We enjoyed this article Don't Put Your Neck on The Line (by Oliver Marks, ZDnet, January 18, 2012) that highlights the fact that many people are reluctant to spend on ergonomic office furniture what they will willingly spend on a new Apple computer. He talks of the huge medical cost of postural injuries from sitting incorrectly at the computer and how he has been converted to the benefits of a good ergonomic work chair by purchasing the Herman Miller Embody chair. He goes on to say;

"The Embody chair (principally designed by Jeff Weber and the late Bill Stumpf) I’m sitting in as I write this is a bit of a revelation: it’s one thing to spend a bit of time in a decent chair at a clients, quite another to calibrate your own chair to your body and then get used to spending most of your working day in it. Like good user interface design the chair no longer gets in the way - it’s comfortably supportive but otherwise invisible."

As Mark's points out, this is because of the huge amount of thought and investment Herman Miller makes in working out exactly what creates the most comfortable working environment. The article argues that Herman Miller is "the Apple of office furniture", but points out a good office chair will outlive your new computer tenfold. It's an interesting comparison and one we're very pleased is being made as we at Herman Miller know that ergonomic furniture really is an investment in your health and wellbeing. Check out the Embody product story at our website if you'd like to learn more about a work chair that is good for you.

The Design for Asia Awards recognise the best and most influential designs across Asia. Products were judged in September of this year by a panel of leading design professionals at the Hong Kong Design Institute. We are thrilled to have won a number of awards in the product and industrial design category with Setu winning Gold, Arras awarded Silver and SAYL merit. Setu and SAYL’s awards add to their growing lists of recognition from across the globe and Arras’ Silver award builds on its recent success at the 2011 Australian International Design Awards. We look forward to receiving our awards at the Gala Dinner to be held in December, we'll be sure to post back after the event.

(from left) The award winning Setu, Arras and SAYL

Hong Kong readers should pop in to Philippe Starck’s first boutique hotel in Asia, Jia. ‘Jia’ means ‘home’ in Mandarin and this concept of home is what makes it so lovely (although during our recent stay we realised we were conufsing the taxi drivers, by essentially asking them to take us home!). Set in the heart of Causeway Bay, Jia provides a retreat from the bustling street life with its soft white curtains, playful interior and eclectic furniture much of which is Starck designed. We certainly felt at home lounging on the Eames Chaise lounge and Walnut stools we discovered in the lobby, see below.

From 26 November 2010 to 25 February 2011, the Hong Kong Design Institute is hosting the prestigious red dot design award exhibition.

The red dot design award is one of the most significant product design awards in the international arena. The exhibition showcases a selection of winning designs from the renowned red dot museum in Germany.

Among the exhibits is a pair of bird watching binoculars named 'Birdgazer' created by Alan Yip, HKDI graduate in Timepiece Design and Branding, who was honoured with the red dot award (Design Concept) this year.

Alongside such exceptional student work, the exhibition also showcases products from some of the most world's most prestigious brands including our own and others such as Dyson, Tupperware, Apple and BMW. 

For the Hong Kong Design institute, the red dot exhibition celebrates the opening of the new design school - a significant new chapter in the Hong Kong design scene.

The HKDI "stands for highly successful and sustainable design promotion which, always harmoniously and with an eye on the future, advances the most diverse design disciplines in all their versatility,” says Professor Dr. Peter Zec, initiator of the red dot design award. “It is an honour for us, at this historic occasion, to set an example for all students, creative professionals, and those interested in design by presenting international top class design at this remarkable place.”

The third CEO Lifestyle Show took place in Chennai last December and proved to be a landmark occasion. Positioned as ‘the privilege show for the privileged few’, the event showcased a myriad of luxury items from pens to watches, yachts to supercars, prestige homes and home d&ea cute;cor to office furniture, perfumes, spas – the works.

The exhibition offered an extraordinary experience for Chennai, bringing national and international brands together under one roof, unrivalled both in terms of diversity and range. Alongside Herman Miller stood such iconic brands as Rolls Royce, Bentley, Mercedes Benz, Lavazza, Callaway Golf, Villeroy and Boch, and many more.

In association with our dealer, Buildcraft Interiors Pvt Ltd, Herman Miller was proud to have enticed the discerning patrons with a superb display of seating solutions. The Eames Lounge, Embody, Aeron and SAYL chairs all generated quite a buzz, not to mention a good number of retail and studio project enquiries.

Jayanth Jesudasan, Director, Event Strategy, CEO Lifestyle, said, “The beauty of this exhibition is its comprehensive nature and exclusivity. Patrons can pick up anything from designer stationery to a jet plane.” But what makes the exhibition different? Jesudasan replies, “There have always been luxury exhibitions that have focused on one particular vertical, but to be able to pick up designer baby products, and a few steps away to be able to look at a yacht is something that no one in this country has ever attempted.”

Designer of our highly acclaimed SAYL chair, Yves Behar talks to TED about his creative roots, and provides an insight into some of his most iconic designs including the $100 laptop.

Yves Behar will be touring the Asia Pacific during February. Keep checking our blog for tour locations and dates.

Ok so we are not based in the UK but with a review like this from such a highly esteemed publication we couldn't help ourselves - we had to share it with you.  Josh Simms gives a glowing review of SAYL, even calling it the iMac of the chair world.  We are lucky enough to be having SAYL's designer Yves Behar doing a roadtrip through Asia Pacific in February.  Stay tuned for full details of the events in your region and in the meantime read the full article here

"There are a lot of things that say to you don't touch me, don't sit on me, don't come near me. I like to be much more seductive. And so, this was designed around the idea of saying 'I want to sit on this, really bad'. And we got that reaction."

Bill Stumpf, co-designer of the Aeron Chair

Happy New Year to one and all. To kick off 2011 we'd like to share these beautiful images of our Aeron chair in the homes and work places of those who have been, as Bill Stumpf puts it, seduced.

To view, turn up your volume and click the below image:

Well there's nothing like the news of winning a major award to wake us from our Christmas slumber. We're thrilled to have learned that Herman Miller's Setu chair has just won the Design of the Decade Gold Award as 'Best Sustainable Design Solution'.

The Industrial Designers Society of America holds the award in recognition of design innovation, excellence and business success. Having set a new benchmark in both sustainability and ergonomic comfort, the jury selected Setu for its exceptional impact on business and broader society. 

Setu was designed by Studio 7.5, and is noted for its single kinematic support spine, which cradles you and mimics your every move without the need for adjustment. Designed to fit all shapes and sizes, its adaptability is like no other chair in its category.

Since its launch in 2009, the chair has attracted global attention and picked up a swag of awards including Best of NeoCon and an Australian International Design Mark. Finishing 2010 with a bang, Setu now joins Herman Miller's previous Design of the Decade winners, Equa (1980s) and Aeron (1990s).

We love this gorgeous edition of George Nelson's iconic Marshmallow Sofa. A benchmark in modern design, the sofa has been turning heads since 1956. And with such a playful mix of colours, it's sure to continue making an impact.

Thanks to Living Edge in Melbourne for sharing this lovely version with us.