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Gordon Byrne,
creative designer,
The Interiors Group
“With office desks, there is a trend towards
rounded desk edges and trestle-like structures,
making workstations look more like tables –
a little more ‘Scandinavian’, you might say.
This look is being given added impetus by the
popularity of white structures and felt fabric
screens.
“Although the trend can be attributed
to Vitra’s game-changing ‘Joyn system’ by
the Bouroullec brothers, overall we are not
seeing a move to benches, but rather a work
environment being shaped by flexible team
gathering.Workstations have smaller footprints
to make space for open ‘reception’ or events
spaces, and, most recently, there has been a
blend in the function of meeting/hideaway
acoustic pods with the addition of both chairs
and desks.
“There have also been developments
in Desktop Technology, with USB ports as
important now as 3 pin sockets above desk level,
and wireless charging points now frequently
offered as furniture options.”
Steve Bays,
Managing Director and Head of
Product Design,
Century Office
“Traditionally, office seating has been designed
to support us while we sit for long periods at
our desks. Current trends are responding to
calls for us all to be more aware of the damage
caused by being so sedentary. Some office
chairs now offer a combination of both active
(dynamic) and supportive (static) seating to
enable different kinds of movement at our
desks, thus strengthening the muscles in our
back and core, as well as relieving the load on
our joints.
“The static function of a chair will hold your
back, seat and arms in one position, providing
support for short periods of time. Operating the
active seating elements will enable different
types of movement, including forwards and
backwards and side to side. Such a dynamic,
ergonomic sitting position is believed to lead to
improved posture, core stability and circulation.
“Another recent development is the
emphasis on multi-functional working spaces;
areas that can be used for more than one
purpose throughout the day. An example of this
would be making a soft seating breakout area
flexible enough to be used for hot-desk style
working for visitors and staff. Standard sofas
will generally be too low, but the introduction
of soft seating at office chair height will resolve
this issue and improve ergonomics.”
Paul Rogers,
Business Development Director,
Rhubarb Solutions.
“The current trend and buzz-word in the
world of furniture is ‘well-being’. Humans are
social creatures; we like to share ideas, discuss
and collaborate in order to achieve positive
outcomes. In order to support our innate social
behaviour we need the correct furniture and
multi-functional space.
“Break out space can be seen as a designer’s
paradise, where colours, shape and form
sometimes overrule function. Nevertheless,
good design and furniture can transform a
workspace with positive results for a business
and users of the space. Staff start to feel valued,
energetic and more inclined to share and
collaborate on projects.
“While we are seeing businesses invest in
new furniture to support collaboration and well-
being, they are still in the minority.Which is why
the recent trend of good supportive, ergonomic
task seating is vital. Third space or break-out
furniture paired with traditional task seating is
a winning combination for employees who are
increasingly using smartphones and tablets for
quick emails, socialising or accessing documents
over a quick catch-up. At Rhubarb Solutions, this
type of seating has been our most popular range
over the last twelve months.”
Sit-stand working
It is not only where we work that is
changing, but how we work. One of the
big innovations here is sit-stand working
– long talked about, but finally having
an impact in UK workplaces. Height
adjustable desks that let people work in
a sitting or standing position, and move
between the two at will, offer much
needed variety and change of posture to
people who don’t have varied work tasks
and spend all day at the same desk.
“Sit-stand desks have existed in
the UK for well over 20 years, but this
time around there seems to be more
momentum,” explained Josefsson.
“A lot of people talk about how
sitting is killing you and you should
stand, but, of course, standing is no
better, if that’s all you do. The key is to
have variation, with an adjustable desk
and an adjustable chair. In Scandinavia,
nobody buys a fixed desk and they
haven’t done so for the last 10 years. A
sit-stand desk gives variation – you can
sit, stand or perch. One of the products
we have – and one of the only ones
on the market suitable for this style of
working – is the HAG Capisco. If you
just give someone a sit-stand desk and
keep the same chair, you’re not really
doing any good. You need flexibility and
variation in both products.”
Design talk
Three designers share their thoughts on key trends in office design
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