The Herman Miller Aeron chair is so ubiquitous in higher-end offices that ordering them is almost a default for companies able to pay the tab.
But not Apple. Influenced by a chat between Jony Ive and two British designers, Apple has reportedly ordered 12,000 chairs created with a very different vision in mind …
FastCo said that the order was for the Vitra Pacific Chair.
The Aeron chair has proven so popular because it does its job so well, its open mesh material and suspension system ensuring that it remains cool and comfortable no matter how long your working hours. But this, suggests FastCo, is now considered an outmoded idea by companies like Apple.
That should, the theory goes, mean less time sat at your desk, and less need for a chair that remains comfortable for many hours on end.
Barber and Osgerby say that they aimed to get more of a living-room feel to the chairs to reflect the informality of today’s work environments.
That’s very much the current thinking, says another leading office design company.
Me, I’m sticking with my Aeron chair – the most expensive office chair I’ve ever bought, and the best value. As for Vitra, the company seemingly needs a little more design work on its website: accessing it on my MacBook Pro hooked up to an Apple Thunderbolt Display, I just got asked to rotate my screen …
