Are you sitting comfortably?

Different jobs require employees to sit on an office chair for dissimilar lengths of time and thus they are likely to use the chair quite differently.
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Demachkie explained that people make judgments (consciously or sub-consciously) of a business and their care and concern for employees based on what they observe in the interior. Mark Schurman, director of external communications at Herman Miller even suggests that chairs, that are perceived to be comfortable and visually well designed will influence others perceptions of an organisation.

Designers advise that identifying the purpose is the first step in the creating of an office chair, whether it is designed to cater for call centers, architects, journalists or engineers, as each of these occupations have different requirements.

“Different jobs require employees to sit on an office chair for dissimilar lengths of time and are likely to be using the chair quite differently. For design and functionality to have a common ground, the target audience or ‘end user’ is most important,” said Siddarth Peter, managing director of The Total Office.

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In terms of design, this is dependent on each individual client’s needs. When considering an office chair for general staff the ‘must haves’ are, height, seat depth, tension control, lumbar support and arm rests. These imperative qualities must be functional and accessible according to Siddarth.

“The easier you can have these adjusted, the faster the end user gets accustomed to using all the functionality available to them.”

Space stations
While a significant proportion of the working day is spent at a desk, computers and office equipment are not the only factors that influence the performance of the workplace and its occupants.

Industry professionals acknowledge that the entire working space is key to how well people can complete their work tasks. As a result, many aim to overcome stress and increase productivity by creating a more relaxed convivial workplace, and so, efficient space management is very important for any fast-growing business.

The eastern practice of Feng Shui is having a subtle impact on some aspects of workplace interiors in the Middle East as companies adopt new practices to try and stimulate productivity.

Feng Shui in the work place considers that cultural and social issues are influenced by natural, metaphysical and cosmological factors. As a result, advocates of the ancient practice believe that seating, desk setups, lighting and other factors can affect working levels and overall performance.

While it may dictate aspects of eastern work ethics down to traffic flow and urban planning, its influence on Middle Eastern working environments is still very minimal.

Playing the green card
One thing that industry professionals do agree on is that the progress made in the ergonomic discipline along with advances in workplace interior design pivots on a long term ability to be sustainable.

“Sustainability is a huge buzz word in our market” explains Siddarth, because “recyclable materials are currently very popular, and the ability to have an item produced from recyclable materials is very important to the survival of the industry.”

“Using wood from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) protected forests, having products Green-guard certified, and ensuring each of the product lines contributes towards LEED – leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – points, is just a few of things that manufacturers need to take into account,” he said.

LEED is a relatively new concept in workplace interiors, although its primary concern is to emphasise the responsibility of the designers and manufacturers to help a building gain accreditation by considering and incorporating sustainability into the making of chairs, and other furniture.

“We implement environmentally sensitive design through a design protocol that is embedded in all our industrial design activities, which we call Design for the Environment, or DfE”. said Schurman.

“Using sustainable materials, from recycled steel and alluminium to new ‘smart’ plastics like polypropylene to create truly ‘green’ products, we are also working hard to eliminate materials and chemicals that are not sustainable, like PVC, or dyes in textiles that are produced with non-eco friendly chemicals,” he added.

While the UAE may be slower to adapt to the ergonomic standards employed by other countries around the world, companies have a vested interest in improving workplace interiors, which in time will result in greater gains and a more productive workforce.