Standing Blackboard

In a world with an ever-growing focus around technology and digital media, I see a great need to keep in touch with traditional materials and tools. As part of a constant effort to expand my woodworking and design expertise, I saw an opportunity to reinvent the timeless simplicity of the humble blackboard for the modern age.

During the first stage of this project, I extensively researched both old school and modern chalkboards to develop an initial understanding of the construction and frame design. Many of the blackboards built in the 20th century feature broad and perpendicular beams often with ornate legs and are often finished with a dark stain. These are features I wanted to steer away from when developing my final design.

I further noticed that the edges of many old boards are finished with timber flashing to ease the visual transition into the rest of the frame. This was one of the key points I noted when redesigning my chalkboard in Solidworks, which helped to refine the proportions and height for ergonomic use.

The finalisation of the board design focused on triangular geometric forms, repetition of negative space and the minimal display of all-natural materials, following the design law “less is more”. Further the stark contrast between the negative space and the edgeless board helps to create a clean minimal aesthetic and maximises drawing space, giving the user a sense of visual and creative freedom.

The full assembly stands at 2000mm x 1850mm with a depth of 600mm making this board highly space efficient for the relatively low footprint.

The frame is constructed from 19mm Tasmanian oak with counter sunk nickel plated M6 furniture bolts. These fasteners provide a strong clean finish with the ability to disassemble with relative ease. The surface of the timber was treated with 150, 220, and 800 grit sandpaper and stained with linseed oil to release the natural rose-tinted, burnt straw finish.