# Social Anxiety Seating Yi-Fei Chen's 'Excuse Me Stool' Helps a User Escape an Awkward Situation By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2017-11-03 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/excuse-me-stool References: [dezeen](https://www.dezeen.com/2017/11/02/yi-fei-chen-excuse-me-stool-chair-furniture-social-anxiety-dutch-design-week/) & [chenyifeidesign](http://chenyifeidesign.com/about-me.html) To express her own struggle with social anxiety, Taiwanese designer Yi-Fei Chen created the '[Excuse Me Stool](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bubble-stool),' which boasts an unusual form and purpose. When one sits on the stool, its [cushioned component begins to slowly inflate](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/knit-one-chair). Over a period of time, if a person continues to sit on the stool for too long, it will explode. To prevent this from happening, a user must pour water into a glass tube integrated into the design, which will cause a valve to release air and the built-up pressure. As such, the piece of furniture itself gives the user a means to comfortably remove themselves from a social situation to fetch water every so often. Chen says that "if you need private time at a party, people will think that your mum is sick or that your dog has died," as it is typically considered impolite to excuse oneself from a social situation in Taiwan. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 6.7/10 - Popularity: 95% | Activity: 97% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Social Anxiety Seating:** Opportunity for designing innovative furniture that helps individuals manage social anxiety and comfortably excuse themselves from awkward situations. - **Inflatable Seating:** Potential for creating inflatable furniture that provides a unique and interactive user experience, while also serving a functional purpose. - **Self-regulating Furniture:** Opportunity to develop furniture with self-regulating features that promote mindful behavior and help individuals regulate their own social interactions. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Furniture Design:** Innovative furniture designs that cater to individuals' mental and emotional well-being, providing comfort and support in social situations. - **Mental Health:** Designing products and services that address social anxiety and help individuals navigate social situations with confidence and ease. - **Event Planning:** Creating inclusive and comfortable social environments by considering the needs of individuals with social anxiety and implementing supportive seating solutions. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Modern Therapeutic Seating Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/reflect-1.md) - [Minimalist Privacy Seating Solutions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/furniture-seat-design.md) - [Modular Workspace Stools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/versatile-stool-design.md) - [Fan-Shaped Stackable Stool Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/stool-concept.md) - [Mindful Wooden Chairs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tanuvi-hegde.md) - [Self-Defence Tubular Inflatable Chairs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/street-seat.md) - [Relaxed Anti-Distraction Seats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fortune-chair.md) - [Active Sitting Cork Stools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ylin-stool.md) - [Intuitive Entryway Seats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-front-stool.md)