Walky: A Chair that Brings Movement and Personality to Design

Adding Dynamism and Social Activity to Interiors

Walky is a chair that challenges the rigidity and monotony existing in design by adding movement and energy over conventional motionless designs. This chair redefines today's models with three main drivers: Curiosity, Interaction, and Personality. Walky expresses itself uniquely to every user and evokes emotional memories and connections through its playful walking shoes, transforming the personal interaction with its users into a unique dialogue and memorable moments.

Designed by Armando Mora Medina, Walky is made using solid ash and walnut. The central connector of the chair is crafted through a combination of bent-laminated wood, routered and hand-shaped to achieve the desired form. The backrest is also hand-shaped, while the seat is created using CNC technology. The legs, structure, and shoes are meticulously hand-turned, giving the chair a distinct character.

With dimensions of 500mm in width, 590mm in depth, and 790mm in height, Walky is a comfortable ergonomic chair made for personal and social activity. The experience the user has when sitting on it is unique and varies from person to person. The chair brings back infinite memories and connects with people because of its human attributes, bringing an energetic and playful character to any space it touches. The back legs, combined with the shoes and their position, make the chair feel light and moving, evoking a sense of motion without actually moving.

The Walky project started in September 2019 and was completed in November 2019 in Savannah, GA. It was awarded the 2020 NYCxDesign Award in the student category and will be part of the SaloneSatellite 2021 Exhibition. The design was born out of a thorough secondary and comparative research, which revealed a void in motion and personality in chair design. Most chair designs only vary in shape and materials, lacking interaction and dialogue between the user and the product. Walky aims to fill this gap and provide a more dynamic and engaging seating experience.

The construction of the Walky prototype presented several challenges. The design features no flat surfaces or edges, requiring meticulous craftsmanship and precision to bring the idea to life. Creating the central bent piece that connects the chair parts and making it resemble a dowel was particularly challenging. Additionally, finding the right woods and joints for the back legs, strong enough to support the required weights, proved to be a tricky task.

Walky is a unique chair that materializes personality and interaction from a refreshing perspective. It captures the action of a person walking, bringing dynamism and a sense of social activity to any space. With its playful walking shoes, Walky adds character to any place and expresses itself uniquely to every user, evoking memories and social connections. It transforms the personal interaction between people and chairs into a unique dialogue and memorable moment.

Walky has been recognized for its outstanding design and creativity, receiving the Bronze A' Design Award in the Furniture Design category in 2021. This prestigious award is bestowed upon designs that exhibit strong technical and creative skills, contributing to improvements in quality of life and making the world a better place.