NeoCon is recognized for its professionalism as an innovation driver that influences workplace design and trends. What did NeoCon, held in June 2022, inspire the future office space?
The Chicago office furniture exhibition NeoCon, which ended in June, is one of the most important office exhibitions in the world; it is also the largest and most influential office furniture and interior decoration exhibition in North America. Since its inception in 1969, NeoCon has been an innovation driver that has shaped workplace design and trends with its recognized expertise.
Highlights of this exhibition: Sagegreenlife's Verdanta green plant writing mobile partition, this is a revolutionary design product, one side is a self-irrigating green wall, the other side is a writing wall, and it doubles as a space partition, it is the perfect form and function combine.
The latest design products from more than 500 companies enrich the contemporary technological workplace. In human-centred design, the product focuses more on solutions for privacy in open office spaces, while creating an office environment that encourages collaboration. According to U.S. Department of Commerce survey data, the U.S. office furniture industry grew from about $830 million in the 1960s to $13.4 billion in 2017.
The following is the observation and summary of the NeoCon office furniture exhibition in 2022. What kind of expectations will manufacturers bring us in the coming year?
1. Advocating nature . The theory that green plants help employees' health has been widely demonstrated, from vertical green garden walls, to long planters of succulents, to jungle-like relaxation spaces, green plants fill work spaces.
△ Design helps the success of the Sydney headquarters of Axiom Design Company, Australia.
△ Appreciation of the design style of the office design of the Moscow headquarters of Sberbank, Russia
△ Appreciation of the office design of the IT headquarters in Nordea, Poland
2. Storage space is reduced . File cabinets with two to three drawers have long been the norm for desks. But with the development of technology, people's demand for paper and storage has been greatly reduced, and chests of drawers have been replaced by open display shelves.
△ Office is everywhere software giant Citrix Citrix London office design appreciation
△Curiosity inspires creativity Edelman PR Marketing Company London Headquarters Expansion Design Appreciation
3. The disappearing trash can . With the increasing popularity of open office, the design pays more attention to the cleanliness and conciseness of the space, and the conventional trash can has nowhere to hide. The new furniture design integrates the trash can covertly into the furniture design. Or integrate the trash can into a nearby collaborative furniture system, designed to foster interaction with more walks and chance encounters.
△ Appreciation of the fashion-forward and uniquely creative Autodesk London office design
△ One Room Wonderful Appreciation of Ilkley Office Design of British SmartSearch Company
4. Charge at any time . Manufacturers are integrating power and data ports into a variety of applications in response to a population that is increasingly reliant on electronic devices. In addition to common countertop wiring ducts and independent sockets, USB sockets and power sockets are also subtly integrated into the design of leisure seats, coffee tables, and standing phone booths.
△Pop style Rakuten Rakuten London office design appreciation
5. Leisure lifestyle . Today’s workplaces are increasingly designed with the warmth and comfort of a hotel, which requires manufacturers to create such an atmosphere through furniture and finishes. For example, the conference room and reception area use bar-type tables and chairs, as well as a variety of lounge chairs, sofas, low tables, music and lighting to create a club-like atmosphere.
△ Appreciation of the office design of the Bellevue headquarters of the cool and uninhibited game company Sucker Punch
△ Appreciation of the renovation design of the exquisite and modern SAP software Waldorf training center
6. A lift table system that can sit and stand . In addition to the currently widely used elevating table workstations, large conference tables and other conference negotiation tables have also been gradually transformed into height-adjustable forms to meet the needs of diverse team meetings and more formal office needs.
△ Appreciation of the office design of Bellevue, USA in the warm community of Microsoft West Pacific
△ Appreciation of exquisite and rigorous San Francisco security and confidential company office design
7. Writable surface . Writable surfaces now come in all shapes and sizes. Now there are light and movable writing whiteboard partitions, which become temporary or permanent walls for brainstorming and strategic seminars, and this design makes the space more versatile.
△ Appreciation of the office design of Diageo, the wine giant Diageo in Singapore
△ Wood and Black Hudson River Trading New York Headquarters Design Appreciation
8. Flexible workers, flexible furniture . Tables, chairs, stools, screens, and even storage and writing are all trending towards portability and mobility. The attribute of maximum flexibility enables individuals or teams to change their jobs frequently on a daily basis, shaping their working environment at any time.
△Innovation and Health AstraZeneca Brazil Office Design Appreciation
△ Appreciation of the renovation design of the New York headquarters of Pernod Ricard, a medieval wine giant
9. Privacy . New privacy mode solutions are emerging in the open office landscape. For example, there have been high-back enclosed seats, two-seater special cubicles, and independent telephone booths.
△Innovation and Transformation BASF Turkey Office Design Appreciation
△ Appreciation of the design style of the office design of the Moscow headquarters of Sberbank, Russia
10. Sound absorption and noise reduction . Acoustic solutions can be achieved through the superposition of numerous decorative and functional forms. Such as various forms of acoustic lamps, partitions, wall decoration, carpets, ceiling decoration materials, each of the above types can be infinitely extended by color, design and noise reduction coefficient level.
△ Appreciation of the design style of the office design of the Moscow headquarters of Sberbank, Russia
11. Free DIY adjustment. The flexible nature of the workplace means that many people sit in the same seat all day. In order to better serve different populations, manufacturers are developing and designing simple and easy-to-use adjustable seats, computer cantilever stands, and other such items.
Over time, design priorities have focused on product versatility, inclusivity, and corporate social responsibility.
In recent decades, the workplace has been redefined by technology and entrepreneurial culture, by conceptual changes brought about by a focus on health, sustainability and comfort. Cutting-edge technology and flexibility continue to blur the lines between work, home and life. Today, personalization, materiality and uniqueness are among the top priorities in workplace design.
△Ambition and Pride Microsoft Microsoft Alpharetta Office Design Appreciation
△ Appreciation of the office design of the Bellevue headquarters of the cool and uninhibited game company Sucker Punch
Looking ahead, workplace design will continue to evolve, with big data and smart technologies driving new office models. The human well-being index is becoming a new design benchmark, which is applicable to people of all fields, genders and ages. By reviewing and thinking about the NeoCon exhibition, we can predict what kind of exciting expectations the world will bring in the next step from the human-centered design.
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