Before we meet our lovely agile bachelorettes, first we‘ll introduce agile working, and what it’s all about…
For Products for People, the agile model is not a one-size-fits-all solution, it’s a concept that needs to take into account the needs of our clients, their business and most importantly – the people within their space.
In it’s rawest form, ‘agility’ is the ability to change the body’s position efficiently. The principles of agile working are, as we all know, revolutionising offices all over the world, giving space autonomy back to people with the choice to work where they feel most comfortable. And that’s really the heart and soul of it – agile working is fundamentally about autonomy and empowering people; producing tremendous results for employers in regards to ROI on productivity, well being, efficiency and overall job satisfaction.
Gone are the days where we as designers are charged with cramming as many people into a space as possible; resulting as we now know, in low productivity and high absenteeism because of demotivation from un-stimulating environments. The solution to these problems might be as simple as creating opportunities for people to choose between a collaborative meeting space, a quiet pod, a lounge or even a traditional desk.
Sounds great, right? The problem is that we can’t just copy and paste solutions from one project to another. Each requires a specific response and understanding of the needs of the organisation. Change-management for example, is another obstacle to face in this area and does not happen overnight. It’s our role as designers to make sure that the process from traditional to agile is considered, planned and communicated carefully.
Here, Products for People have very cleverly curated a collection of the world’s most significant products in this area; showcasing a range of solutions and brands which all serve varying elements of any given agile space and any given budget.
So who are the Products for People brands you can turn to for agile solutions?
Let’s begin our speed-dating session with Boss Design.
Boss Design is a market leader in the UK and a global success in the commercial design scene, largely the result of their focus on in-house R+D, innovation and product design. As a result, Boss Design continues to develop their comprehensive range of upholstery and task seating collections, which remain at the cutting edge of design and respond to the rapidly changing needs of commercial environments.
Boss Design’s unique ingredient is their ability to tailor products to suit their client’s requirements. Boss Design, and the partner’s they work alongside internationally, are always happy to sit down and discuss collaborative projects and the development of bespoke, fit-for-purpose designs.
Their Design & Development Team is made up of the world’s most skilled and prolific designers, engineers, model-makers and upholsterers. A permanent team of nine people at Boss Design and three people at Lyndon Design are supported by an international network of freelancers and licensees with wide-ranging skills and experience to help drive their product development program forward.
What our team says about Boss Design: “Perpetually at the forefront of agile and executive task seating innovations, Boss Design products paired with our local licenced production makes it no wonder their products are P4’s premier collection. Boss Design has unparalleled support literature, environmental accreditation and game changing technology like the fabric simulator, all combining to ensure our team thinks foremost “like a BOSS!” Boss Design continues to grow as our customers share in our enthusiasm for this globally recognised and multi award-winning brand.”
Want to know more about Boss Design? We’ve got you covered! Click here for more info.
Next is Blå Station.
Blå Station, a family business, was born from furniture designer Börge Lindau’s desire to put into production furniture which he himself liked and which, to his mind, deserved a place in the market.
Fuelled by curiosity, Blå Station is driven by a desire to keep searching, not for the already known and established, but for the unexpected, the yet-to-be discovered. This is a brand who truly take pleasure in what we are doing as they continue to develop new products. However, for Blå Station it isn´t enough that a product has never been shown before. For it to be considered new, it must be able to demonstrate a new attitude towards shape, function, material or the industrial production process. For Blå Station, new furniture should be better at something and offer an alternative to what is already available.
Blå Station is a brand that approaches product design by focussing on the interiors that surround us – how they are built and how they work. How do we interact in the public space? Has today´s society added new demands? Has our way of socializing changed? These and many other questions inspire Blå Station to truly think differently.
What our team says about Blå Station: “This uber chic collection pushes the boundaries and aligns our endeavours for products for people. With no ‘Me Too’ items in this range Blå Station is a welcomed addition to our product mix and ensures we get specified regularly.”
Want to know more about Blå Station? No problem! Click here for more info.
Lastly, we have True Design.
A young and future-thinking design house, True Design is the brainchild of two young men who grew up wanting to create the future. For them “modern” is, first of all, going beyond fashion, identifying what is real and what is trend by investing in originality over those “movements” in design that too quickly change from innovative into conventional.
For True Design, fashion and trend should only be fleetingly appreciated, but also seen as a catalyst for identifying the larger underlying changes in the market. True Design is company that aims to move forward by appreciating the past, but has its eyes set firmly on the future. Completely realistic, True design are aware that everything around them gets old before they do, which is why they approach design through the nexus of past and present – classics for the modern age.
What our team says about True Design: “A relative newcomer to our range, our team already relishes the value that this show stopper collection offers. Ground breaking concepts and simplistic pragmatism, True Design should be applauded for identifying workplace and public space gaps. A solid case-in-point here is the Pincette range, which typifies the True Design portfolio.”
Want to know more about True Design? Easy! Click here for more info.