We may receive a commission when you use our affiliate links. However, this does not impact our recommendations.
All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
You know what the Telephone Game is, right? One person starts by whispering a phrase into the next person’s ear and that person whispers what they heard to the next person and this continues down the line. By the time the phrase passes through all the players, it is totally different.
Wouldn’t it be fun to try something like that with furniture design? This table is the start of the #Woodchat Telephone Game Design Experiment. (More views of the table can be found on my blog.)
![My Table Design](https://flairwoodworks.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/without-front-apron.jpeg?w=750)
My Table Design
So, how does it work?
The idea is for somebody else to take this concept and reinterpret it their own way. You don’t need to use a CAD program. All that matters is that you are able to convey your ideas – a good photograph of a pencil sketch or clay model would also be fine. Design experience or savvy is not required.
One person at a time is given one week to reinterpret the piece and their vision is shared at the next #Woodchat (Wednesdays at 7p.m. Pacific). Then the next person takes that design and makes their changes.
Don’t hold back!
We (#Woodchat hosts Matt Gradwohl, Scott Meek, and I) are really interested in seeing the progression of the design and the only restriction we wish to impose is a limit of three major changes.
Other than that, nothing is off limits. We want you to take the design and run with it. We’re okay if the table transforms into a chair, then a coat rack, then a lamp. That would be amazing.
It doesn’t matter if the design is incredibly difficult and impractical to actually make. Our goal is to focus on design and only design.
So far, the table looks like this after two transformations.
![Vic Hubbard's Redesign](https://flairwoodworks.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/vichubbard-tgde1.jpg)
Vic Hubbard’s redesign
What is the goal?
Aside from being fun, we hope that this design experiment helps you realize your aesthetic tastes and improves your design skills.
Would you like to participate?
I hope you join us in this experiment. The more people who get involved, the more interesting it will be. To sign up, let us know in the comments section below.
Editor’s note: We’re inviting PWM contributing editors and authors, and select readers, to write blog entries for us on all things woodworking – particularly related to articles they’re writing for the magazine. We’ve started a Contributor’s Bog (you’ll find it on the drop-down blog menu on the home page; the direct link is http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/contributors-blog) and for now, we’re co-posting entries on the Editors’ Blog. The post above is from Chris Wong, a talented, professional woodworker who creates sculptural woodwork from his shop in Port Moody, BC. You can find out more about his work (and read his blog) at http://FlairWoodworks.com/blog/.
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
Here is Chris’s post with all three of the designs up till this point: http://flairwoodworks.com/2013/06/19/round-three-of-woodchats-telephone-game-design-experiment/
Tonight during #woodchat, we will be discussing my version of the table. You can find out more on how to follow the #woodchat discussion by visiting this page: http://uppercutwoodworks.com/woodchat/
After tonight’s #woodchat, we will have the sketchup file from my redesign posted somewhere to download. You aren’t required to use a design program however. Just sketching a new version based off the previous is perfectly fine.
Scott
I think I would like to participate, but how do we post the design? Do we copy what is here somehow, and the change it in sketch up somehow and post it? Or send scanned drawings?
I’m a bit of a newbie in this respect. This is a fun idea though.
And I agree, it would be nice to see each entry so we can see what has been done before, so we don’t wind up vascillating back and forth on a particular part.
Pete
Maybe it`s how my mind works, but I would want to know where this table has been, show pics of original, and any modifications to where it is now. Otherwise it could just keep going one step forward, and one step back,. Ad nauseam. Possibly others will jump in with their thoughts, LOML tells me I`m really strange, possibly its true 🙂
Interesting concept, but I fear it may spawn a lot of Frankenfurniture. I`d hate to think I was alive, and participating in the golden age of Franken. Rambling thoughts from a skewered mind.