Office Design, Aesthetics and Comfort

Office design has changed many times over the years to reach the current iteration in which open space offices, metallic and light color finishes, and glass have become the go to for many designers. Chairs are thought of as ancillary features when dealing with many office projects, as the bulk of the furniture will be benching systems, panel systems, and desking systems; however, the importance of the chair has different levels and aspects. Due to this, the correct chair can bring together the look and visual feel of the space while still providing comfort leading to workplace efficiency.

There is no shortage of articles, papers, and other media written about the visibility or aesthetic appeal of office design. A short time on the Internet will reveal anything from minimizing clutter, to open design ideas, to how spaces fit people of different ages in the workplace. In all these instances, the discussion is about the look of the space rather than the feel and function which can be detrimental over the course of time. The average worker spends about 8 hours in the office per day but only roughly 3 hours of that time is considered productive due to several factors, so maybe we should investigate the next aspect of the office, comfort. 

At this point a new question arises, why can’t both exist at the same time? Look and comfort can coexist and at many times it happens which is what most designers strive to create in their spaces. However, comfort can get lost in the shuffle in the creation of the office, which leads to many selecting seating based on look as opposed to comfort. When this happens, studies have shown that the initial office look is influential especially to possible new hires but for existing employees wanes as time progresses. Therefore, comfort is ultimately more important due to the efficiency and lessening of physical issues that result.

Knowing these factors through research and development, Nightingale has created a line of seating products that not only fit every look or feel that the designer would like to achieve but provides an unparalleled level of comfort through the sitting experience. Waterfall seat design which creates proper sitting posture, lumbar curvature, proper head and neck support, and put together with visually appealing designs make the Nightingale line able to fit any project. The XO line can fit traditional spaces, the NLC fits newer open designs with a retro but contemporary flair, the Stratford and Emily with a timeless look would fit in any era office or a new reception area or the EC3 which looks at home in any boardroom but provides a level of comfort that conference room seating misses in many designs.

We invite you to visit Nightingale at www.nightingalechairs.com to see all the products, use the Chair Maker feature to spec your own chair, obtain virtual literature, and learn more about our green initiatives and the company as a whole. Also, ask your local Rep for the Sitting Experience CEU to learn more about the comfort aspects discussed above.