Article: Using both qualitative and quantitative types of research to design a comfortable television chair Journal: Journal of Design Research (JDR) 2009 Vol.8 No.1 pp.87 - 100 Abstract: This paper reports on a design and evaluation of a chair in which users can sit comfortably while watching a television screen. The design of this chair is based on requirements that were gathered from three studies with end-users in which their needs and wishes for this chair are explored. These three types of research study show that the chair to be designed should enable users to sit in a large variety of positions and support the body where it requires it. This means that the head, back, arms and legs should be supported in various positions. A full-scale prototype of this chair was built and evaluated with end-users. This evaluation shows that the designed chair enables users to sit in a large variety of positions. A moving arm support and an adjustable feet support contribute to different sitting positions. The designed chair is also rated as comfortable but the position of the head support and the lumbar support need better positioning. The study also shows that the three experiments used to gather end-user information were very valuable to arrive at a better design. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Using both qualitative and quantitative types of research to design a comfortable television chair

Authors: Dori M.K. Van Rosmalen, Liesbeth Groenesteijn, Stella Boess, Peter Vink

Addresses: Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Landbergstraat 15, CE Delft 2628, The Netherlands. ' Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Landbergstraat 15, CE Delft 2628, The Netherlands; TNO, P.O. Box 718, AS Hoofddorp 2130, The Netherlands. ' Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Landbergstraat 15, CE Delft 2628, The Netherlands. ' Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Landbergstraat 15, CE Delft 2628, The Netherlands; TNO, P.O. Box 718, AS Hoofddorp 2130, The Netherlands

Abstract: This paper reports on a design and evaluation of a chair in which users can sit comfortably while watching a television screen. The design of this chair is based on requirements that were gathered from three studies with end-users in which their needs and wishes for this chair are explored. These three types of research study show that the chair to be designed should enable users to sit in a large variety of positions and support the body where it requires it. This means that the head, back, arms and legs should be supported in various positions. A full-scale prototype of this chair was built and evaluated with end-users. This evaluation shows that the designed chair enables users to sit in a large variety of positions. A moving arm support and an adjustable feet support contribute to different sitting positions. The designed chair is also rated as comfortable but the position of the head support and the lumbar support need better positioning. The study also shows that the three experiments used to gather end-user information were very valuable to arrive at a better design.

Keywords: chair design; sitting comfort; lounge seats; screen watching; design research; television chairs; TV chairs; product design; head support; arm support; foot support; lumbar support; back support.

DOI: 10.1504/JDR.2009.031001

Journal of Design Research, 2009 Vol.8 No.1, pp.87 - 100

Published online: 16 Jan 2010 *

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Title: Using both qualitative and quantitative types of research to design a comfortable television chair

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