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ergonomic seating - what to look for
January 5, 2009 Consumer Products, Design, Ergonomics
a picture of the proper way to sit when reclining. Click to watch the videoHow much time do you think you spend sitting in an office chair? Assume 8 hours per day, 230 days per year for 40 years. How many years of your life is that? 9 years! Don’t you deserve to sit comfortably for 9 years?
It is proven that a chair that fits you will make you more comfortable and more productive (yes, you read it right…more productive). In a study conducted by the University of Texas and the Upjohn Institute, it was found that those that used the Leap chair and received the proper training were 17.8% more productive than their colleagues. Too good to be true? Click here to read the full story.
So…now you know why you need an ergonomic chair, but what should you look for when selecting one?
On average, we change seated postures 20-30 times per day. You should have a chair that supports these various positions with minimal adjustments. Here are some features you should look for in order to sit properly AND reduce the amount of stress on your body…
- seat height – proper seat height should allow you to place both feet squarely on the floor
- seat pan depth – adjust the seat pan to contact the backrest without feeling pressure behind the knees
- backrest tilt tension – backrest force should be high enough so to easily rock and balance into a reclined angle
- lumbar support – can be the single most important element in defining chair comfort
- armrests – results in significantly less neck and shoulder pain (adjustable armrests provide additional benefit)
- seat pan angle – seats that automatically change angles as the user moves promote posture change even further
- backrest height and angle – should reach shoulder blades and angle to limit amount of head and hand travel as you recline to maintain proper distance from the computer and keyboard
- headrest – look for a padded headrest adjustable for height and depth. Typically an option on high end seating.
According to Steelcase research, chair height, seat pan adjustments and tilt tension are basic adjustments needed to ensure fit, the rest are needed for more long-term task intensive use. Read Choosing a Chair Based on Fit, Comfort and Adjustable Features for more information.
Not the reading type? Watch a video showing you what these adjustments look like in action.
Steelcase offers a variety of seating options at a multitude of price points to ensure you find a chair that fits your needs. Browse our seating products to find the solution that fits you best.
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Packaging as an innovation?
December 16, 2008 Consumer Products, Design, Environmental, Trends
Lamp that was the gift box used to send a bottle of wine.Have you thought of packaging as a unique innovation? Well, here are three examples of companies that are treating packaging as a differentiating factor. Not only does this help reduce the products’ impact on the environment, in some cases, the products are enhanced as a result of this improvement.
- Are you a fan of Extra chewing gum? If so, maybe you’ll soon notice nifty new packaging. This concept created by Kyle Gati eliminates the need for the celephane wrapper and utilizes recycled paper and eco-friendly adhesives for the new boxes concept.
- Have you purchased a laptop lately and noticed the incredible amount of packaging needed to prevent shipping damage. Then purchased a carrying case for the same reason…to prevent damage. Think maybe these two needs could be combined? Well, so to does HP.
- And the best for last…wine with a gift box that turns into a lamp. Seriously. Cava, a Spanish champagne, from Ciclus ships in a gift box from that, with just a few steps, turns into a fully functioning, attractive lamp. I want one.
I’m sure we’ll continue to see a reduction in packaging as this environmental movement continues. Have you come across similar examples? Please share…
Do More with Less
December 5, 2008 Consumer Products, Innovation, Tech
Inc. Magazine hrecently came out with pretty cool lists that I thought I’d share…
The first interesting list is 7 Gadgets That Help You Do More with Less - While all these products are pretty interesting, I want to point out my two favorites:
The second list Inc, put out is Good Office Gifts for a Bad Economy – I sure hope my boss reads this so he knows I’d prefer something on this list to a lunch at Applebees. Anyway, you can’t go wrong with any of these, but here are the best on the list:
Introducing…The Walkstation
November 18, 2008 Consumer Products, Innovation, Steelcase News
Ever thought of ways to burn calories at work? Nix the elevator and start taking the stairs…park at the end of the parking lot…walk at lunch…how about walking while you work? The Walkstation makes it really convenient to incorporate a little physical activity in our busy lives.
The Walkstation is a treadmill with a height adjustable desk and a maximum speed of 2 mph (you can’t run even if you try) to keep you concentrated on work while incorporating physical activity into your work routine.
The average person will burn about 100 calories per mph. Assume you walk 1 mph for 2 hours per day each work week for a year and that could equate to 15 lbs lost without dieting or leaving your office!
Don’t think you can walk and work at the same time? Neither did I. I am definitely not the most coordinated person and may have stumbled once or twice, but you get the hang of it pretty quickly. As the Good Morning America clip indicates “It’s like walking and chewing gum at the same time.”
If you are like me, you prefer to walk when you are on the phone…so for those all too frequent conference calls, you might as well be on burning some calories on the Walkstation. Put a few Walkstations together in a circle and find yourself talking and walking on the Walkstations rather than sitting in conference room. There are many ways to easily incorporate walking and working into your everyday routine.
The Walkstation has been getting lots of press since its introduction. Here are a few more articles for you to peruse in your spare time. Wish you could be über productive and read this while working out? Sounds like you need a Walkstation…
Frustration Free Packaging
November 14, 2008 Consumer Products, Design, Environmental, Innovation
So how many of you have ever spent more time opening a toy package than you spent in assembling the toy afterwards? Or you find yourself with the kitchen steak knife in hand, the junk drawer scissors cast aside, as you piece, puncture and wrip at that dreaded plastic clamshell package, long past the point where you care whether you damage the product inside?
That consumer frustration has lead to the introduction of numerous tools for opening packages without the frustration outlined above. There is the As See on TV Pyranna, the One Open-sezz-me Plastic Package Opener that claims it cures “wrap rage” or the abysmally rated Package Shark Pro Opener with Bonus Scissors.
Then there’s the approach taken by Amazon.com: frustration free packaging. Like a good doctor that treats the cause rather than masking the symptoms, Amazon is going to the heart of the problem. As their FAQ says:
We work directly with manufacturers to box products in Frustration-Free Packages right off the assembly lines, which reduces the overall amount of packing materials used.
That means they are also not creating waste by throwing away the original packaging and re-packaging the items. And the scope of their plan is impressive:
This is just the beginning of a multi-year initiative. It will take many years, but our vision is to offer our entire catalog of products in Frustration-Free Packaging.
While I wouldn’t qualify Steelcase and the Steelcase Store as innovative when it comes to our packaging I do hope you’ll find our packaging to be “frustration free. Some strong hands or a basic utility knife will probably do the trick on your next Leap chair purchase. Although I admit that i just might have to add the Zibra-ZPCOPEN-OR to my Christmas wish list.
