這個關於椅子設計的故事，還未結束 。
近年盛行共同工作空間，這種讓不同公司、單位或獨立創業者共同使用的工作模式，特點是靈活、多變，連帶室內設計和家具也需要改革，從昔日沉悶的桌椅和隔間變成開放性的社羣設計系統。來自波蘭的辦公室家具廠牌MDD，出品用料優良，設計簡潔、富現代感。MDD最近與瑞典設計團隊Form Us With Love發表的春季新品系列Testing Grounds，當中包括以60 x 60 cm元件為基本樣式的沙發組合Agora和採用工業物料製作，共有十六種款式的椅具系列New School。然而，這些坐具並不是完成品，而是設計試辦，目的是實地蒐集用家意見，加入設計。實驗地點為斯德哥爾摩共享工作間A House，擁有約70家初創中小企業和自由工作者如形象造型師、攝影師、數碼專家、建築師、家具設計師等，加入新家具後帶來了哪些新改變？
「我們想進一步了解家具如何成為改變工作環境的重要元素之一。例如當A-House大堂加入了新家具後，成功吸引更多員工流連於公眾地方，讓不同公司的職員和自由工作者的交流機會增加，甚至會一起吃午飯、舉行集體聚會等。」MDD的產品研發主任和工程師Krzysztof Cieślik分享說。
Form Us With Love 創意總監John Löfgren ，認為測試成果證明了實用且多樣性的可行性，即家具可以依據用家需要和生活環境調整或加減。「Testing Grounds嘗試將用家、廠牌和設計師三者連結，讓我們在實際環境中了解用家的生活行為和體驗。最終以最簡單的金屬架和部件，設計出一看就懂的基本型，考慮因素包括耐看度、可塑性， 是否容易放置於任何場所使用等？下一個階段，將會進一步簡化設計。」
This story about chair design has not come to an end, just yet.
Co-Working Space, a mode of working which has made possible sharing among various companies, units and independent entrepreneurs, has become popular in recent years. Since it is distinct for its flexibility and ever-changing nature, even interior design and furniture need to be reformed at the same time, transforming boring table and chair settings as well as partitions in the olden days into a community design system boasting openness. MDD, a Polish office furniture manufacturer, is known for its use of exceptional materials, clean design as well as modern touch. MDD and Form Us With Love, a Swedish design team, have recently announced Testing Grounds, their new spring collection, which includes Agora, a sofa system built on a 60 x 60 cm grid as well as New School, a seating series with 16 variations manufactured using industrial materials. However, these seating products are not complete, but are work-in-progress collection or prototypes for gathering advice from users to be incorporated into the designs. The experimental spot is located at a co-working space called A House in Stockholm, which houses around 70 newly established small-scale enterprises as well as freelancers such as stylists, photographers, digital experts, architects as well as furniture designers. So what changes have been brought upon by these new furniture items?
“We would like to dig further into how furniture has become an important element for changing working environment. For instance, the installation of new furniture at A-House’s lobby has successfully attracted many more workers to hang around in the public area, thereby enhancing communication among employees from different companies and freelancers. Some will even have lunch and gatherings together,” said Krzysztof Cieślik, product development director and engineer of MDD.
John Löfgren, creative director of Form Us With Love, thinks that the outcome of the experiment testifies to the feasibility of the concept of “Utilitarian but diverse”. In other words, furniture can be adjusted, added or taken away based on users’ need and the living environment. “Testing Grounds attempts to connect users, manufacturers and designers so as to allow us to understand users’ daily behaviors and their experience in a real setting. Finally, we use the simplest metal racks and parts to design the “Essential”, which can be understood at one glance, taking into consideration elements such as its flexibility, whether it can withstand the test of time, or whether it can fit in any places. In the next stage, we will further simplify the design.”
