Great idea Angus. A lot of city offices are now very much supporting staff to work from home for a few days a week. So even with out Covid, having a flexible space / furniture to accommodate work from home is a great idea.

What are three things that you need assistance with?

Hi Angus,

This is a great idea that would be beneficial for many people.

More and more people are working from home these days, and with the current housing crisis, free space in households and apartments is getting harder and harder to find. A multiuse coffee table that transforms into a desk kills two birds with one stone. A multipurpose desk and coffee table also help the worker differentiate from work to home at the end of the day as well.

A recommendation I have to consider is incorporating the use of an artificial intelligence system into the desk like an Amazon Alexa etc. We are living in a booming generation of artificial intelligence. The use of artificial intelligence is an invaluable tool that companies around the world are using. 35% of Americans use artificial intelligence on a daily basis. The AI assistant will help the users of the desk work more efficiently whether they are students studying or workers.

Another recommendation would be to ensure that the product is made out of sustainably sourced materials. Sustainable products appeal to consumers and will help promote the product to extended target audiences.

All of the best.

Kind regards,

Matthew Wood 

(CQU Engineering Student - ENEG12007

Hey Angus, you are certainly right that during COVID, many people started working from home and often relied on kitchen tables, coffee tables and other general home commodities to enable some home office space. Have you thought of researching some general specifications of lounges or living area chairs that the collapsible coffee/office table could slide underneath whilst not being used? This way, you could design the table to be within certain dimensional constraints for flat pack storage whilst not being used. 

Regards, Riley Harney.

CQUniversity

Undergraduate Mechanical Engineer

This is a great idea Angus, especially as so many people are working from home now. The addition of a filing system is convenient and the charging station would be very useful to those who require the use of a laptop and phone for work/study. This idea could have some extra functions incorporated to make it even more useful, such as more adjustable height settings for those who like to stand while working. Standing desks have been increasing in popularity over the last few years, due to proven health benefits. The desk could also come with a built-in pencil/stationary holder for ease of storing supplies when not in use. Another suggestion is to make the desk from recycled materials, to make it more environmentally sustainable. The final element which could improve ease of use would be to make the table from lightweight materials, making it easy to switch between a desk and a coffee table.

Regards,

Sarah H, CQUniversity student

Hello Angus. I like the potential of your idea. As many have already mentioned, versatility and flexibility are so important, especially in today's fast-paced and ever-changing work environment.

I see that flexibility is a big part of the concept of the table, and as others have commented, there is added potential for this table by adding more features to it, such as integrating AI and lighting and charging facilities. However, not all people need all these features. I believe there is an opportunity to better capitalise on the flexibility of the table by making it more MODULAR. Could a jigsaw-puzzle-like structure be an option to promote flexibility? Maybe integrate MagSafe (as used in iPhones) to hold a few selected jigsaw pieces together? For example, part of the table top of the desk (shaped like a jig-saw puzzle) can be taken out and replaced with an AI module (Matt Wood @ 2025.04.09 6:49 PM) or instead of the AI module, a pencil holder or lamp (SarahHardy @ 2025.04.10 12:09 PM & ronisha @ 2025.04.09 11:26 AM). Another example is that the standard A-shaped legs that come with the base model of the desk can be EASILY swapped out for legs that can rise and lower (SarahHardy @ 2025.04.10 12:09 PM), or maybe you could even add easily attachable table extensions to make it bigger.

This is also where lightweight and strong materials can become very important (CNS ENEG12007 @ 2025.04.09 4:13 PM). Modularity will add a lot more joints to the desk, which ultimately decreases the stability and structural integrity of the desk. But I believe that with sufficient engineering and creativity, a solution can be found. The Idea of the Multipurpose table is Brilliant, and it is a real opportunity. I hope you continue to pursue this idea.

All the best!

Geofrey Garcia
 

Great Idea Angus.

I was just wondering if you have given any consideration to the standards or guidelines surrounding the design of office desks/tables. I am currently working on a modular storage project for ENEG12007, which will supposedly integrate into different office desks/tables, and have run into several issues regarding the ergonomic and accessibility standards laid out by Standards Australia and the Queensland government.

I would recommend applying ergonomic standards such as those outline in AS 4442:2018, to ensure comfort during long work sessions as well as complying with regulations. For example, you may design the desktop height to be between 700 - 750mm when in "working mode" to provide adequate leg room.

Your customizable interior cabinet concept aligns well with user-focused design, although this can be strengthened by a modular focused design. Potentially consider using a modular insert system with removable dividers or 3D-printed customizable trays for different stationary. I would recommend referring to Tencom's website to optimize the design for both production and useability.

Tencom - Benefit of Modular Design in Manufacturing: https://www.tencom.com/blog/the-benefits-of-modular-design-in-manufacturing?srsltid=AfmBOoo-mCRg7T3PYbwptWlku0AyQomQ4WHaC2DL82Xv1b9gvkrjF0hG

- Cody Hamilton from ENEG12007 Creative Engineering CQUniversity.