Designing Systems Furniture

Currently, I am at work and designing a custom systems furniture... uhh system. I often have people ask me what systems furniture is, so I thought I would share a little bit here.
Everyone has seen systems furniture at some point, and if not in person, they have seen it in movies. Basically they are individual workstations that are separated by different types of modesty panels. Stereotypically, they are called cubicles. But these systems have evolved in the past five or six years into more organic profiles. Below I will share a couple of interesting systems that I really love.

Resolve System by Herman Miller.

Hum by Kimball.

Avenir by Steelcase.

Occasionally, we come across a system that we love and want to use but it does not have some components we need. This could be a particular height of worktop, certain acoustical properties in a panel, a lack of a panel at all, etc. This is when we take the layouts for the existing system that we like and we begin altering it.
For example, the Resolve System by Herman Miller is quite extraordinary and the system is nearly perfect for a project I am on. However, we need the panels to go completely to the floor and the worktops to have modesty below; instead of the legs that supports it currently. There is no other system that meets the idea of this system, especially the canopy option. So I take the plan and start making these changes to the drawings. Then I detail the drawing with notes and dimensions. Once the drawing is documented, we will send it to furniture dealers to get a specification written and estimated that has every aspect of the system we designed. This is how we designers get exactly how we want out of a furniture system. ;)

x's and o's

Off to Jasper

This week came with some exciting news. Thursday and Friday I went on [my first] business trip. Myself, along with my boss and co-worker and a group of decision makers from Taylor University, traveled to Salem and Jasper, IN to visit a furniture company. We went to a manufacturing plant, a showroom, testing lab, and the headquarters. It was really fun to see those things, as well as extremely educational as a new designer. It really helps me to familiarize myself with the line and the company. The trip was actually for Taylor; they are looking to standardize on a furniture company. This basically means that all furniture needed for the university would be purchased with the selected company. From the Purchasing Director's standpoint, it makes things a lot less complicated because he only has to keep up on one company and only has to deal with one distributor. The group will also travel to another furniture company's showroom in Grand Rapids, MI. It is unsure as of this time if I will be able to tag along on this trip. It would be really fun though because they will be flying on a private jet directly to the company's private runway. :) That would be exciting.

While visiting the furniture company was exciting and educational, the most fun part was a stop that we made at West Baden. I had never been before but it is beautiful. It has to be one of the most extravagant buildings I have ever seen first hand. I am including a photo below but I will try to upload the ones that I took later today. It is a hotel with restaurants, gardens, and a golf course. We were fortunate enough to have lunch in the cafe and it was heaven! I couldn't get over the fact that it is in Indiana.