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A Breakdown of Cesto by Khodi Feiz for Studio TK

For 2018, Amsterdam-based Feiz Design Studio created a four-piece collection of interactive seating for work environments. Designed for Studio TK, Cesto, which is Spanish for “basket,” offers mobile options for planned or spur of the moment seating groups. The lightweight, pouf-based seats can easily be picked up and moved to any location making them a comfortable option for any office space. For this month’s Deconstruction, we asked designer Khodi Feiz to walk us through his design process to see how the Cesto Pouf with Back came about:

“As a designer, I tend to need a few intuitive ‘crutches’ to give my work a certain structure. Throughout the years, I have found that the search for clarity, concept and context can fulfill most of the basic paradigms I look for in my designs. I do not use this as a sort of checklist to make sure I answer, but as a sort of subconscious guiding light to drive me to where my work should be.”

“The ‘concept’ for the Cesto family is a series of basket-like objects that share the same base but change functionality dependent on how you fill them; the ‘clarity’ comes from its pared down formal and graphical gesture, a soft squared form split in half by a graphic separation top and base, which is inviting; And, objects defined by the social aspects of meeting and collaborating within the work domain define the ’context’.”

I am inspired by totally different impulses: as an example, a curve of a lamp post can inspire the shape of a fork in your hand, or the rigorous grid of a building can inspire the structure for a keyboard. This inspiration sketch displays the fluidity of the shape of Cesto.

We approach every project with a unique perspective, making sure we frame the brief in the correct light and that we have a good dose of questioning and intuition built into our process. In a way, it’s a wide-eyed naivety that is balanced by observation, research and insight. Like all good designs, the initial process begins by putting pen to paper. During development, we created a number of hand drawn sketches to determine dimension and scale of the smallest stool.

Cesto is based on a family of comfortable, informal elements that allow you to interact with them in a flexible and dynamic fashion. The development of the collection included the construction of small-scale models out of modeling foam to determine various back and seat forms.

Here, completed small scale models show the final interaction of the base, seat and back.

Our process also included the creation of to-scale mock-ups, made of foam. This allowed us to start to understand the applications of the product, and how it could fit into today’s modern office.

Final foam mock-up in full scale.

Cesto is all about freedom and flexibility. The flexibility to gather and collaborate spontaneously. Freely reconfiguring and morphing into settings depending on your needs throughout the day. Once we created the full-scale mockup, we interacted with it for application and use studies.

Our goal was to create a dynamic and effective layout reflective of today’s social work. This freedom also extends into the different functional typologies, into the coloring and material choices and their compositions.

Tool for the rotomolded 100% recycled plastic base.

Cesto stools encourage quick touchdown collaboration at traditional 29-inch-high tables. Bench seating – with or without backs – and poufs are designed for more social spaces, and enable collaborative work at 26-inch-high tables. Like the Cesto tables, poufs are also lightweight and easily moved. Here, a full-scale mock-up with recycled off-the-tool base and the molded back foam.

Cesto is lightweight and mobile for agile workspaces that change throughout the day. This assembly and reassembly within the social context of work is critical, and Cesto allows for this.

Whether they are mobile poufs, lounge elements or small tables they allow the interaction between people to dominate the definition, playing the supporting role. Cesto’s minimal scale fits most any body type.

Cluster or huddle around to discuss, elaborate, and create collaboratively, or scoot around the corner and work by yourself on the email you needed to send off. The optional back enables informal conferences for extended meetings.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.