Quick pop quiz- What’s going to be the hot fashion and décor trend next summer? Most likely, it’s going to be trash. Ok, I don’t mean awful (although some of us might thing so), but actually and literally, trash. My grandma calls it rubbish, and it’s going to be here in a big way.

Take YakPak for example. If you’re an urban dweller, odds are you really need a good backpack. Not only that, but for the sake of your image, it needs to be cool too. Problem is, most good bags cost around $100, and the ones that only look cool aren’t very good. So, where do you go? YakPak. Last month, they started selling backpacks made of recycled vinyl from used billboards. They’re only $35, guaranteed to last forever, and all one of a kind.

Still don’t believe me? Try Justin Gignac’s art studio, NYCG, short for New York City Garbage. That’s right- Lucite cubes of trash, plucked directly from the bin during America’s biggest events including New Years Eve in Times Square, the Republican National Convention, and the last game ever at old Yankee Stadium. They’re signed, numbered, and dated, and typeset in Helvetica. The cubes retail between $50 and $100- possibly the classiest junk you’ll ever buy.

Next month, it’s going to be hot to wear an old billboard, or have someone’s used coffee cup on your mantle. You know, now that you mention it, make old things new too with our Cradle-to-Cradle products. Products that, when they’re finished being used, can be returned to the Earth without harm, or be repurposed into another chair. Either way, it’s pretty good to see reuse getting some love.

Is it just me, or is there an over abundance of green-certifications out there? It’s really confusing. There are almost two-hundred estimated standards that are in use, but one that really seems to stand out is Cradle-to-Cradle.

Started in the 1990s by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, C2C has gained some steam since about 2002, when their book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things was released. It’s not necessarily the coolest name around, but the criterion to get the certification is stringent. What needs to be accomplished to be C2C certified, you may ask. We just happen to know…

1. Materials – Whatever goes into making the product, if synthetic, needs to be nontoxic,
   non-harmful, and must be able to be reused over and over again into the
   “same level” product, without becoming lesser (ie. tires to artificial turf). If
   organic, the materials should be able to be disposed of in any natural environment
   and decompose into the soil.


2. Disposal – When a product is finished being used, a plan to either dispose of it in
   a safe way or reuse the materials must be outlined.


3. Production – Making the product must be green, too. For the highest level of
   certification, at least 50% of all energy in production needs to come from the sun.


4. Water – If water’s used in making the product, the discharge from the plant is
   measured for safety.


5. Social Responsibility- The factory in which the product is made must treat its
   workers with fair wages, hours, and in a humane manner.

If you’re more interested, check out McDonough and Braungart’s book, or their website. We’ve got some C2C-certified chairs, too – try Leap, Think, Amia & Move. And that’s not all, Cobi and i2i are currently going through the C2C certification review process so check back soon.

Have you ever noticed that certain environments actually boost your productivity? Have you ever walked into a room and felt unexplainably happier? Our physical environment can have a significant impact on us, both consciously and subconsciously.

Since most of us spend a minimum of 40 hours a week at work, it’s worthwhile taking a look around the office to see if the environment is actually encouraging high performance or simply providing a functional work setting.

Privacy/Confidentiality
Even if we’re not blessed with a secluded office, four walls and a door, most of us still appreciate at least a minimal amount of privacy. Being constantly on display can discourage risk-taking and limit creativity. Additionally, if you find yourself working on sensitive or confidential projects, a lack of privacy can cause undue anxiety as you attempt to keep things “under wraps.”

Consider your tasks and personal preferences. Does your environment provide adequate privacy?

Supporting Diverse Work Styles
It’s rare to find a group of people who share identical work styles. More often, you’ll find entire offices where no two people are alike. Some enjoy an energetic, vibrant atmosphere, while others are easily distracted and prefer silence. Some multi-task as a way of life; others focus solely on one thing, and then methodically shift their attention to the next. A strong work environment should be able to accommodate everyone. An environment that forces you to change your personal style is only harming productivity.

Consider your personal work style. How is it similar to – or different from – that of your coworkers? Does your physical environment support everyone equally?

