na eun  choi   [now-in · cho-ee]
   Designer working at the intersection of strategy, sustainability, & physical form

ABOUT














 






 





































PIVOT COLLECTION


A home office collection designed for Danese Milano to help people mentally clock out

3 objects:
    1. a desktop organiser
   2. a flip clock
   3. a storage case

work together to create a stronger boundary between work time and personal time, without leaving the home

Team Members: 
Ayrlron Arellano, Nando Armandhin
Concept Innovation, Design Research, 
Iterative Prototyping, Local Manufacturing 

Course: Product Design 5 
Time frame: 14 Weeks (09.2024)
Instructor: Chiara Ferrari 






   Encouraging work-life balance at home 
by creating a stronger pivot from
work time to personal time








Opportunity:

 

54% of people say work stress affects their home life weekly or daily




De Jager, F. (2024, September 26). 81+ Troubling Workplace stress Statistics [2024 data]. SSR. https://www.selectsoftwarereviews.com/blog/workplace-stress-statistics







BRAND RESEARCH




BRAND INSIGHTS 



Danese Milano's brand language gave us a clear direction: objects that are functional but have personality: a little wit, and a little warmth




Research Insight:


The problem isn't physical space, it's the mental transition
work-life separation at home isn't only about hiding work away,
 it's about having a ritual 










Moodboards to Brainstorm

how we can re-frame this mental transition 

through hiding/highlighting, changing the audiences’ perspective, and cognitive task switching while following Danese’s brand language









THE PIVOT COLLECTION 


  1. Desktop organizer
  2. Flip clock 
  3. Storage Case (in steel and acrylic)


The Storage shelf was manufactured in 1 mm stainless steel, locally in Los Angeles, CA

A tactile act of switching modes


Clearing the desk to signal work is done

Switching to showcasing personal identity and interests



Desktop Organizer

We took inspiration from Danese’s quirky product photography and applied our own twist. Our teammate, Nando, was a study abroad student from the Netherlands, so we added some Dutch culture symbols (Miffy) as an homage

Hobby Mode
Flip to work mode

Flip Clock 


Clock-in                                                                                                                                                                   Clock-out                               


Storage Case 



Prototyping

My teammates Ayrlron and Nando (left to right) 


Manufacturing Process


Visiting the Sheet Metal Bending Factory in Los Angeles and pre-bent clock 







Disussing our design in 3D CAD with our manufacturer Kevin



CMF


Due to cost constraints, the team decided on stainless steel with minimal finishing for the first iteration of the manufactured storage shelf 

We were able to powder coat in the second round of making the Pivot Collection

Cork was used for the feet as not to scratch either the product or desk surfaces


Danese Milano Colors 


Danese Milano’s brand utilizes a larger array of colors; powder coated aluminum makes sense in for the brand + mass manufacturing in durability of color


Color Application Explorations



Final Second Version of the Flip Clock 

Powder Coating Pivot parts RAL 9010 White 



FULL PIVOT COLLECTION 


Designing as a team of three, including a study abroad student from the Netherlands, meant the project absorbed perspectives it wouldn't have had otherwise. That experience, along with the manufacturing process, is something I'd actively seek out again








© Na Eun Choi 2025                                                                                                                                                go back home >