Memo includes meeting tables to bring people together to discuss their work.
Design Story
The increasing diversity of work styles makes it harder
for companies to find a single product broad enough to
meet everyone’s needs, without being expensive to buy.
With this in mind, Herman Miller approached designer
Tim Wallace to help them find the right balance between
new functional requirements and cost.
“Customers don’t value the basic function of a fixed desk in
the way that they used to.” explains Tim. “Typically, offices
accommodate groups of workers in clusters of benches or
desks, which provide one basic function regardless of what
you’re doing. When Herman Miller asked me to look at the
efficiency of this, I saw the opportunity to design a better
type of bench – not just more attainable, but still providing
the end-user with a pleasing work experience.”
Clusters of desks are often grouped in fours or sixes, with
systemised parts to connect each frame. Tim noticed that the
unifying feature on these clusters is the central screen, which
doesn’t contribute to the overall structure. Working closely
with the engineers in Herman Miller’s development team
Tim developed the idea to use a simple panel as a central
‘spine’ which replaces the traditional beam.
About Tim Wallace
After completing a Master’s Degree at the Royal College of Art,
Wallace spent more than a decade gaining experience working
with companies in the UK, Europe, China and the US. In 1996,
Wallace established Tim Wallace Design, and since then he
has developed a strong international client list and a range
of products unprecedented in their success. His designs are
produced throughout the world and include award winning
products such as Abak Environments for Herman Miller.
Tim Wallace
