case study

industrial craft and the tailor-made

how do you grow a steelcase design company facing competitive headwinds?

cia was hired to guide the product design and development strategy for a 300-person factory in the furniture heartland of north carolina. the factory produced design-forward, highly tailored upholstered seating for steelcase’s primary commercial furniture markets: corporate, higher education, and healthcare spaces.

lead by design

to keep a furniture factory of 300 skilled craftspeople humming is no small feat. as a newcomer to the contract furniture industry, cia’s focus was to ignite the market by design. she studied the customers, the market, and built a winning plan. the products introduced continue to be Steelcase best-sellers.

strategy

celebrate creative woman

women make up the majority of the interior design community. they are responsible for designing commercial workspaces and selecting furniture that distinguishes their client spaces. surprisingly, few manufacturers ever hired women to design their products. cia invited three creative leaders to design the inaugural collection. upon launch, the products swept the design awards and gained international design press. business quickly expanded.

the three women collection
(l-r) Alison spear, aia / Laurinda spear, faia / pamela light, fiida

three women collection

  • ripple by laurinda spear, faia

  • circa by alison spear, aia

  • coupe by pamela light, fiida

craft expressions

the pursuit of industrial craft

cia continued to grow the company’s market leadership through initiatives that brought distinctive design and often experimental furniture craft to the commercial workplace. our portfolio of hans wegner and finn juhl pieces inspired the journey.

credit: none of the work would have been possible without an extraordinary team — robert leonetti, barry vitale, eddie philips, mike martin, devon hemsley, bert evans, miss. edna, and so many others.

  • softleaf by Norman Diekman

  • softleaf by norman diekman / flag halyard by hans wegner

  • trees by norman diekman / 57 sofa by finn juhl

  • pool by bius

  • pool stool by bius in danish boucle

  • oom by m. weatherly with r. leonetti

  • await bench by eeos/walter knoll

  • scaffold by joy chan

  • scaffold by joy chan

  • calm tables by pam light / 57 sofa by finn juhl

  • bob by pearson llloyd/walter knoll

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