A wheelchair first

Project – Wheelchair ‘Wear’ Soft-seat system
Client – Nomad Wheelchairs
Designers – Angela Gidden & Lynsey Jackson 2008/09

We were commissioned to design and develop an innovative seat system for a unique wheelchair concept, the MK1, being launched by newly established company Nomad Wheelchairs. The guys at Nomad are committed to promoting positive change within the wheelchair industry and global market. This was an opportunity to push many design boundaries, including our own so we took up the design challenge and the immense complexities intrinsic to the bespoke nature of the MK1 wheelchair.

Pushing Boundaries
The question – Why hasn’t anyone designed a seating system that fits the fashion conscious and technologically savvy wheelchair users that gives them the freedom to chose?

From the outset we dismissed the industry’s crude and standard approach to style, actually the complete the lack of it! So daring and determined to break the mould we introduced our own style language. We explored the world of technical fashion and created a wheelchair ‘Wear’ concept inspired by technical fashion outer-wear introducing influences from the jacket to the shirt tails, from one to wear to one in the wash, from one to wear to a business meeting to one to wear to a gig, from off-the-shelf to bespoke and customised, from the twin-needle stitch detail to the label, from simple to sophisticated, from tailored to casual, from wardrobe to wheelchair.

The Greenhouse
From the start we involved Nomad in our Greenhouse design process taking them from the Seed Factory workshop through to Yield. The project required intensive research and a fresh intellectual design approach. Our research not only covered the international wheelchair sector and users but also fashion and out-door technical clothing markets, stitching hi-tech environmental materials and potential manufacturers.

We developed the concept brief which established the need to create a stylish and more visually appealing, highly user-friendly, well-engineered, comfortable, practical and inter-changeable seat-system solution that presented a unique alternative for Nomad’s target customers primarily defined as 20-30 something's with potential to appeal to other demographic lifestyles within the U.K and global wheelchair user market. We understood the requirement to make the seating-system not just fit for purpose and fit for a free-spirited way of life. As well as being highly functional we ensured that the design concept considered a production and cost efficient seat-system solution that must not only enhance the aesthetics and quality of the MK1 wheelchair but importantly fit those fashion conscious and technologically savvy consumers determined not let their disabilities hold them back. Material sourcing and selection, distinctive stitch details and treatments and avoiding the overuse of fixings like Velcro were paramount. Our Future-Thinking was at the core of the project ensuring that the final solution met our and Nomad’s key environmental criteria. We were committed to 'less is more' - less nasty chchchchchchchchch noise pollution from the industries favourite hook and loop tape, less miles of unforgiving nylon fabric, less manufacturing energy, less weight per seat unit and less ‘user-muscle’ to make even the smallest adjustment.

Yield
The yield is more simplicity, more sophistication, more style, more comfort, more freedom, more customer choice, more sustainability, more functionality, more durability, more brand distinction, more customer satisfaction, more sales and more profit. Launched April 09, now in production, selling, international exposure and interest, shortisted for international design awards.