Breakthrough ideas require new ways of thinking and new ways of working. Unlimited resources and limitless possibilities can produce incredibly innovative products. But, more often than not, the most creative problem solving occurs within a set of boundaries.
CREATING SERIES 1
That’s the story behind Series 1 — a new task chair from Steelcase. The product development team was asked to do something the organization had never done before — build a chair to reach a new market that retains first class ergonomics and provides a unique level of customization.
The Series 1 team had a finite amount of resources. They refused to waver on performance, yet had to reach an accessible price point. Every part of the chair had to be hard working and not just be an aesthetic feature. Team members explored every part of the global manufacturing, packaging and delivery process to maximize efficiencies, reduce cost and optimize quality.
Bruce Smith, Steelcase director of global design, explains why the story behind Series 1 is as remarkable as the chair itself.
“Instead of putting design at the forefront of the problem, we put the other disciplines at the forefront of the problem. This illustrates the fact that creativity isn’t exclusively a design problem,” says Smith. “Creativity is a problem for all disciplines and all functions. So, anything we can do to elevate creativity for all disciplines is a powerful thing.”
Engineers, Bob Battey and Gordy Peterson, helped shepherd the project from idea to actuality. They shared five crucial steps they used to accomplish what many deemed impossible.