PALS Recycled Stool

Solo Project | 4 Months

The Story

Each year, roughly 100 million pallets get sent to landfills or fire pits rather than being reused.

This wood has endless potential and sending it to pallets adds to the worlds growing waste problem rather than repurposing the material into functional and beautiful products.

The wood from these pallets are often beautiful woods like oak or poplar, and with a little love they can have a second life.

This is a 3 step process. Disassemble pallets, Refine material, produce products.

Step 1

Using basic tools I disassembled the pallets and began taking all of the nails out .

I was able to deconstruct 5 Pallets per hour and this produced:
45 boards (42” x 5” at .5” thick)
15 boards (42” x 4” at 1.75” thick)

Step 2

*5 pallets worth of wood per hour

Using a plainer, jointer, and a table saw, I was able to convert dirty and uneven boards into clean, square, and flat boards.

This stool was the perfect product to start with. This product was straightforward, beautiful, useful, and easy to manufacture. It seems simple, but it is the perfect blank canvas to optimize and enhance using beautiful and functional design features.

Some basic math to develop the initial dimensions to start prototyping size, shape, and other features.

Prototyping

The many rounds of prototyping were divided into exploring each aspect of the stool individually.

Joinery

Step 3

These initial sketch concepts understood both the broad and the narrow potentials of this wood. The goal was to find a product that utilize some of these techniques while maintaining beauty and manufacturability.

The Goal

Fabric

There were multiple beautiful and recycled options. The
one that matched the goals
of the project were cut and
sewn from recycled burlap coffee bags.

In prototyping the joinery, aiming to avoid hardware provided a handcrafted and sleek look that transcends what could be achieved with hardware like screws

*Final Design Solution

*Final Design Solution

Hardware

Picking hardware that didn’t protrude from the wood was the least invasive option and provided the least risk for injury or any contact with the user.

*Final Design Solution

Branding

Adding The Story

Adding Logo

The Story

This seat was crafted from materials that could have added to the growing waste problem. The wood has been repurposed from landfill bound pallets, and the seat has been crafted from a burlap sack that transported coffee beans. These materials have been handcrafted into living art to continue their journey & provide a service to those who wish to sit.

FINAL RESULTS

The Business Side

I took this project past the design side of things. I took my idea, developed a business, and competed in two business pitch competitions for start-up capital.

Timeline

Sept, 2023: Beginning of PALS

Oct, 2023: Halloween Pitch Competition

With little traction and only the start of an idea, I may have not walked away with any money, but I walked away with a ton of feedback and a new found passion for entrepreneurship.

Jan, 2024:
Tiger Cage Competition Quarterfinals

Moving into the Tiger Cage Competition, I had built a better understanding, and been gaining more traction. There were 22 teams, & I was 1 of 12 selected to move onto the semi-Final Round

Feb, 2024:
Tiger Cage Competition, Semifinals

Having moved on to the next round, I continued pushing, obtaining more clients and developing more products. PALS was selected as 1 of the 6 teams to move on, and it was the only team lead by a design student.

Mar, 2024:
Tiger Cage Competition, Finals

Wrapping up the competition, I won $5,000 in startup capital by winning the Exemplary Undergraduate Award. This money will be going towards the further development of PALS.

Achievements

Auburn Makersfest
Best Industrial Design Entry

Tiger Cage Pitch Competition
Exemplary Undergraduate

Sales

Batch #1 of Stool

Batch #2 of Stool
Partnership w/ Andiamo Lodge

Small Side Tables

Lamp Side Table