I wanted to create a tangible example that everything can be rethought and redesigned if you actively question the status quo and aim to think outside the box. Why should you have to carry cushions, or clean off bird droppings and pollen before sitting down? Why rush outside to rescue furniture when it starts to rain? I was pondering these questions, and the only conclusion I reached was that outdoor furniture has been designed this way for centuries. It hasn't been questioned. Designers have often emphasized aesthetics at the expense of functionality.

The basic concept emerged quickly once I identified the problem that needed solving. The first prototype was already "okay." However, as the design includes an additional feature (weatherproofing), making minor adjustments impacted everything else as well. Achieving the right balance required many iterations.
I built dozens of full-scale prototypes before I was truly content with the ergonomics, appearance (both in use and when not in use), and protection from the elements.

One of my primary objectives was to fulfill my wife's desire for quality outdoor furniture in our garden. Now that I've achieved that, I can concentrate on my personal goal of shifting the design paradigm for outdoor furniture. I envision a future where multiple vendors offer a variety of outdoor chairs with similar functionality. That's why I haven't patented the function itself, but the specific form factor is, of course, protected. To make that happen we plan to make a lot of families happy and continue to perfect the design. 

Now together together with the talented carpenters of ProtosDemos we aim to make every batch better than the previous something thats possible only by selling directly to consumers through this website by Leroy.

I'm a co-founder of Futurice, a European company specializing in digital transformation with a turnover of 100 million euros. I've been responsible for designing our award-winning company culture, leadership models, design tools, and processes, as well as shaping our clients' leadership cultures. I also teach service design at the university and provide guidance to individuals and organizations.

My career has mainly revolved around the intangible world. To balance this, I began crafting physical objects by hand, which eventually led me to the furniture industry. Currently, I'm establishing a non-profit organization called Ask Why Labs to actively disseminate techniques for thinking outside the box.