FUNiture
PROJECT BACKGROUND
People with autism or other chronic diseases generally are prone to sensory physical and disorders. They are particularly sensitive or insensitive to light, col-our, sound, touch, etc. and hence, their daily lives are greatly affected. Realising that good designs help improve lives, Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) students join hands with special needs members and occupational therapists from St. James' Settlement to co-design and co-create several innovative and appealing furniture and healthcare equipment to bring positive life changes.
PROJECT CONCEPT
This streamlined design sofa combines a ball pool with an inflatable sofa. It is not only a piece of stylish furniture but also a multi-sensory training equipment specially designed for people with autism. In terms of vision therapy, balls of different colors are placed in the transparent inflatable sofa; effective vision training can be achieved simply by attracting autistic people to look at the colourful balls. In terms of tactile therapy, the tactility of patients can be trained by touching or squeezing the balls. Users can take out any balls from the sofa body through its opening or put in any balls they like, for instance, silicone balls, tennis balls or ping-pongs, you name it.
