This collection of chairs is an upbeat design exploration into the opportunities Open Design presents. The playful mode of the development process invites broad expression, knowing that there will be an effortless transformation of almost any design into a real chair. The incentive to experiment is pushed even further as these Open Design chairs are shared as a source for others to incite their own creativity.

Each chair draws its inspiration from different narratives: design references, emotional states, city life, and street art. But as a group they realize a personal design approach that embraces free improvisation and an immediacy of outcomes, whether a computer image or a physical object. This mood resonates in the choice of raw cut, exposed material chairs.

The chairs are laser cut from a 6mm aluminum sheet, and bent and assembled by hand. Bending a piece this thick is made easy using a hallmark detail I formulated a few years back, the integral twist hinge, which makes it possible to plan an exact bending position in a computer drawing, and retain the structural integrity of the chair, as part of the cutout. The selection of chairs consists of three unique structural configurations, each presented in two variations.

The designs of the chairs were recently uploaded onto my website for anyone to copy, produce or experiment with. But you are also welcome to buy the chairs, produced and signed by the designer, at Appel Design Gallery, Berlin. Watch the live production at the exhibition opening: http://vimeo.com/17419550