NOMA started from a very ordinary problem: people often have to wait somewhere without having a place to sit. We wanted to turn that into something people could actually carry with them, so the starting point became a collapsible bench that could also work as a bag. When closed, it becomes a compact flat object. When opened, it becomes a stable seat. The bag also gives it another practical function, allowing the user to carry their own essentials with them.
We started with brainstorming and small physical models, testing different ways of getting the object from flat to stable. The triangular structure became important because three support points gave us a much more stable base. We then moved to full scale 5 mm MDF prototypes, which exposed problems that the smaller models could not show, especially around strength, ergonomics and the relationship between seat size and portability.
The first prototype showed us exactly what was not working. The split seat created stability and safety problems, while the textile construction was unnecessarily complicated. We changed the seat into one rigid piece and reduced the denim to the edges, turning it into a flexible hinge instead of wrapping the entire structure. The storage pouch was also redesigned to attach directly through the MDF structure rather than being hidden inside a lining. The final version uses recycled denim hinges, an adjustable shoulder strap and a removable pouch, while grooves underneath lock the MDF plates into position when the object is used as a seat. Even the material removed from the MDF base was reused for the seat, so the final object came from trying to make the most of what we already had.
