Herman Miller- Office Solutions

 Last Wednesday, we had a speaker from the Herman Miller representative from Connecticut. Boy, was that an epic presentation; the rep honestly left me wanting to know more about the product line that Herman Miller has to offer and so many interesting facts, lessons, and interesting tid-bits were learned by my classmates and myself.  As a little gift, we received a small jar of real honey to take home; the honey was from real genuine honey-bees that occupied the Herman Miller headquarters’ greenhouse in Zeeland, Michigan for a short period of time.(We got the remnants of what was left, lucky us!!) 

The company uses a very eco-friendly way of recycling, they use the “cradle to cradle system”. I found it very interesting that whenever a chair or any Herman Miller product must be dismantled, the company does not leave a piece out without inspecting it can be reused or recycled, instead of throwing the entirety of the chair in to a land fill. If a piece is more than difficult to recycle, then it is highly encouraged to use the remaining parts to be constructed into another product. The company’s adopted Cradle to Cradle Protocol serves as a guideline and influence when “recycling” their own products and designs. 

One of the products that I was particularly drawn too was the MIRRA chair, a very sustainable chair that is made from recycled material all over and is suitable for any kind of individual. The back of the chair is exceptionally really neat as well, from the company’s website I read that there are over 500 geometric shapes poked into the polymer backrest to provide ventilation and mostly flexibility comfort and adjusting. Along with Herman Miller’s issues on ergonomics, one key feature about the chair is that it has the plan of “Human -Centered Design”. The object of the “human-centered design’” concentrates on the individual’s lower back to keep it properly aligned using its’ “PostureFit feature” In the long run, by using a chair such as successful as the MIRRA, we as customers can benefit by not obtaining bad backs or awful posture in the future. Many of Herman miller’s chairs have this design incorporated as well. Even though the chair is quite expensive, it still catches my eye and is defiantly worth for what its’ worth.

Herman Miller's Resolve Office System

Another really interesting fun fact about Herman Miller’s office chairs is that they are designed to accommodate “any” individual, either a person who is 4’6 or 6’4 or if there is even a various weight difference, all of the chairs are designed to withhold every person and offer the same effects and comfort.

The “Resolve” Office System is a line that definitely intrigued me to the most extent throughout the entire presentation. Its’ very organic system is exceptionally versatile with its 120˚ desk connections, pole-base system, and centerline to centerline construction. The systems are “highly recyclable; workstations are 86% recyclable and contain 27% recycled materials. Every part is easily disassembled for recycling” (Herman Miller.com). During the presentation, the rep mentioned that the Resolve system is a huge contributor to provide a more open-friendly, and welcoming work station.

For our future project that is in “the works” I learned that many of the office systems will be able to provide various combinations to experiment with; the possibilities are honestly endless! I love the fact that all of the systems are very versatile and are seen as a “top of the line product” This will defiantly play the role of professionalism in the office, yet working in a more sustainable environment as well.

For more information go visit the Herman Miller Website and take look!!!

Plus, check out this clip of the 3-part video series "The Full Spectrum" presented by Dwell; very interesting indeed. It talks about what really goes into designing the Herman Miller line and what aspects to consider when designing in a such a competitive field. Enjoy.