The functioning of an object is obviously the prime importance in the design project, since designing something which doesn't work just plainly defeats the purpose. This is possibly the reason there are so many different chair designs also, the functioning of seating is different everywhere. So to continue my research on designing a chair i guess i should choose the requirements of this first. Indoor or outdoor seating? Children or adult? Household or public areas? Mobile or connected to the surrounding environment? transport seating? Transformable seating?
And with all these questions in the back of my head i went for a visit to my physiotherapist.
He told me that the number one complains he gets from his patients is people with back problems.
On Wikipedia: '
Back pain is one of humanity's most frequent complaints. In the U.S., acute low back pain (also called lumbago) is the fifth most common reason for physician visits. About nine out of ten adults experience back pain at some point in their life, and five out of ten working adults have back pain every year.'
He went on to tell me, that this is often caused by chairs and other forms of seating, as people spend a large amount of time with their spine in one position. This puts an enormous amount of pressure upon the spine causing it to wear or displace. But he said this problem can be fixed. If instead of being kept stationary, the lower back is moved slightly now and then, this will distribute the pressure of the weight better and also keep back muscles activated. The required movement is minimal and similar to the Swiss-ball idea.