Table Design

The decoration and configuration of tables are fairly important in the unfinished furniture industry. Additive or incised decoration may be found on the table apron (a board which goes across the front of the table running from leg to leg and may hold the drawer front), or on the legs themselves. Painted decoration may be seen at any place on the table. The shape or form of table top, table legs, or the apron determines style and may be created by specialized machinery While the high-end manufacturers of ready-to-use furniture spend a great deal of time and money on the design of their furniture, the unfinished furniture generally provides basic forms to the consumer. The unfinished table manufacturer surely cares about selling an attractive table, but it is not likely of the most stylish or innovative table shown at the important furnishings markets. Most larger furniture firms have a design director on staff whose job is to ferret out new designs for their market and work with the production managers to create these styles economically. These larger firms haunt malls, study the shelter and fashion magazines, and perform some audience assessment of taste and style preferences.

However, smaller firms, such as those who produce medium to low-price products, point out that unfinished goods may spend less money on the development of styles and decoration, preferring to offer basic tables and forms to the consumer. Some smaller firms may assign the task of developing new products and styles to the production manager. This manager works with staff designers to craft tables that can be manufactured using the equipment used in-house. Interestingly, some prefer to design tables for which parts can easily be interchanged, resulting in a wide array of products with little re-design. For example, a console table may have the same front and back apron and drawers as the coffee table but have a narrower top, sides, and longer legs. A Queen Anne-style coffee table may have cabriole (curved) legs while a Shaker-style coffee table may be identical except the legs are rectilinear and slightly tapered. Designers or production directors generally keep their eye on current styles, assessing what is leading the market and what trends are infiltrating the target market. Generally, when a new style or form is suggested for production, a team of directors, including the director of sales and marketing, the director of manufacturing, and in-house designers assess the viability of the new design. If the design is approved, the director of manufacturing and the designer works with an operator who uses a computer-based design and drafting system such as AutoCAD. This operator works with the design on a computer and then inputs that information into the computer in order to produce that product on computer-driven machines. All staff members work together to devise the best way to get the new table form through the system, especially vigilant that the costs of the new table will not exceed the price point of the intended market and that no new machinery or manufacturing expertise will be necessary to produce the new product. The new table must be made in prototype in order to evaluate how the product will go through the established system. In addition, the staff must physically examine the proposed new table for aesthetics and durability. The prototype is made using templates made on machines. Any changes to the prototype are made, the AutoCAD operator changes computer settings for templates, and the piece is ready for production once approved.

source - madehow.com