Generation
Generation by Knoll® is the world’s first multi posture task chair. It
fully supports the upright postures required for focused work, through to less
conventional postures in collaborative settings. By watching hundreds of
hours of video and conducting in-depth interviews with workers of all ages, in
all disciplines, Knoll and Formway Design recognised that the basic assumption
about office seating — that there are only a few optimal ways to sit while at
work — was flawed. In fact, their investigation showed that sitting upright and
facing forward was just one of the ways people use their office chairs.
Shifting, stretching, rotating, leaning, and reclining not only relieve boredom
but are essential to our ability to stay energised and collaborate with
colleagues. Understanding that no combination of adjustment levers could make a
chair equally comfortable in each of those positions, Formway sought to achieve
an elastic design—the idea that a product would rearrange itself in response to
a user’s movements. After years of design and development, spent considering
and reconsidering every component of the chair, Formway arrived at a truly
innovative design. With a revolutionary new material for the chair’s back and a
form that anticipates and allows for a multitude of body positions, Generation
achieves Knoll and Formway’s mission to help workers sit how they want. It is
truly the next generation of seating.
About Designer | |
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Formway Design |
Founded in
1956, New Zealand-based Formway Design has been designing furniture for more
than five decades. In 1979 the company redefined itself, developing a new
identity and philosophy that focused on team-based design and extensive
research. Formway’s designs are informed by insight gained through observation
and consideration of human behavior. Their user-centered approach marries a
rigorous design process, aesthetic sensitivity, and a passion for the
environment. Knoll and Formway first collaborated on the highly successful Life®
Chair, introduced in 2002, which is celebrated for its sophisticated design,
intuitive adjustments, responsive ergonomics and sustainable attributes.
Building on these features, the two companies came together once again to
develop the Generation chair, introduced in 2009. The progressive design
features new materials and an elastic design that supports the physical and
cognitive activities of the modern office worker. Inspired by Generation,
MultiGeneration® and ReGeneration® expand the Generation by Knoll® Family. |