Cocoon chair project
Type of Work
Case Study
Client
Group Project - University of the Arts London
Date
2026
Tools
Physical Prototyping, UX Research, Speculative Design
A physical prototype that recreates your personal space bubble, with the option to talk to someone new
This group project investigates everyday interactions through iterative prototyping. Starting from observations in the LCC canteen, we developed the Cocoon Chair, a physical seat with a cocoon-like structure that encloses the user, giving them back their personal space in a crowded environment.
Choosing our site of enquiry
Our project started by applying the AEIOU framework just outside university to carry out non-confrontational observations and open up potential topics. However, inside our building, the LCC canteen stood out. There was not enough space and people felt crammed. However there was highly modular chairs that let you open and close your space. These thoughts directly linked to the idea of personal space and the canteen space became our chosen site of enquiry.
Ideation - Crazy 8s & Body Storming
After choosing our site of enquiry we did Crazy 8s as a group, a way of quickly developing what seemed like unconventional thoughts. Three ideas came out of it: my personal space bubble, Neesham's study room and Sean's heavy chair. To test our ideas, body storming exercises followed, physically acting out the interactions to stress test each idea early. We then decided to pursue our idea of a "space bubble" where people could feel comfortably isolated in a busy environment such as the canteen.
User Testing & Cultural Probes
To further test our idea, we ran a cultural probe asking different people to draw what they'd want in a soundproofed enclosed room. Key patterns emerged across all responses - soundproofing creates comfort, nature elements, soft textures, accessibility, and media tools kept coming up. Students clearly wanted a private space to decompress and be creative. This shaped everything going forward.
Feedback & Pivot
Teachers liked our site of enquiry and the user insights, but told us our design was too complex to prototype properly. We needed something within reach. We went back to the speculative ideas, combined the best parts of each and made a decision - we would build the chair, instead of making a space around it. This would make it feasible to build a to-scale prototype.
Prototype Sprints
We landed on the "Talk to a Stranger Chair". The unique aspect was being able to connect with someone using the same chair. The chair would have headphones connected to another seat and a storage area was added underneath after observing that people in the canteen never had enough space for their belongings. Multiple sprint iterations followed, each one getting closer to something we were genuinely excited about. This concept utilises headphones as a personal space, while adding an option to talk to a stranger without social anxiety.
Building the Final Prototype
We built a life-size version of the chair. During the making process we further developed it to include a cocoon-like structure that encompasses the user, recreating the personal space bubble at a smaller scale. Trying it myself, it genuinely made me feel like I was in a separate space, which is exactly what we envisioned.
