Design By. fosters a connection between a person and their furniture to reduce furniture waste by incorporating the topology of a special location through a unique product. WHAT IT DOES Design By. allows users to influence the design of their furniture beyond colour and finish by embedding typographic landscapes into their chair. Creating this connection to furniture will lengthen the life of a chair which reduces the disposing of furniture. YOUR INSPIRATION In Ireland and the UK, 670,000 tons furniture is widely disposed of unnecessarily which in turn damages the environment. Our current “throw-away” society has transformed people’s behaviour so that it is now common to buy and use products and to dispose of them. This has reduced the attachment that people have to the products they own which lowers the emotional connection to their possessions. Artifacts that people keep, represent a location that has created an emotional connection. Design By’s. goal is to reduce the number of furniture thrown away by creating a connection with people and furniture using places of significance to the user. HOW IT WORKS Design By. allows user to create an emotional connection by adding a place of special significance to furniture. People have an intrinsic emotional connection to physical places. Places can represent memories, nostalgia, attachment and identity, and our relationship with places that are meaningful to us are unique and long lasting. By utilising digital fabrication techniques and geographic information systems, Design By. allows people to influence the design of their furniture beyond colour and finish – and embed typographic landscapes from anywhere in the world into the fabric of their chair. Using this intrinsic emotional connection that people have with places, people will be more inclined to lengthen the lifespan of the furniture and reduce furniture waste.