004 What is Capxule?
To create a furniture brand of the future we need to ask ourselves, how can we create a business model and a system that allows furniture to be used for many generations to come? How do we keep furniture in use lifecycle after lifecycle? How do we design furniture that can transcend time? How do we create a furniture system that can transcend time?
During the last two years of conversation and debate, the vision of ‘furniture that transcends time’ has become the product focus and core concept for Capxule.
How can ‘time’ help solve the problem of commercial furniture waste? What levers do we need to create and then manage to help clients procure objects that primarily satisfy their needs of today and then secondarily help reduce furniture waste over time?
In interrogating these questions we realised that we needed a blend of utilising existing furniture that fit with the Capxule system and ethos, as well as creating new furniture of tomorrow that could be the start of a closed loop system.
Natural Consumption & Trend Satiation
We believe that ‘consumption’ serves as a means for people, businesses and brands to explore new identities and pursue growth. We also understand that our industry is based on an insatiable desire to see newness in the shapes, textures, materials and colours every season.
“Change is natural and consumption enables change”
For the many reasons outlined in blog 3, people and businesses change over time. This means their needs change over time. Rather than shaming the act of consumption and a desire for newness we think it is important to acknowledge this reality and design furniture products in such a way that strikes a balance between responding to seasonal trends and creating products that can be considered ‘timeless’ and thus adaptable by default.
The Capxule Product Design Philosophy
From a product perspective, Capxule’s main objective is to create furniture that our clients are emotionally and commercially drawn to today. This provides the initial spark and value exchange. The furniture should then be able to evolve over time through its lifecycle and additionally then, with the support of the Capxule eco-system, provide substantial value for a future generation.
To do this Capxule will focus on the material choice, design for evolution and build quality to last. These three design values will enable optionality to change finishes, and parts whilst remaining durable.
Each of these design values will manifest themselves differently in different categories of products. For example, for some furniture, this may require a modular design for disassembly with a controlled componentry offering. This control ensures an ability to retain the custodianship of this componentry. For some furniture, we’ll endeavour to create pieces with a core identity and soul that can evoke reverence. Both strategies will enable the furniture to transcend time.
“Trends of today, timeless classics for the future”
Inspired By Time Capsules
How can ‘time’ help solve the problem of commercial furniture waste? A time capsule is a historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a deliberate method of communication with future people, and to help future generations. The idea that we can design a product and a system today to perpetuate into the generations with a timestamp of today is exciting.
Using the blend of new and existing furniture, could we create a ‘capxule’ of furniture products and services that represent a project of today and ensure that each object would have some value or utility in the future?
In debating these challenges we are designing a concept furniture brand of the future. A furniture system designed to transcend time. This brand is called ‘Capxule’. Please share, comment and DM. We look forward to driving impactful change.