Interview with Ben Burr from Benjamin Thomas Design

Please can you tell us about your business, how and when it started, what your focus is on:

Benjamin Thomas Design Ltd is a design consultancy, founded in 2017, that focuses on technical design and manufacture. We take on a wide range of projects from small component designs to large scale installations.

Tell us more about the Slöt Desk:

Slöt was born from a simple idea that has taken on a life of its own. During the Covid 19 lockdown I built a desk for my wife from some scrap  timber, just a simple set of trestles and a top but the slot idea was already forming in my mind. When a friend contacted me asking if I could make him a desk for working at home I finally sat down and got to work on the design of the Slöt Desk.

The original design was very quickly sketched out in CAD and modelled as a 3D CAD model. I set myself a couple of specifications to give myself some parameters to work within:

• Must be manufactured in a sustainable material with minimal waste.
• Must be affordable.
• Should not compromise on its function.
• The desk should quickly and easily assemble and disassemble so it can be removed from the home environment.

I selected the 18mm birch ply because of its sustainability and sturdiness and set myself the challenge that 1 desk should be cut from a single 2400mm x 1200mm sheet of material. This would reduce the amount of material waste and help in reducing the cost.

The biggest issue was to nest all the components onto a single sheet. With a few minor adjustments to the design I was able to nest all the parts onto a single sheet and into manufacture.

Why did you choose Button-fix fixings instead of others in the market?

The design had always involved the use of button fixings and I had never considered using anything else.

Button-fix is the only component to be bought in 'off the shelf', also fitted beautifully with the ethos of the Slöt Desk manufacture. I wanted to produce a simple, clever, innovative product that was centred around good design, quality materials and quality manufacturing in the UK.

Button-fix not only had the perfect fixing for my needs but also the perfect credentials.

What was your experience of the Type 2 Fix and Button?

The Type 2 Fix and Type 2 Button was exactly the right fitting for my needs, it is a solid and sturdy product that gives a satisfying click as it drops into place so you are in no doubt that all the parts of the desk are in place as they should be.

When dis-assembling the desk there is a reassuring amount of resistance to the Type 2 Fix so you are in no doubt that its doing its job, however I have never had any trouble in pulling the sections apart making it easy for anyone to dis-assemble. Thanks in part to Button-fix the Slöt Desk can be assembled and disassembled in less than 2 minutes with no tools required at all.

Did you contact the Button-fix technical team with any questions or queries?

The product is simple and intuitive, so I didn’t need any assistance.

Have you used Button-fix for any other applications?

I used the Type 1 Fix to wall mount a number of 3D wall hangings that then had images projected onto them several years ago.

I am also working on new Slöt designs that will more than likely include Button-fix.

How easy was Button-fix to source?

Very easy, a quick Google search of Button-fix brought up a number of suppliers including Amazon.

Follow Benjamin Thomas Design on social media:

instagram.com/benjaminthomasdesign/

facebook.com/Benjamin-Thomas-Design-ltd

linkedin.com/in/ben-burr-b287b231/