Brave New Workplace

New products for the changing workplace.

As our work habits change, so does the office—more significantly than any other interior space we inhabit. (And we spend most of our waking hours there.) The latest workplace products show an increased concern for security and the environment. Humanscale’s Personal SafetyKit—an office-evacuation kit for use in an emergency—and the Itronix GoBook Max PC laptop—which is waterproof, vaporproof, and shockproof—take into account the potential risks of working at a desk or on the go. Manufacturers like Davis Furniture, Haworth, Keilhauer, Steelcase, and Ruckstuhl are all responding to the need for sustainable work spaces by introducing environmentally friendly products. And while Haworth and Bretford are making systems to accommodate rapid change, Xerox’s Oasis for Work concept copier tries to anticipate how photocopiers will function ten years from now. More than ever the office needs fun: Geoff McFetridge’s wallpapers and Jurgen Bey’s coffee cup add a touch of humor to the bland beige-and-gray corporate environment. Here are just a few examples of new designs that make the workplace a better and safer place to be.

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