Climb the Corporate Ladder or Be Crushed!
Chess originated in India as chaturanga, played with ornamental figurines. As the game moved west, the pieces were simplified and contextualized around European royal hierarchy, sidelining chess's Eastern origins.
Hierarchy never disappeared in the modern West. It simply rebranded. Corporate Chess acknowledges this legacy as players navigate the world of the modern corporation. Rigid, blocky pieces exaggerate corporate power structures and standardization in western design. The board becomes an office grid where power remains at the top and pawns fight to stay employed, critiquing the West's history of simplifying both cultures and people.
Tallest piece. Spherical head with tie form body. Singular authority at the corporation's top.
Dollar sign silhouette. Indicates the central role of money in corporate operations and strategy.
Split top mimicking a gate. Company's damage control shielding the organization from conflict.
Echoes the CEO but at reduced height. Intermediary role between executives and employees.
Roof-shaped head of shelter and privilege. The only piece that can jump over others.
Uniform, standardized cubes. Building blocks that form the foundation of corporate structure.
Each player has 16 pieces: 1 CEO, 1 CFO, 2 HR Directors, 2 Managers, 2 Nepo Babies, and 8 Employees.
Product description goes here.
Wireless Charger
Technology is dematerializing. Cords vanish, devices slim down, and interactions become wireless. As industrial designers, we romanticize this "disappearing technology" as progress.
Yet in our rush toward functional seamlessness and invisibility,
we lose tactile, deliberate acts of experience.
Plugging in created moments of pause, small rituals
that earned us access to our digital lives.
Wireless technology dissolves interactions into
invisible gestures. Efficient, but no longer felt.
What remains of the charging experience when the cord, once annoying, is gone?
A MagSafe power bank that integrates the efficiency of wireless technology while preserving the nostalgia of wired forms as decorative ornamentation.
Beyond its utility, it exists as a sculptural art piece that questions our relationship with technology and connectivity.
Available in two variations:
USB-A → USB-C
USB-C → USB-C
Wireless powered by WIRED
Charge the power bank using the USB-C port. The LED indicator flickers during charging and remains solid white when charging is complete.
Analyzed market products and consulted with an electrical engineer and sculptor on form feasibility.
Explored 6+ wire pattern variations, balancing visual harmony with controlled tangledness.
Developed CAD models in Rhino, refining cable paths and connector placements.
Sculptural intent: Capture the tactile experience of wired charging within a wireless surface — cords as non-functional ornamentation evoking depth and density.
Will our celebration of removed physicality lead to a loss of identity and experience?
Wireless Charger
A café simulation where art and design students exchange feedback and strengthen presentations before final critique.
Design students bring their best work to critique but struggle to present it with confidence.
Through surveys and interviews, we identified key pain points in the critique experience.
find changing location more engaging
prefer presenting before sharing work
find movement during critique helpful
Bold retro colors on muted coffee tones create an energizing yet cozy atmosphere. Abstracted object shapes form a shared visual language.
01 / Floorplan
02 / Cover
03 / Lobby
04 / Lobby
05 / Lobby
06 / Lobby
07 / Bathroom
08 / Bathroom
09 / Entrance
10 / Seating Area
11 / Seating Area
12 / Tables
13 / Tables
14 / Overview
15 / Counter
16 / Coffee Bar
Connect. Share. Refine.
