Great ideas often are simple executions. The Perfect Perch by James Chu is one of those ideas. Originally conceived as affordable seating for college students, the Perfect Perch has grown to become so much more. After the initial reaction of realizing “it’s just cardboard,” it’s become quite useful in the most unexpected situations.
Made entirely of thick pre-scored and creased recycled cardboard, the Perfect Perch comes in 2 design variations; gold paisley and the other is an abstract grey pattern. There isn’t much to the design in terms of using it. There are instructions on how to pop it open printed right on the side. Surprisingly it’s quite sturdy. I’m 165lb and I had everyone from a 125lb girl to a 190lb guy sit on it. It seems the more weight you put on it, the sturdier it becomes. We weren’t able to do anything to collapse it which is important because of the public marketing potential. Nobody wants to fall on their ass in public.
Since it’s just recycled paper, you could easily print any design you wanted to accompany an event. Imagine all those times standing in line waiting for tickets. The launch of a new video game or better yet – the notorious Apple lines during store openings or product launches. I could easily see Apple printing up loads of them with their logo and distributing it to their “rabbid” fans. It’s cheap and a nice souvenir alternative to t-shirts.
There’s also possible use in humanitarian aid – seating for impoverished areas. The paper is finished to be waterproof and there’s even a bed version. I’d love to see how that works. The design is totally environmentally sound being it can be constantly recycled and upcycled into other products. If you stick with soy based inks and biodegradable finishing – you basically have a product that fits within the cradle-to-cradle ethos.
What we liked:
- Lightweight, transports easily when folded
- Extremely strong, waterproof
- Potential for marketing and collaborations with artists for custom designs
- Nice little arch in the rear to support your bum
- Cheap and easily manufactured
- Environmentally friendly
What could be improved:
- £12 is a bit steep but passable for custom prints like the gold paisley
- Hook up with services like Flickr to allow people to custom print their own photos
Designer: James Chu [ Buy it here ]
