Analysis of iconic chairs in the context of concept and design elements

An iconic object is described as a representative of its type, embodying the concept of "iconic." Furniture serves as a powerful reflection of this concept, with iconic chairs assuming the role of representation and creating a historical memory. Iconic chairs reflect the social and cultural life of their time, preserving design heritage while inspiring new designs. In this context, understanding, preserving, and creating new designs for furniture, as one of the representations of iconicity, emerges as a significant issue.This study aims to explore iconicity through seating furniture, specifically chairs, and determine its place in the historical design process. A five-stage case study focusing on four sub-objectives was conducted using a qualitative research method. Through content analysis, surveys, and descriptive case studies, iconicity was examined, and the design elements and conceptual structures of chairs were analyzed, describing their transformations over historical periods. Despite undergoing significant changes, chairs that have endured and become icons define the scope of this study through their rich design repertoire and the traceability of variables affecting their designs. The findings reveal that iconicity possesses a universal and multidimensional structure. Furthermore, the historical transformations of iconic chairs were found to be directly linked to their degree of iconicity through the interaction of design elements and conceptual factors. This demonstrates that the values carried by iconic designs from the past to the present serve as a sustainable source of inspiration in the design world and act as a crucial guide for future design processes.