The Unsign Stick Program

Undesign is not only a conscious practice of reducing or removing environmental and social harm; it also operates on a fundamental level within the entire landscape of traditional industrial design. Beyond eliminating certain elements, it re-examines each part of the pipeline and supply chain to minimize design impacts at every stage. It’s about fundamentally rethinking how to dematerialize, simplify, or remove unnecessary aspects, ensuring that every design decision actively reduces resource use, waste, and ecological strain right from the core.

In this project, we focus on two key aspects of undesign. The first is sourcing: we prioritize the materials’ origin and how they are used, minimizing tools needed for processing. Once sourced, the second aspect is assembly: the design allows the entire furniture system to be put together without any specialized tools like drills or screwdrivers. We’ve designed a furniture system that uses readily available wood lengths from local suppliers, requiring no additional machining or fasteners. The modular design can be assembled by simply fitting the wood pieces together, resulting in sturdy furniture that can be easily adjusted in length and adapted to different uses, whether bed frames, shelves, or tables.

We also consider the end of the product cycle. When the furniture is disassembled, whether for moving or disposal, the wood is just like any raw lumber. Since no drilling or machining altered its integrity, it can be reused for other furniture seamlessly. This creates a near-perfect circular reuse system. Even the joints, made from a singular reusable materials, can be reused for a new bed, shelf, or piece of furniture. Thus, the entire system is designed for easy, sustainable repurposing, minimizing waste at every stage.

We see this approach as a starting point for our undesign exploration. It offers insights and prompts deeper reflection: can we evolve a new industrial design paradigm that truly integrates undesign principles? If so, this could shape a design practice that positively impacts the environment, culture, and society at large.