A curved wooden or bamboo chair or sculpture with a grid-like pattern, placed on a gray surface.

SAIL

Design a small, good quality timber product for batch production for a high-end retail outlet to be made in a commercial workshop with sustainable materials.

2025

Product Design

Wooden sculptural boat-shaped decor piece on a gray surface against a plain white wall.
A modern wooden chair with a curved, slatted design on a concrete table.
Modern wooden chair with curved slats on a concrete floor.
A wooden lattice structure placed on a gray surface.
A wooden incense holder with a lit incense stick, releasing smoke in a circular pattern, placed on a gray countertop near a white wall and a colorful rug.
A wooden sculpture shaped like a bear's head with a cigar in its mouth on a concrete surface.
A wooden aromatic diffuser in a lattice design on a gray textured surface, with mist coming out of the top.
A wooden sculptural object shaped like a wave with a thin pole standing upright in the middle, placed on a gray stone surface next to a white wall.
Stack of wooden disposable plates and a round, silver-colored foil plate on a gray surface.
A modern wooden sculpture with curved slats resting on a reflective silver base on a gray concrete surface.
A modern wooden sculpture with a curved, wave-like design, placed on a reflective silver base on a dark surface against a plain light-colored background.
Modern wooden sculpture with curved slats supported by a red cone-shaped base on a reflective surface.
Decorative wooden sculpture with curved lattice design on a granite surface
A decorative wooden claw-shaped tray with a small silver dish inside, placed on a dark gray countertop.
A wooden cell phone holder with a wristwatch placed on top, on a gray surface with a plain background.
A wooden chair with a curved backrest on a gray concrete floor, decorated with a leather watch and three metallic rings placed on it.

Ideation

I aim to make something not only high-end, but also highly functional.

Desk with a framed artwork, a wooden incense holder with incense sticks, a decorative tray, a tower puzzle toy, and a small stack of papers.
Desk with various objects including a framed PSV poster, a wooden incense holder with incense sticks, a small tray with jewelry, a decorative ceramic dish, and stacks of papers or magazines.
Collage of interior design elements including two rooms with intentional surroundings, minimalist decor, plywood finish furniture, a concrete block wall with a wooden bench, and a wooden storage box for books.

My inspiration for this project was drawn from the painful experience I share with my incense holder. I usually find the holder fails to fulfil its only purpose, catch incense ash.

It prompted me to ask the question, how can I transform the incense holder to not only fulfil its intended purpose more effectively, but how can I make it visually engaging and/or useful when it’s not being used as intended?

The requirement to be highly functional and visually engaging influenced the forms to not be so literal in appearance, rather suggestive. I didn’t want the structure to dictate the function, rather accommodate the function so the user can ultimately use it however they like.

Modelling & Production

Form and tolerances dictated the greatest changes throughout the process.

A piece of curved cardboard with evenly spaced slits, forming a lattice structure, placed on a green cutting mat.
A partially assembled metallic model with curved layered sections, placed on a green cutting mat with grid lines.
A digital rendering of a metallic, curved object resembling a modern ergonomic chair or lounge with a smooth, shiny surface. Red circles highlight certain areas on the object, with one area showing some discoloration or surface variation.
A 3D rendering of a sleek, metallic, abstract-shaped object with smooth curves and a shiny surface, featuring two rounded indents at one end and an elongated oval shape at the other, set against a plain background.

Achieving its balance, whilst ensuring the functional and allure of the structure was the most important part of the design development.

Sail is designed with three points of contact to ensure its stability and function. The importance of this was revealed whilst prototyping.

Final Function

33 interlocking components, 3 different functions.

A brown plastic lattice object with a black strap and silver hardware resting on a gray concrete surface.
Stack of wooden trays and a round metal foil sheet on a gray surface.
Modern wooden sculpture resembling a boat with a tall, thin mast, placed on a reflective surface against a plain light-colored background.
A modern wooden architectural model or sculpture with a curved shape, supported by a red central pillar on a reflective surface against a plain background.

The final product features two main components, the main structure, and a stainless steel ‘catch’ dish.

The structure accommodates two forms of incense, stick and cone. To burn stick incense, the user simply places the ‘catch’ piece under the right hand side of the structure where it converges to a 1mm² hole here the incense stick can be placed to stand upright.

Alternatively, the user can place the ‘catch’ under the left hand side of the structure and place a burning cone incense.

When the structure is not being used to burn incense, it can be used as a trinket tray.

The final design is made from 32 laser cut 4mm ply wood pieces and a single stainless steel ‘catch’. The main structure is interlocked using slots without additional adhesive.

Final Product

A wooden sculpture with a curved grid pattern and a thin vertical pole, placed on a gray concrete surface against a white wall.
Close-up of a wooden chair with a grid-like backrest design, placed on a concrete surface.

Concept Packaging