Walking NeoCon can be exhausting, all 1.2 million feet of it. The crowds, waiting for elevators, 3D forms, and colors can be exciting and after five hours certainly exhausting. Of course you will be meeting new customers while running into friends, past coworkers, mentors, and nemeses.
Usually when I walk NeoCon, it’s about what chair I worked on. Maybe a prototype will be showing, a project one of the Design Engine students worked on, or what forms are unique.
The current buzz in the air for the big three furniture manufacturers is the economy slowing down. Because of the cost savings the third floor is home to Steelcase, Herman Miller, and Herman Miller from the 10th floor. The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) forecast a 6 percent point drop from last years shipment level in the next few years.
The Bernhardt Design competition, among the Art Center students, turned out three amazing winner pieces in the top images here.
The Chicago Design Engine office is decked out with Steelcase Leap Chairs.
My favorite at NeoCon this year was a stainless steel bench system that was connected at 120 degrees. It won a silver award. – Ray Doekson, Design Engine
My favorite experience was sitting in the new Steelcase chair while listening to the IDEO industrial designers talk about their process to design the chair. – Frank, Design Engine
Article Written by: Bart Brejcha, Design Engine
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