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LECTURE-18
(CONTEMPORARY DESIGN)
DESIGN HOUSES: KNOLL & HERMAN MILLER

LEARNING OUTCOME :
Students can learn about the various elements of Contemporary Design by
appreciating the work of Knoll and Herman Miller. And their design
ideology and can remold the learned ideas into their design studios.
LSAD HERMAN MILLER…Introduction

•Herman Miller, is an American Furniture Company for office furniture,

equipment and home furnishings.

•It is likely the most influential producer of furniture of the modernist style.

• Among classic Herman Miller products are the

Aeron chair, Noguchi table, Marshmallow sofa, and many more.

•Herman Miller is credited with the invention of the office cubicle (originally
known as the "Action Office II") in 1968
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The Action Office is a series of furniture designed by Robert Propst, and

manufactured and marketed by Herman Miller.

First introduced in 1964 as the Action Office I product line, then superseded by
the Action Office II series.

It is an influential design in the history of “contract furniture” (office furniture).

The Action Office II series introduced the concept of the flexible, semi-enclosed
workspaces, now better known as the cubicle.

Herman Miller holds a unique position among furniture manufacturers for having
cultivated the talents of a large number of modernist designers, producing a
significant number of pieces that are now considered icons of industrial design.
LSAD HERMAN MILLER…Introduction https://www.hermanmiller.com/en_in/

•Herman Miller was founded in 1905 as the Star Furniture Co. in

Zeeland, Michigan.

•Initially the company produced high quality furniture, especially

bedroom suites, in historic revival styles.

•In 1909, Dirk Jan De Pree began working for the company as a clerk,
and became its president by 1919 and renamed as
The Michigan Star Furniture Co.

•His father-in-law, Herman Miller, purchased 51% of the company stock in

1923 and renamed it the Herman Miller Furniture Company.
LSAD PRODUCTS…..
•The Noguchi table is a piece of modernist furniture first produced in
the mid-20th century.

•Introduced by Herman Miller in 1947, it was designed in the United States by Japanese
American artist and industrial designer Isamu Noguchi.

•The Noguchi table comprises a wooden base composed of two identical curved wood
pieces, and a heavy plate glass top.

•The Noguchi table was an evolution of a rosewood and glass table,

designed in 1939 for
president of the
Museum of Modern Art.
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•The Eames Lounge Chair and ottoman are furnishings made of

molded plywood and leather, designed by Charles and Ray Eames for
the Herman Miller furniture company.

•It was the first chair that the Eameses designed for a high-end market.
•Examples of these furnishings are part of the permanent collection of
New York's Museum of Modern Art.
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Marshmallow sofa, is a modernist sofa produced by the American furniture

company Herman Miller, in 1956-1961.

It is considered the most iconic of all modernist sofas.

The sofa was designed by Irving Harper of George Nelson Associates.

 It consists of a metal frame with

round discs of covered foam, or
"marshmallows", spread across the
seat and back in a
lattice arrangement.
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•The Aeron chair is an office chair designed in 1994 by

Don Chadwick and Bill Stumpf.

• It has been called

"America's best-selling chair"
(as of 2010) and is featured in
the Museum of Modern Art's.
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•The Mirra chair is a Herman Miller product designed in 2003.

•Chair is made from 42% of recycled materials

• The ergonomics of this chair are improved as of few

adjustable adjustments: arm height , width & angle,
seat height & depth, tilt tension,

•Mirra holds an
1. Ergonomics Excellence Award (2004) by the
Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA),

2. a silver Industrial Design Excellence Award (2004) by the

Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA).

3. a silver Cradle to Cradle certification by

Business Week magazine.
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People & Work

Herman Miller brings humanity back to the workplace, so they can help people and
their business, succeed.
LSAD https://www.hermanmiller.com/en_in/solutions/living-office/

Place Making

Research-based insights and principles for workplace design can help to empower
people and realize their goals.
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Deliver’s the Future of Healthcare

In the face of accelerating change, it bring new facilities online faster, brace them
to adapt to tomorrow’s needs, and do it all while keeping the focus on the
experience of caregivers, patients, and their guests.
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“It’s about feeling good when you

come to work. It’s feeling pride and a
sense of community.”
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Patient Seating
Ergonomic support and caregiver access
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Furnishings and tools

The best tools for the job with Herman Miller’s diverse product portfolio.
LSAD ACTIVITY….

Analysis of the 5 products with design and materials of the

products used each by the Knoll and Herman Miller firm along
with comparison or differences.

THANK YOU…....