THE DESIGN OF MULTI-PURPOSE FURNITURE FOR INDOOR CAT OWNERS

Abstract

     This study on the design and development of multifunctional furniture for indoor cat owners aimed to: (1) design multifunctional furniture suitable for indoor cat owners, and (2) evaluate consumer satisfaction with the developed furniture. The study provides a guideline for designing furniture that can be effectively shared between humans and cats. The design concept was based on a modular system, which enables flexible and unlimited connections among components. This approach allows each unit to be interconnected while also supporting disassembly, reassembly, and functional reconfiguration. In addition, interlocking structural techniques were incorporated into the design. Based on this concept, three design alternatives were developed: Design A, inspired by Tetris; Design B, inspired by jigsaw puzzles; and Design C, inspired by LEGO. These alternatives were evaluated by three design experts to determine the most suitable design for prototype development. The results indicated that all experts agreed on selecting Design B, which achieved the highest mean score.

Following the selection, Design B was developed into a prototype and evaluated for consumer satisfaction using purposive sampling with 52 participants. The results showed that usability, aesthetics, and material aspects were rated at a high level, while strength and safety were rated at the highest level. In conclusion, the developed multifunctional furniture for indoor cat owners was considered appropriate and achieved a high level of satisfaction among consumers and stakeholders. The findings can serve as a guideline for developing furniture that effectively supports shared use between humans and pets.