Bureaus Exclusive

Innovative designs balance work and life for Gen-Y workers

By Ma Zhenhuan (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2011-01-21 22:04

SHANGHAI: Steelcase Inc, a leader in the office furniture industry, on Jan 20 marked the renovation of its Steelcase WorkLife Shanghai showroom with the Asian preview of its new Manifesto and Lexicon furnishing system ranges.

These new systems were designed specifically for the young-generation (Gen-Y) workers now entering the workforce in large numbers in China and the Asian region. Steelcase also marked the opening with Think Art, an “art meets chair” themed exhibition featuring inspired works by leading designers and artists in Shanghai.

Steelcase chairs were displayed at the unveiling ceremony on Thursday. (Provided to China Daily)

The development of the new Manifesto and Lexicon ranges grew out of insights gained from recent human-centered research conducted by Steelcase to explore the changing ways of working and workplace needs of Generation Y - China's post-80's workforce. Steelcase's research revealed that work styles, new work-life demands and increasing workspace density are all contributing to changing the way systems and storage in the workplace are planned and used.

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To provide flexible solutions to these contemporary workplace challenges and the changing needs of Gen-Y workers, Steelcase created Manifesto. A complete system solution with an extensive menu of elements, Manifesto supports 3-dimensipnal space management, to enable the creation of complete workplaces that facilitate individual and team work in a variety of settings. Manifesto applies five key design principles to make the best possible use of space, helping individuals to work the way they like.

The Lexicon range defines a new dimension in work-life balance, making it easy to create a variety of workplace applications for both individual and collaborative work, with simple solutions for every requirement from benches to desks to panel configurations and tables, using the same range of components and elements. It brings a fresh balance to the need to support both work and life, helping balance task and collaborative teamwork, personal and public items, and the enable the personalization of individual workspaces to support the ways people work.

“Steelcase is delighted to be able to provide a platform to foster Chinese design talent and, at the same time, to meet the growing needs of China's next generation of workers, blending the perfect balance of design aesthetic and functionality,” said Uli Gwinner, president of Steelcase Asia-Pacific.

Generation Y is the dominant force in shaping China and will have a dramatic global impact over the next 20 years. “In 2011, Steelcase strengthened its China strategy by developing more Gen-Y products to highlight the core concept of ‘you are unique, you are the future,'” added Gwinner. “A growing number of companies in China are partnering with Steelcase to create a better workplace environment that benefits organizations as well as enterprises by helping them to attract, engage, and retain top talent.