RERAK — Lightweight Folding Table System
Design Design Student → Product Designer

I invented the RERAK table to address the need for flexible furniture for small spaces and temporary use — think dorms, pop-ups, and compact city apartments. Made from modular corrugated cardboard, it folds flat, weighs 3 lbs, and holds 60 lbs — all while being easy to recycle.

Goal
Design a lightweight, collapsible table that performed well, looks good, and is renewable — proving that temporary-use furniture could still be thoughtfully designed and structurally sound.

Execution
I created over 30 iterations using adobe and prototyped them at a corrugated packaging factory ( Think Willy Wonka but for cardboard). The final design featured modular, flat-cut parts with a unique folded geometry. I self-funded early prototypes and later launched a successful Kickstarter to help fund patenting costs.

Challenge
Balancing form, weight, and strength was a constant puzzle — especially getting a 3 lb cardboard table to 60 lbs (really more like 100 lbs).

Impact

• 2 U.S. patents (Design + Utility)

• Learned when to pivot — MOQ and production costs halted mass production, but the process sharpened my product instincts, IP knowledge, and design resilience
  
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