no smartphones allowed, the offline chair by agata nowak

no smartphones allowed, the offline chair by agata nowak
all images courtesy of adam markowski

every morning millions of people around the world wake up to the beeping of an alarm set on their phones. they wake up, dazed, and grab the object from their bedside table. after a quick run through of the night’s notifications, they get up and go about their rituals. post-shower; what’s the weather going to be today? the weather app knows. any important news or messages? check for that too. eventually they make it to the door, doing a quick mental check as they step out: PKW, phone, keys, wallet. everything’s looking good, how about some tunes for the commute.

‘offline chair’ has high sides and back to enclose the user in a silent space 

the smartphone is omnipresent itch constantly gnawing from its place in a pocket, or purse, or desktop. an average user unlocks their phone upwards of 110 times per day, with some reaching numbers as high as 900+ per day. any spare moment: standing in line at starbies, avoiding eye contact with that stranger — read: psycho — who smiled at you kindly, is spent scrolling instagram, facebook and twitter feeds. there’s no escape, until people realize that just because they do it everyday, doesn’t mean its normal.

a removable piece of fabric on top provides an even more removed setting 

but sometimes even staring face-to-face with the issue isn’t quite enough. insert ‘offline chair’, by polish product and furniture designer agata nowak. the piece is designed specifically to break the addiction of smartphone use. a specially made pocket is the seat’s main feature, which blocks all mobile and WI-FI signals. simply sit down, place phone in sleeve, and relax. hear that? that’s what quiet sounds like.

while on the seat, the piece can be folded to open and close the top 

once the phone is gone, chances are there will be a few moments of intense anxiety and withdrawal. good thing the ‘offline chair’ is upholstered in super-soft, felt-like material that in addition to its tall, enclosing sides provides a cozy, intimate, and comfortable space that hugs the user and whispers, ‘everything is going to be okay’. the seat is produced by nowak, and is available in a variety of finishes and dimensions. it’s the perfect solution for crowded work environments and their numerous distractions, or to enabling a quiet evening at home doing something that doesn’t involve a screen. 

the ‘offline pocket’ 

the fabric sleeve blocks all mobile and WI-FI signals

frame and fabric detail 

top-down view 

upholstery detail 

designer agata nowak in ‘offline chair’ 

the seat can be made in various finishes and dimensions 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: nick brink | designboom