Pep: The Rocking Stool That Brings Back Childhood Joy

A Stylish and Versatile Piece for All Ages

Omar Qubain and Tina Saghbini, the creative minds behind Pep, sought to capture the nostalgic pleasures of our childhood. With Pep, they aim to reawaken the pure joy of repetitive rocking or swaying that we all experienced in our lives, whether it was in our caregiver's arms or on a rocking horse toy.

What sets Pep apart is its versatility. It can be a stool, a seating device, a rocking chair, or simply a toy. Designed for everyone, from kids to the kid at heart, Pep is as simple as it looks. It is composed of three nesting elements, each able to function as a stand-alone seat or as one collective seat.

The way the felt warps around each Pep is reminiscent of a horse saddle, adding a touch of nostalgia. The leather strap fixed to the biggest Pep is purely an aesthetic detail, open to interpretation. It could be viewed as a leash, collar, or even a horse tail, adding an ambiguous reference to horse riding.

Beech plywood is used for the main structures of Pep, with simple tenons and mortise joints keeping them together. This choice was made for its excellent dimensional stability, strength, long-term durability, and lightweightness. The seats are made of resilient felt, retaining their strength and unique properties. The strap on the side is made of full-grain leather, held together with a piece of machined brass.

Pep's dimensions are 803mm in width, 270mm in depth, and 662mm in height. All parts, including the main structures, felt seats, leather straps, and brass joinery, can be dismantled for easy transportation.

Pep enhances balance and coordination skills, making it a modern, deconstructed version of a rocking horse. What sets Pep apart, however, is its unique capacity to encourage imaginative play for all ages. It is a stylish and safe product that can be enjoyed by both grown-ups and kids, fostering harmony across generations.

The Pep project took two months to complete, from January 2019 to February 2019. During the design process, Omar Qubain and Tina Saghbini thoroughly researched existing similar products in the market to ensure the uniqueness of their proposal. While challenges arose in defining the correct scale and dimensions for the nesting elements, the designers were able to find a reasonable compromise. Additionally, they overcame the challenge of ensuring the nested elements stay in place by choosing felt as the seat material, which prevents sliding.

Pep is a winner of the prestigious Bronze A' Design Award in the Furniture Design category. This award recognizes outstanding and creatively ingenious designs that authenticate experience and resourcefulness. Pep stood out for its incorporation of best practices in art, science, design, and technology, exhibiting strong technical and creative skills while contributing to quality of life improvements.