As privacy and wellbeing are becoming more prioritized in the workplace, furniture design is reflecting those needs.
The distracting nature of open-plan offices have led to glass-sided pod designs that range anywhere from the size of a phonebooth to modular meeting rooms that can be erected within offices.
“The trend for pod rooms is accelerating all the time,” said Johanna Kettunen, COO of pod manufacturer Into the Nordic Silence. “The reason is that so many companies have open-plan offices and there are not enough support spaces in those offices, so people are not able to concentrate on their work tasks”
The rise of coworking spaces is driving the need for privacy, so companies such as Into the Nordic Silence and o4i Design Studio have created their own versions of pods to suit these spaces.
Other popular designs include stools that prevent the negative effects of sitting all day, which can cause numerous health issues.
“It’s very important for the body to sit actively; to have movement,” said Titti Liljegren of Lanab Officeline, which has a number of chairs that allows users to workout while sitting at their work desk.
Other products, such as adjustable desks that allow users to sit and stand and balance boards that rock from side to side allowing the user to engage their muscles, are also gaining traction in support of overall health in the workplace.
