Peter Opsvik is an industrial designer who later became a furniture designer and is most known for his “Tripp-trapp-chair”, better known as the Stokke. Peter Opsvik’s main focus is in the way your body firms after the chair, mobility and the opportunity to change position in the chair. He believed that the body isn’t made for sitting still and therefore he wanted to inspire to movement in the furniture he made.
The furniture industry:
A furniture designer makes furniture for industrial, commercial and domestic clients in different materials, different forms and for decorative and comfortable purposes. The industry is always searching for new ways of making new, exciting and comfortable furniture. According to Regjeringen.no, the furniture industry has developed from being a crafts type into a more modern furniture type.
Similarities between Opsvik and other companies:
IKEA and Bolia is two of the other actors in the industry. All of the companies distribute in local and international markets and is being sold in concept stores or through a collaborator all over the world. Opsvik with, among others, his Tripp-trapp-chair, Bolia with the Scandinavia concept and IKEA with the POÄNG-chair. Other similarities are that all of these are located in Scandinavia and they make similar types of furniture. IKEA and Bolia is two of the other actors in the industry. All of the companies distribute in local and international markets and is being sold in concept stores or through a collaborator
Differences between Opsvik and other companies:
First of all, IKEA is known for their low prices and a HUGE number of products, Bolia is known for their high prices and their “quality” while Opsvik is expensive. Every year IKEA and Bolia comes out with a new catalogue with the new products and with new inspiration and unlike IKEA and Bolia, Opsvik last came out with one new product in 2017. In addition to that Opsvik, with his small and committed team, designs most of the products himself. Bolia and IKEA on the other hand uses many different designers for every project.
Peter Opsvik the unique:
As I wrote earlier on, Opsvik design has its main focus on the body’s posture and how the design can be made unique in look, but also the best for the body’s movement. One of Opsvik most unique-looking furniture’s is the Gravity Balans as you can see in figure 2. This chair allows you to lean back and relax. Besides that, it is shaped so your whole back is in the right position and lets you rest your legs at the bottom. Opsvik never compromises the design with comfort and functionality and gives an other perspective on who design may be done.
Making sense of art and design industries 