Full-Size Cardboard Furniture for Daito Kentaku

This is a past project involving a member of the Honyaplan team: full-size paper furniture for Daito Kentaku rental showrooms. The project lead turned the customer request into a proposal, took it through approval, and worked with manufacturing and logistics partners on the initial rollout and later expansion. The work continued through nationwide delivery and handoffs to the people setting up the furniture on site.

What does paper furniture look like?

Our “Cardboard sofa” video on YouTube gives a sense of the furniture. The sofa in the video is an improved version of the one used in the project.

Helping visitors picture life in an empty room

Daito Kentaku introduced seven full-size cardboard furniture and appliance models into vacant rental rooms in February 2013. Its news release of February 28, 2013 (Japanese) describes lightweight models that visitors could see at actual size and that could be rearranged on the spot. They helped people consider furniture placement in relation to windows, columns, and electrical outlets.

Listening, proposing, and making the idea buildable

The project started before there was a finished product specification. The project lead worked through the customer request and put together a proposal for full-size paper furniture. After approval, product planning and specification work turned the idea into something the manufacturing partners could make.

The role involved connecting the people discussing the request, the people approving it, and the people who would make the furniture.

Initial rollout and customer-reported results

The team took the proposed furniture through production and delivery so it could be used on site.

In its February 2013 release, Daito Kentaku reported more room viewings and a higher lease conversion rate following the introduction of the furniture. The release does not state a percentage increase or how much of the change was attributable to the furniture alone. Its financial results presentation for the year ended March 2013 (Japanese PDF, slide 24) also presents paper furniture as part of its leasing sales strategy.

Expanding the rollout and delivering nationwide

The initial rollout was followed by a wider rollout.

With more sets to produce, the work also extended through the steps after manufacturing. The project lead coordinated suppliers, production, quality control, schedules, and nationwide delivery, connecting factories, warehouses, third-party logistics providers (3PL), and the people setting up the furniture on site.

Connecting the people who make it with the people who use it

Much of the work happened between teams: customer needs and proposals, design and manufacturing, delivery and on-site use. The project lead took responsibility for those gaps, brought in the people needed, and kept the work moving to the next step.

For similar projects, we can start with the intended use, dimensions, installation conditions, and delivery requirements, then work through the product and production specifications with you.