in the bus as efficiently as possible.
• Oh jeez; the mall. Why is it every food court these days has those terrible metal cage-construction chairs? So uncomfortable, but that's the point; stop people from wanting to loiter and have conversation, make room for new spenders! A small redeeming point; they seem to be getting bigger, so you don't feel trapped between the table and chair. The reason of course is because people are getting bigger. Which is even more painfully obvious in an east-end Hamilton mall.
• Wow, Moore's has some comfy chairs. Big, leathery, and geometric. They look very formal and professional, which suits a place that sells, uh, suits. It's interesting to see that while they couldn't be more different than the food court tables, the reason behind the design (or at least choice to use this design) is very similar; money. The food court seats are designed to shuffle people out at a regular interval, so others can eat (read: spend). Moore's big comfy seats, I can only assume, are there to make you feel comfortable, make you relax, and hopefully, make it that much easier for the salesperson to throw that extra tie in.
• An italian restaurant, so some nice wooden chairs. No armrests again, it's a nice classy place so I'm just making sure my elbows aren't resting on the table. The design of the seatbacks reminds me of a picket fence, little splinters of wood arranged neatly, evenly spaced. Maybe picket fence is a bad comparison; not very Italian. The cushion is soft, and the legs are completely vertical, which creates a nice look for the chair, but doesn't provide the last word on stability. Then again, sprawled-out legs wouldn't work at a table that involves reasonably close proximity with other people; legs would get tangled. Now it makes sense!
• We finished up the day at a bar. I think stools are designed the way they are because you feel more important "climbing" up onto one. There's no backrest, no guideline for you, so you're more likely to slouch forward than sit upright like a posed statue. So a bump in self esteem and you're closer to the bartender... I wonder where this will lead. I suppose stools are pretty well-designed for their job after all!

So after all this, I really do see what this assignment is all about (and if not, uh, woops?). They're all taken for granted every day, but what would the world be like without chairs? Yeah, it's a cliché thought process, but my reasoning behind the question is there are so many different chairs designed for so many different purposes, that people shouldn't be content with "just a chair". All of these work best in the environment they are in, and it goes to show that there are myriad differences between your common, everyday items.