5 Innovative Products That Show What's Next for the Workplace

Wondering what’s next for the workplace? You’re not alone. Last week, thousands of people streamed to the Merchandise Mart in Chicago to explore just that. NeoCon, the largest commercial design show in North America, offered the opportunity to experience bold, new products from over 500 leading companies. From office furniture to textiles to technology, below we share five innovative products that give a glimpse into what’s next for the global workplace.

 

LessThanFive Customizer App
When it was first released in 2014, Coalesse’s LessThanFive chair received acclaim for its lightweight durability (the product’s name comes from its less-than-five- pound weight), clean lines, and the affordability of its typically costly carbon fiber structure. Now, the product is made even more interesting with a new feature: the capability to apply custom colors and patterns through the Customizer App. With this new component, designers and specifiers can exercise unbridled creativity over the chair’s finish, allowing them to apply funky prints, exact color codes, and more.

 

Workplace Advisor
The conversation on collaboration has brought about much buzz and many new products for the work environment, but there has never been a great way to measure collaboration and its role in an organization. We may know that collaboration is important, but how do people collaborate? And where? At what times? Do they meet in groups of two or ten? Knowing these answers can help organizations understand the functions of their team and workspace. A new product by Steelcase, which won a Silver Award at NeoCon, allows organizations to do just that. With the help of ceiling-mounted sensors and room scheduling technology, Workplace Advisor can measure how a room was used, on what days, at what times, and by how many people. The program then synthesizes the data into a dashboard, making it easy to see how a space is functioning over time. For example, someone viewing the data might see that many meetings happen in the Team Studio on Tuesdays. Most of the time, those meetings have only three people. And while the meetings are scheduled for a half hour, the in-room sensors detect movement for up to an hour. This product allows decision-makers to better understand the habits of their people, giving them the information they need to make their space more functional.

 

Ology
Steelcase’s height-adjustable desk promotes healthy sitting and standing with easily set options for any user. But what sets this product apart from other ergonomic selections is a posture change reminder that senses user behavior and prompts them to change worksurface height regularly. The interval between reminders changes based on whether the desk is occupied, customizing its rhythm and benefits for each user. Additionally, Ology features adjustment controls embedded within the work surface where users can set their preferred heights.

This product also integrates with Steelcase Personal Assistant, an app that allows anyone to quickly find an open location to work. When a space is being occupied, the app updates in real time. Further, the app measures anonymous usage data to report back to the organization and help improve decision making.

  

High Density Storage
Critics of the open office have not been quiet about their distaste. The interruptions and exposure have left many wanting for more balance in their environment, and for office furniture and technology that supports their need for privacy as well collaboration. Created to quiet these cries is Steelcase’s High Density Storage, a NeoCon Gold winner. This storage piece offers extendable privacy by shielding an individual’s back and monitor. The unit also integrates into Ology, above, sensing when a user is present and signaling others not to disturb.

New Black Collection
At first glance, Steelcase’s New Black Collection of upholstery fabrics may not seem so special. But, in fact, the story of these textiles deserves its NeoCon Innovation award. To create these new black fabrics, Steelcase collected scrap fabric from their manufacturing process, dyed it black, and respun it. The sleek collection is 100% recycled material, with varied patterning and thick materiality to prove it.

In addition to the products above, other common themes at NeoCon were privacy, shown in this Best in Competition winner by Teknion, and comfort in the workplace, seen in showrooms such as Steelcase, Coalesse, and more.

Combined, these powerful trends amount to what has been affectionately coined an office renaissance. Indeed, with technology creating smart and connected workspaces, office furniture telling us when to stand up and move, and components being recycled for reuse in exceptional ways, it seems that what’s next for the workplace may just be the future.

photos courtesy of Mark Dews, Kristin DeWitt & Contract Magazine