CORTADO

Cortado is a plywood seating solution developed in response to a single-material and ergonomic design challenge.

Designed for focused study and work sessions, Cortado features an angled yet upright backrest for support, along with integrated bag storage to keep essentials within reach.

Timeline

8 Weeks

Role

Designer [solo]

Skills

CAD, CNC, Ergonomics, Woodworking

How can coffee shop seating be designed to encourage individual work and study?

When your home is a dorm room, space is especially limited. Coffee shops offer a third space to students outside of school and home, where they seek a balance between privacy and social ambience.

Students value…

1. A sense of privacy

Personal space is required for comfort and concentration. In less crowded coffee shops, individuals often leave one or two seats between themselves and others to maintain this space.

2. Safe, accessible storage

Without dedicated storage, students must leave their bags in unsafe or inconvenient places, often placing them on other chairs and occupying valuable seating space.

3. A community feeling

Students seek out coffee shops as shared workspaces where being around others helps boost focus, productivity, and a feeling of connection.

Finding Inspiration

Kerfed forms, bold curves and natural finishes

Ergonomic studies

The ErgoBox, an ergonomic test rig, was used to optimize the chair’s angles and dimensions. Standard desk height was incorporated to ensure comfortable posture for users across a range of percentile heights.