Inspiration
You don’t have to work in a museum to find inspiration around you. Inspiration can be found in something as simple as a nice piece of art on the wall, a thriving plant, or a funky furniture design. Color, lighting and material all make a big difference in the overall look and feel of a room. Drab, boring surfaces lead to drab, boring interactions. Physical clutter begets mental clutter. If you’re looking to feel inspired and motivated in the office, your environment needs to be a physical reflection of all that you find inspirational.

What inspires you? Nature? Family? Art? Does your physical environment at the office reflect these things?

Collaboration Space
It’s rare to find any business that cherishes individual work over collaboration. And yet, many offices are set up with a sole focus on the individual and provide limited space for team collaboration. I’ve seen entire groups of people huddle into one cubicle for team meetings. Offices like this are perfect examples of environments that don’t support productivity. Effective collaboration requires ample space for groups to gather comfortably and appropriate tools for collecting the ideas produced (such as whiteboards).

Does your office support or stifle a collaborative approach?

Getaway Space
The ability to just get away from work – while still being in the office – is a necessity for many of us. Breaks help keep productivity levels high; they allow you to decompress, gather your thoughts, and find your second wind. A nicely furnished, spacious break room can be a relaxing sanctuary that everyone in the office can enjoy. However, all too often break rooms are messy, out-dated, and generally unpleasant. Without a convenient and comfortable break area, many of us fail to take the necessary down time that would help us maintain productivity throughout the day.

Does your office provide space to get away? More importantly, is it a space you actually want to spend time in?

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Republished from our friends at Office Arrow

cobi: comfortable collaboration
Designed by the Steelcase Design Studio in collaboration with Luke Pearson of PearsonLloyd

In case you haven’t noticed, we spend more time in meetings today than ever before. Meetings in any office set-up (at home, meeting rooms, teleconferencing) requires changing postures and various degrees of support us.

We’ve all been there…squirming, fatigue, and loss of focus (sound familiar?) are unavoidable. Enter cobi.

Every part of cobi was designed to flex and adjust to your body. cobi’s top flexing edge lets you comfortably rest your arm on top of the chair. You know, like you’ve tried to do on every chair you’ve ever sat in, but this time it feels good.

cobi’s seat encourages you to move and shift, allowing you to sit centered or off to the sides. It’s even comfy to sit with your back against the arm…seriously.

cobi is great as a conference chair because it offers one manual adjustment (seat height). Research says we don’t adjust more than seat height on conference room chairs anyways. We sit down and move into the first item of discussion on the meeting agenda.

And, if you’re in meetings as often as I am (more than I’m at my desk), cobi is perfect! I’m not at my desk long enough throughout the day to require more adjustments…and if I had more adjustments, I don’t think I’d have the time to use them!

i2i: an intuitive seating arrangement
Designed by the Steelcase Design Studio in collaboration with Thomas Overthun of IDEO

Sometimes, you don’t need a conference room for meetings. You may only need a few chairs in which you and a small team can connect. And those big, stuff lounge chairs don’t cut it (unless you’re looking for a place to nap). You need a chair you can move, shift, and breathe in (not to mention looks nice too).

So…picture yourself in your non-conference room meeting. You have a lot to take in: people to your left and right, people straight ahead, and often a screen or laptop as a centerpiece. And don’t forget to say something intellectual. With all of that going on, how do you maintain focus and orientation without losing comfort? Answer = i2i.

i2i’s dual swivel mechanism keeps you focused where you need to be: keeping eye contact. The back and seat swivel independently, allowing you to change your posture without changing your orientation…and vice versa. You kinda got to see it to get it.

Your body requires you to move and shift. Tilt back, forward, left, or right. Slant your body in any direction. Slouch if your mother isn’t looking. i2i keeps you comfortable regardless of position. One less thing you need to think about.

In a world where connecting and collaborating is vital to success, the role of the workplace is to connect: people with people, people with information, people with tools they need to do their job and with the culture of their organization. The landscape of today’s workplace is changing. Footprints are shrinking while expectations are growing. People are looking for a variety of settings to choose how and where they want to collaborate. Today’s workspace needs to work harder by working smarter.

Because of this Steelcase created a whole new category of seating products designed specifically for the needs of collaboration. The cobi and i2i chairs were designed specifically to foster collaboration and were based on three key research observations that resulted in three key insights:

• Chairs should promote movement and be comfortable for long periods of time
• Adjustments should be automatic and intuitive
• Chairs should support multiple postures