hobby by knacks

Younger consumers are moving towards more ethical shopping methods. They buy organic foods, shop at local markets, look for clothing brands with transparent manufacturing methods, etc. However, in the furniture industry, anything affordable is usually celebrated for its quick manufacturing methods, and anything craft centered is highly traditional

in appearance or overly expensive. This brand hopes to bring some of the tradition to a younger generation through aesthetic appeal and affordability, while opening a market for more ethical shopping in furniture and home goods. Based on the principals of nostalgia, independence, and usability, the hobby launch line is a collection of furniture that transitions with young homeowners as their financial security increases and their

furniture collection grows.

designing a launch line

user: core values

Items valued because of personal significance: heirlooms from family members, items owned since childhood, etc.

Items valued because they provide personal pride: a bed that signifies their first big purchase, a car that lets them move freely, a certain aesthetic that they feel matches their personality, etc.

Items valued because of the function they serve: a computer on which they complete all of their work, a mouse that fits well in their hand, etc.

NOSTALGIA

INDEPENDENCE

USABILITY

user: core values

“I bought a coffee table from Pottery Barn. I was looking for a more adult coffee table. I fell in love with the reclaimed wood and iron look. It’s a very sturdy table that I would like to last a long time.”

“I bought a coffee table from Pottery Barn, because I moved in with my girlfriend and she didn’t like the one I had"

“The most important thing I own is my phone. Everyone I know is on it and everything I need to know it on it.”

“The next most important things are my grandfather’s ring and my grandmother’s necklace. They are the only family heirlooms I own.”

“I have a lot of furniture I’ve refurbished I’m really proud of them and the work I put into them.”

“I love my blue and white oriental pottery. I’ve searched thrift stores and antique markets for years piecing them all together.”

Katie//31 & Marc//34

Natalie//30

Bethany//27

the brand

Knacks: Through its affiliation to ‘knick-knacks’, the affectionate term used for small, personal objects, the brand name speaks to the playful nature of the company, and the personal fondness the items provide the user.

Through the affiliation with the noun ‘Knack’, the brand name speaks to the craft which is applied to each item. The brand has a strong focus on heirloom products which branch between manufacturing and traditional craft.

knacks is the brand

the line

The line is inspired by hobbies because they speak to the three core values of the target user. Working at a skill speaks to the user’s value of usability, continuing the same practice throughout ones life speaks

to the user’s value of nostalgia, and the process of self definition speaks to the

user’s value of independence.

Hobby is the line

the pieces

A piece of primary seating that could be the centerpiece of a

set-up, or merely decoration.

A table top and storage space that accompanies the settee to create a furniture arrangement that dominates a room.

Provides light to the seating arrangement, making it a go-to place for the user, as well as giving the seating arrangement weight within the space.

Settee

Side Table

Light

hobbies research

“It’s gone through this crazy evolution; I’ve been birding for over 20 years now, but it’s never felt boring because there’s always another angle to explore or activity for me to try.”

“I guess it’s like a healthy way of hording, because the things I keep are important to me. Each has a memory attached to it, either of the day I found it or the person who gifted it to me.”

“A small part of me still holds onto the dream, as sad as that sounds. I’ve gone through college, I have a job I don’t hate,  but sometimes I still picture I can make music work. It’s my passion.”

RUTH//62 BIRDER

BETSY//26 COLLECTOR

RUSSEL//32 MUSICIAN

aesthetic inspiration

sketchpage

manufacturing

the birder's settee

the collector's table

the musician's lamp

by KNACKS