Video: Wyndham Smart Chair

Just posted a video on YouTube, showing the Wyndham Hotel's new Smart Chair concept. See below.

As I mentioned earlier this week, I'll have a full review of the chair and my stay at the Toronto Wyndham Garden Hotel soon posted on PCWorld.com. In the meantime, here's what Chuck, a frequent commentator on this blog, has to say about the whole Michael Graves-designed Smart Chair idea:

"Based on my experience with products he previously designed for a nationwide department store chain, Michael Graves' products are usually very stylish, even witty, in their design, but extremely unsuited to everyday use. Instead of 'form follows function,' his products are more 'form follows what I say form is, and functionality is an afterthought.' This chair seems to be yet another example of his design philosophy, with the overstuffed look of a 1940's occasional chair to which electrical wiring has been added."

Comments

[chuck]

I suppose in my diatribe I should also have provided at least one example of Mr. Graves' design follies, since I'm familiar with several. A set of kitchen knives I bought from the aformentioned national department store chain was stylish in design with rounded handles and was crafted from high-quality materials. The problem with them was that they were so anti-ergonomic that they were literally painful to use. I, and others, could never get a firm enough grasp that was comfortable on any of the knives' handles--not a situation you'd prefer when you're slicing a carrot. Form trumped function. I ended up giving the set away to someone who admired them and bought a more mundanely-designed set which is far easier to use.