Contract - June 2013 - (Page 83)

photography: benny chan (both pages) architectural scale before we finalized the design, which made it things because we know that to amp up our innovation, we need possible for us to try things, observe the impact on interactions and to move quickly from a concept sketch to a prototype or model. productivity, and then modify the plan based on what we learned. The more visual and tangible we make our ideas, the more rapidly These lessons helped us challenge our preconceptions. we can learn, develop our designs, and improve on them. The importance of balancing distance and local collaboration In planning for the Steelcase Innovation Center, we endeavored was one of the insights we gained. Some of the challenges were to anticipate the future of how we will work. We just celebrated our relatively straightforward, such as ensuring people can see and be 100th anniversary last year (see Contract, May 2012) and used that opportunity to think about the next 100 years. Business and technology seen—and hear and be heard—in virtual collaboration sessions, regardless of where they are. Other challenges were more profound, are changing at such a rapid pace and the world is more volatile, so we such as providing contextual awareness for remote participants, and wanted to think about a resilient strategy for our innovation engine. equal access to technology controls and socializing to minimize any We needed a physical environment that embraces both a mastery disparity they might experience from not being in the room. of the current state and the agility to change and evolve as we learn. One of the internal paradigms we needed to shift was to think For Steelcase, having authentic stories and solutions based about home bases for project teams rather than only for individual on the real-world challenges facing businesses today is essential. work. We created project studios of multiple sizes that would support Therefore, we planned and designed the center as if we were our own customers. We employed our user-centered design process, conducted team-based work, flanked by “front porches” for individuals and small groups, and adjacent areas for modeling and prototyping, that are also multiple co-creation workshops, and implemented principles from our visible from the studios. The project studios, which occupy 40 percent own multiyear culture studies. of the overall building footprint, are at the heart of the Steelcase We experimented with a combination of technology tools and furniture applications. Different teams created several prototypes at full Innovation Center. Taken together, workstations are grouped into contract

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - June 2013

Contract - June 2013
Contents
Editorial
Industry News
Columnist: Making the Decision to Respond to an RFP
Exhibition: HD Expo 2013
Product Focus: Suzanne Tick Joins Forces with Teknion
Product Focus: Rattan in the Round
NeoCon® preview
Trailblazing Project Delivery
Steelcase Innovation Center
Giant Pixel
Concrete
Sierra Pacific Constructors
United Nations Trusteeship Council Chamber
Designers Select: Seating
Sources
Ad Index
Detail: A Chair so Comfortable it Just Might Contribute to World Peace

Contract - June 2013