Contract - March 2010 - (Page 56)

essay: from the past June 1970 â€œWomen prefer an open deskâ€ â€“Maria Bergson Female ners Desig t: Commen â€œEverything should be on castersâ€ â€“Emily Malino â€œI am partial to an island structureâ€ â€“Ellen McCluskey â€œDesk color should not be ostentatious â€ â€“Marjorie Michaelson women need feminine desks While they acknowledge that desks designed exclusively for females are economically unsound, four top female designers think that desk designs should take into account distinctive feminine needs female executive and of ce worker in the design of desks?â€ All of them felt strongly that femininity is nothing to be ashamed of, and, although it does not have to be aunted, both a woman and her surroundings should re ect her sex. Here are the thoughts of Maria Bergson, Maria Bergson Associates; Marjorie Michaelson, Montgomery, Winecoff & Associates; Emily Malino, Emily Malino Associates; and Ellen McCluskey, Ellen L. McCluskey Associates, all in New York. Shaped desks for the shapely Maria Bergson admits that some women do feel they must compete with men, and, therefore, prefer a heavy, more masculine desk. â€œHowever,â€ she says, â€œmost women, who simply enjoy being women and professionals, are more prone to favoring an open or rounded desk. â€œMany women enjoy the enclosed feeling that a shaped structure gives them.â€ All of these top designers agree that a desk should serve as a frame for the woman, and Miss Michaelson and Miss Bergson feel that a woman should be a woman rst and a designer or whatever, second. To meet this criterion, they feel that storage room for personal items in a desk must be carefully considered. There should be room for make-up, shoes, and pocketbooks. Vanity, thy name isâ€¦ hen women complain about this being â€œa manâ€™s world,â€ their grumbling extends to of ce design and the furniture and furnishings within. Despite the large number of females in the work force, better than one third, most of ces do not take into account the female executiveâ€™s or secretaryâ€™s unique needs, particularly when it comes to desks. Contract went to four top female designers and asked the question: â€œHas the of ce furnishings industry really considered the needs of the W Ideally, Miss Michaelson would like to have a mirror set into a table desk so that it would not show, but would be accessible as a miniature dressing table. The rest of the desk top would be clear with only the necessary accessories taking up space. Nylon snags must be considered As far as functional storage space is concerned, Emily Malino feels that movable les are more satisfactory. She suggests that everything be on casters so that everything simply can be moved out of the way when not in use. The others favor a storage room consisting of les, drawers, and shelves in units either behind or to the side of their desks. Marjorie Michaelson has sketched out this â€œperfectly simpleâ€”maybe just glassâ€”table-desk ornate antique chair with a modern fabric,â€ a wall of attering color, with lacquer work units to match are incorporated into design. The desk, she says, is just a frame for the occupant, with some pretty owers and accessories. 56 contract march 2010 www.contractdesign.com http://www.contractdesign.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - March 2010

Contract 3/10
Contents
Editor’s Note
Introduction
Resources
Perspectives
Essays from the Past:
The Contract Design Dilemma (May 1962)
Space Planning Symposium (July 1963)
Changes in Workplaces Reflect Changes in Task Structure (June 1970)
Women Need Feminine Desks (June 1970)
Name “Interior Designer” Is a Misnomer Because of Broader Duties (August 1970)
Research Reveals Proper Height, Width, Depth of Furniture, from Office Chairs to Library Tables (September 1970)
Astounding Technology Portends Drastic Office Changes in the ’80s (January 1980)
Is the Office Really Necessary? (January 1989)
If You Cut Your Fee, Do You Bleed? (June 1990)
Design: Retrospective
Essays on the Future:
More Happiness, Less Stuff: By Ray C. Anderson
The Social Aspect of Social Responsibility: By John Cary
Leading in the Global Market: By Ross Donaldson
Technology Trends: By Cathryn Barrett
Inadmissible Evidence: By Michael Berens
Practice
Designers Rate: Eight Designers Pick Their Favorite Three Commercial Interiors Products of the Last 50 Years
Ad Index

Contract - March 2010