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what we know
People assume many different positions when they sit at work. They rarely sit still. Even while performing a single task.
People rarely adjust their chairs. So if a chair requires its user to adjust it in order to shift into another position, it may have the effect of keeping the sitter undesirably still.
what we know
The science of kinematics tells us a chair must allow the body to pivot naturally and simultaneously at the ankles, knees, and hips, providing a smooth ride and proper support, resulting in the Aeron's Kinemat® tilt.
what we know
Aeron is the only chair with the Pellicle® suspension, a unique material that conforms to the body for customized support and distributes weight evenly over the seat and back. Air circulates through the mesh-like Pellicle®, keeping the sitter comfortable by preventing body heat build-up.
what we know
People come in all sizes. And at least 25% of office furniture doesn't fit the people who use it. Full range of adjustability—accounting for all manners of shapes and sizes—is necessary in order to assure comfort.
what we know
The exploratory research that led to the development of the Resolve™ system revealed a significant trend toward lower panel heights and fewer dividing walls. Only through more visual and acoustic openness can the benefits of a team-based organization be fully achieved.
what we know
Our studies have found that workers rate "collaboration with coworkers" as more essential to their productivity than either "privacy" or "quiet places."
what we know
Workers learn more quickly in environments that allow them to see other people and productive events as they play themselves out, and furthermore, face-to-face interaction is a primary reason for coming into the office in an age of telecommunication and telecommuting.
what we know
The costs of change are a central point of research in the development of products from Action Office™ to Ethospace™ to Resolve™. Churn—the reshuffling of people and equipment—grew 14 percent for all industries in the 1990s alone. Churn has come to be regarded as a necessary evil, as the costs of aligning facilities with business strategies can be high. Companies report that moving people costs between $250 and $450 per work- station, and changes to power and telecommunications can add $200-$600 per station.
what we know
The vast majority of workers use the "piling" method of organization in their workspace, and spend an average of 30 minutes a day searching their desktop piles for essential papers. People generally organize paper in piles on any available horizontal surface, including the floor.
what we know
People want to be able to see the material pertaining to their current tasks. If the material is hidden away in drawers, research shows that people won't even remember where it is.
what we know
Offices are getting smaller. Over the past decade, the average ratio of space to worker has dropped from 250 square feet to between 180 and 200 square feet. As office space standards drop, and as computer hardware takes up more of the available space, it becomes more difficult to provide horizontal space for 'piling.'
what we know
The desktop is a terrible place to keep those materials. Workers using the computer, or even the phone, do not work in a "heads-down" position. Our objective is to bring these materials into the vertical plane, in the middle distance, keeping them on display, visible and accessible, out in the open.
what we know
Office work has become more project-driven, with each worker involved in several ongoing projects. Paper no longer moves neatly along a linear path, from person to person or department to department. People need to keep greater quantities of active information in their offices and need to be able to organize that information by project.
what we know
Americans are working 20% more each week than they were a decade ago. Just keeping up with the flow of information requires more time, attention and space than ever before. In addition to "in" and "out" baskets, people now have "guilt" baskets, full of the reports, reprints, and periodicals they know they should read to keep up, but don't have the time for.
what we know
Our approach to color, patterns, and visual cues that stimulate memory, prompt action and inspire creative thinking are key to our workstation design. In research tests, workers in visually enriched workstations outperformed subjects in neutrally finished workstations that were otherwise identical.
what we know
There must be flexibility in the positioning of computer equipment, allowing workers with differing needs to place their computer in their primary work zone, off to the side, or on a secondary work surface.
what we know
77% of workers say that "freedom to decide how they do their own work is 'very important'." Over half the people questioned say that they would like to rearrange things in their work space, but thought it was too difficult.
what we know
Storage is the most frequently reconfigured workstation component, and directly affects worker satisfaction and performance on the job.