Most office chairs are developed with a focus on ergonomics, but the design of the Massaud Collection by Coalesso is focused as much on the ears as the rear. Modern workers are now expected to produce at the office, at home, and even amidst the clamor of an airport Cinnabon, but finding a quiet place to concentrate is harder than ever.
The new Massaud Collection attempts to solve this problem by creating small islands of productivity optimized for mobile workers. The chair features articulated, laptop-sized armrests and slots to thread power cables. Its ottoman transforms into a desk and can store a variety of peripherals and paper. The most distinctive feature in the collection is a giant hood that provides privacy for office workers to make phone calls, focus on projects, or simply escape the persistent din of modern life.
"For some time now there has been a transition in how we perceive work," says Robert Arko, VP/Creative Director for office furniture maker Coalesse. "For a long time it was defined by place, but that has changed and work is less about the building as younger people are being educated differently and coming in with different expectations."
>The new Massaud Collection creates small islands of productivity optimized for mobile workers.
Arko believes the office is still very important as a place to gather, work together, and share ideas, but the individual contributions and the deep thinking that creates value is happening everywhere a worker can bring a laptop or smart phone. "New generations of workers can’t think of life experiences without these devices," says Arko. "Our biology can’t be separated from the technology." Our biology also requires quiet and comfort to work effectively and to compete in this new world Arko knew their design approach needed to move away from the 20th century, "desk-centric" paradigm.
To help bring a fresh perspective to the product category, Arko recruited Jean-Marie Massaud, a Parisian designer who has designed housewares and a concept car for Toyota, among other endeavors, to provide new solutions. The challenge was a natural fit for Massaud. As a globetrotting designer he's used to working crammed in an airplane and preparing client presentations spread out over the second bed in a hotel room.
Massaud and his team approached the design challenge with a broad vision and tried developing solutions that were elegant without being overly specialized. He's also careful not to oversell the expectations for the chair. "The product we’ve developed is not very different, it doesn't change the gravity level in the room." he says. While the laws of physics remain unchanged, Massaud's designs do give office managers more flexibility to accommodate their workforces. "There is no need for electrical wires, no need to create new rooms," says Massaud. "We're proposing plug and play shelters rather new construction."
On it's own, the chair won't turn an average worker into a superstar, but it can help unlock their latent potential and the devices they carry. "Skyping on a phone is novel, but not that great," says Arko. "Holding your phone out in front of you is a pain so we looked at a larger problem set and added a hands free design which is transformational. It takes something you have and makes it more useful."
The Massaud Collection will be arriving in office and airports in early 2014.
All photos: Courtesy Coalesse
