In a candid conversation with Commercial design, Tirthankar Basu, MD, India and SAARC, Steelcase, talks about the various evolving trends in the workplace, unique modern seating solutions for offices, the latest furniture innovations at the company’s portfolio and more…
- What are the various evolving trends in office spaces?
Over the course of the pandemic, long periods of working from home have redefined what the role of the workplace will be. Employee preferences have inextricably changed. Research shows people need and expect a work experience that’s fundamentally better than what they left. Therefore, flexibility and mobility have taken centre-stage and organizations are being compelled to rethink how they are creating thoughtful and adaptable workspaces as people make their way back to office. At Steelcase we believe that positive spatial experience can be a powerful workplace tool that helps people ‘work better’. Hybrid work schedules, collaborative settings, tech-enabled environments and wellness-centric designs are defining the future of work. Our office designs therefore sit at the confluence of these critical aspects to shape how people work in a way that unlocks their full potential.
- What are the different aspects considered while designing modern seating solutions?
Steelcase recognises that everybody has their own way of working – and their own way of sitting. In order to design seating solutions, it is important to understand how different people work. Not all hybrid workers are the same and the different roles they fill require different types of spaces. Therefore, the goal is to design better work experiences.
We want our seating solutions to enhance performance and create a community for co-workers to socialise with a purpose. Careful consideration is given to designing solutions that allow greater flexibility and mobility. We design spaces that have a mix of both enclosed “me” and open “we” spaces, so our Furnishings need to easily move to allow spaces to expand and contract as needed. Importance is given to ergonomics to enhance comfort as well as productivity.
- How has technology affected the treatment of seating arrangements?
Technology can do wonders to connect people. – But if not thoughtfully integrated, it can have the opposite effect – by becoming an impediment to work and interaction. Our researchers have underscored the importance of a simplified technology setup. The variety of both low and high seating options (as seen with products like Task Chairs – Think/Gesture or flex products like Perch) support tiered viewing of screens and better sightlines throughout the space. We collaborate with industry-leading technology partners like Microsoft and Logitech to integrate tech into the workplace earlier in the design process. This helps us design workspaces that make it easier for people to shift between group and solo work in both physical and digital environments. We also have a range of products that are designed specifically for hybrid collaboration (such as the Ocular table co-designed and developed by Steelcase and Microsoft for a Signature Microsoft Teams Room). The key is to design with intention and leverage the latest technology enhancements so that both in-room and remote participants feel more engaged with more inclusive and natural interactions in the digital world.
- What are the latest additions in the company’s portfolio for this segment?
Steelcase is always looking to revolutionise ergonomic solutions for people worldwide – in seating it goes above and beyond just a table and chair. With hybrid work here to stay, designers are rethinking traditional room designs to improve these spaces for hybrid collaboration. Our Flex collection and in co-brands – Wendelbo and Segis are available at Bangalore worklife center and our newest Ocular table is best suited for hybrid work.
- How have you been able to differentiate from the competitors in this segment? What are the major challenges that the company faces?
Steelcase’s research and development teams have been contributing significantly in experimentation to understand how people, space and technology interact. Major trends in the industry are ever-evolving as post the pandemic people began to have different requirements for a home office in a hybrid style of working. Our designs and ideas stem from findings curated annually to keep up with the expanding needs of people. This has given us the upper hand in the industry to create far more ergonomic options for our consumers like the Gesture chair which has been voted best office chair, its 360-degree arms, contoured back and adjustments are designed for all the ways technology shapes your posture.
We have a human centric approach to understand the needs of consumers. Moreover, as a global company, we always look for alternatives to provide our products to everyone through our B2C business model. The major challenges we faced during COVID-19 were logistics and supply chair disruption that led us to accelerate our digital transformations to better serve our customers.