This project began with an enthusiastic young family and their unsuccessful efforts to find a truly adjustable chair for their firstborn. An extensive market research and testing of existing products proved this family’s initial hunch - there was a gap we could fill with a new product; one that would bring unique value and user benefits for parents and kids.

Our main goal was to design a chair that will grow with a child, supporting them in healthy sitting positions in all stages, be adaptable to different dining settings and provide excellent stability.

Designing truly long lasting products is always a twofold challenge; the product must functionally adapt to the changing user needs while also delivering a timeless aesthetics that will maintain it’s attractiveness and relevancy, ensuring joyful long term use.

Additionally, adaptable products many times sacrifice competitiveness against specialised counterparts as they prioritise versatility over tailored functionality and quality with each adaptation. Therefore we focused on each adaptation of the chair providing excellent user experience and ergonomics in each developmental stage.

Froc is a fully-adjustable chair that provides good support for kid’s feet and back, ensuring healthy sitting positions with the right angles in knees, hips and ankles from 6 months to 10 years of age. The solid leg with four extensions keeps the chair sturdy   even when kids climb or lean on it.

Considering the broader context of product usage we put emphasis on ensuring easy cleaning and optimising space use, proving beneficial in smaller apartments.

‍

‍

We considered these functional improvements as table stakes, i.e., absolute necessities to enter the market. To provide a competitive edge and achieve a higher product value it was essential to consider deeper, emotional needs of parents and kids. We know modern parents are design conscious, looking for minimalistic products that blend with their apartments, but kids too are not immune to the appearance of products. For them using products intended for younger kids may be uncomfortable, so it was very important to make the final adaptation of the chair look as close to the regular ‘grown-up’s chair’ as possible - ensuring that older children will be happy to continue using Froc.

We are glad Froc remains a very popular choice 8 years later, proving it’s timeless design and user satisfaction. Check it out in it’s new colours and added features at Froc.

‍

_{Product photography by Žiga Lovšin and Darko Pavlovič.}

‍