Overview

BlockChair is a comprehensive branding and product design project created for the Arts Aplicades i Disseny subject at the Universitat de Lleida (UdL). The goal was to build an entire corporate identity alongside the functional design of an eco-friendly chair . The project encompasses the complete brand ecosystem—from logo construction, typography rules, color system, and tone of voice to technical scale blueprints, 3D modelling, physical prototyping, corporate mockups, and advertising posters

The Challenge

The core objective was to harmonize two distinct disciplines within a single design framework: corporate visual identity (CVI) and industrial design.
     - Brand Identity Requirements: Designing a complete identity manual (spanning 40–65 pages) formatted horizontally for professional printing. It needed to define precise guidelines for logo construction, clear space, minimum reproduction sizes, color spaces (CMYK, RGB, HEX, Lab), corporate typography usage (Helvetica vs. Arial), tone of voice, and brand applications. 

     - Product & Prototype Integration: Designing a sustainable chair using biodegradable materials without additives, featuring an easy-assembly mechanism using slots/wedges across three primary wooden panels . The system required complete technical development: scale blueprints, 3D renderings, scale mockups, and real-size physical prototypes to test strength and structural stability.

Our Approach

     -  Identity & Brand Strategy: Developed a minimalist, modern visual language anchored in sustainability . The logo seamlessly integrates the silhouette of a chair into the typography (Helvetica Bold & Helvetica Compacted Black), using green (#75B949) to emphasize ecological responsibility, accompanied by complementary earth and sky tones (#835530 brown and #29AABCE blue).

     - Editorial & Layout Design: Designed and grid-structured a horizontal A4 brand manual using professional layout software. The document structures every detail clearly: brand philosophy (aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals like Climate Action and Responsible Consumption), visual rules, incorrect usage guidelines, and stationery mockups.

     - Industrial & Physical Design: Created the chair starting from exploratory ideation sketches up to technical scale drawings . Modeled the product in 3D to visualize volume, assembled scale cardboard mockups to evaluate structural integrity, and ultimately built a full-scale prototype out of natural wood panels.

Project Gallery

Results

     - Complete Editorial Deliverable: A high-end, 40+-page corporate brand manual bound professionally as a real product catalog.

     - 360° Brand System: A cohesive, adaptable identity complete with clear guidelines for print/digital media, stationery (tote bags, pencils, folders), apparel (employee uniforms and caps), and promotional posters. 

     - Validated Product Prototype: A fully functional, eco-friendly wooden chair prototype requiring no plastic additives, successfully tested for stability, comfort, and real-world assembly .