case study

where design meets
industrial craft

how do you grow a super green pacific northwest furniture manufacturer by design?

watson is a manufacturer of furniture for the workplace located near seattle. it’s where cia guided the product design, development, and marketing teams. to elevate the business by design, she invited external designers, mike&maaike, to imagine a new product line for the open plan office. the resulting product, tonic, is a watson best-seller and design award winner.

the approach

begin with research

before design began, the team studied how technology and multiple generations at work were transforming the office. managing change is a dynamic issue for any business, increasing the need for very flexible furniture solutions. for a new generation in the office, we focused on the opportunity to bring teams together in the open-plan office. portable electronics and cloud-based files allow work to be mobile. without walls, headphones are the focusing device of choice in open spaces.

study the ecosystem and nature of work

to design new furniture solutions for the commercial workplace, we focused on the user and business needs. work is more collaborative, portable, and less formal. the lines between work and life are blurred.

we observed how frequently teams were being organized and reorganized depending on changing business needs. the manager’s role is embedded with the team to ease cross-training and open communication.

  • many managers are frequently away from their desks in meetings or traveling. whether they have a private office or a seat at the table, their workspace is an asset the team can use in their absence.

  • there is a need for access to a shared digital screen for team workflow and online meetings.

  • even as paper disappears, people still need a place for their belongings and tools. teams share physical files and assets, so we considered storage options.

understand human behavior

study space-making applications

considerations and goals:

  • focus on a flexible kit of components to help early-stage businesses and larger businesses manage change simply and efficiently.

  • make it easy to connect to the building’s electrical source. provide direct user access to desktop power. cut the time in half to set up 10 users compared to traditional office panel systems.

  • give teams other work tables in the kit to use as a get-away space for collaboration.

add strategic value to watson

We focused on watson’s core manufacturing strengths in making desks and large meeting tables.

we were inspired by European workstyles where teams are side-by-side at a large table. this style of work is known as “benching” and it’s what our design consultants proposed.

the intersection of dwell (an individual’s workspace) and meet (a collaborative space) helped to focus design.

example of european benching

build for people and planet

new ideas meet sustainable manufacturing.

  • limit waste: the development team evaluated ideas against the yield of a standard board size of 5’ x 12’.

  • new materials/processes: supply chains were reviewed for sustainability.

  • installation: a table for up to ten people is hard to level, heavy to lift, and complex to change. we thought about shipping and the needs of the facility manager and the installer.

the final solution

we landed on a benching system — a modular table for up to 10 users with power, lighting, storage, and partitions suitable for the modern, agile workforce and business.

design by mike&maaike

  • the modular system

  • benchtop kit of parts

  • collaborative and solo work

  • the neighborhood lamp

  • kit for study spaces

  • team meetings

  • shared storage

  • personal trolley storage

  • team simple tables

  • team simple table

product development by watson

  • prototype assembly

  • steel yoke prototype

  • adjustment study for leg height

  • table strength test conversation

  • modular steel frame engineering

  • modular power raceway (commercial-grade)

  • user cable management study

  • study fit and finish of modular power for users

  • partition screen fitting

  • pattern study - partition screen

  • eco material test for cnc manufactuirng

  • prepping finish specs

  • evaluating space planning

  • live product testing pre-launch

  • l.e.d. lamp module development

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