Inspired by our recent trip to NeoCon, the commercial design industry’s annual event, we wanted to share a few themes we believe are most applicable to our market and our clients.

MODERN WARMTH

Across our favorite showrooms, notably Knoll and Kimball, there was a common design aesthetic – Scandinavian mid-century modern office furniture with a human touch. Simple, clean modern lines made more approachable with the incorporation of wood, curves, natural elements and touches of color.

MIX IT UP

We’ve heard a lot about flexibility, adaptability and the importance of multi-use spaces. One execution of this we look forward to putting into action is a mix of seating styles around a large common table. Its a new approach that mixes hospitality with functionality (or as Knoll calls it “Hospitality at Work”) to the traditional conference room set-up.

SHARED SPACES

We’ve all experienced the shrinking floorpan and tension between allocating personal and collaborative spaces. We were happily surprised to see a new solution to a common problem (without reducing the workstation any further) – a private office layout that lends itself to shared use. While not for every executive, we thought it was a smart way to make use of coveted space.

BENEFITS OF STANDING

Health and wellness was an important thread across manufacturers and product lines. We’ve seen the popularity of sit-stand in the primary work space increase year over year – but now we are seeing it throughout all work, collaboration and meeting spaces. What’s interesting is the documented benefits are not just health related. Research shows standing meetings result in more engaging, productive and time efficient meetings.

WIRE MANAGEMENT

We were relieved to see that manufacturers were addressing a reality that continues to plague beautiful installations – cables, cables, cables. Finally wire managers that do what they are supposed to and anticipate long-term technology needs.

LEAD TIMES

NeoCon has traditionally been where manufacturers show off their design vision (read: dreaded specials and long lead time). NeoCon 2018, however, featured a different headline – QUICK SHIP. We were delighted to hear manufacturers make an effort to meet the realities of today’s timelines. Most of Sit On It’s showroom was dedicated to its 10-day quick ship program. Now that’s something we can get behind.