We were skeptical when we first heard of this: The first office chair designed especially for women. Do women really sit all that differently from men? But the designer, Monica Forster, makes a couple interesting points about the Lei chair, which Officeline is putting into production later this year.
First, women are more pear-shaped than men, so they sit with their elbows slightly more towards their backs, and less at their sides. Thus, the armrests of the Lei chair sprout from the backrest, rather than rising from the sides as usual. Second, women tend not to sprawl backwards when they're working; rather, they sit more upright, on the front of their seat. That means that they often slump forward. So the Lei has a more pronounced lumbar support and a more forward-leaning seat pan. And the seat-pan itself fosters a ladylike sitting position, legs together. Watch Forster explain:
But clever as the design might be--and it's apparently the result of a yearlong research project--we can't help but wonder if the business case might be shaky. Think about it: Men would probably quail at sitting in a chair tagged as specifically for ladies. As a result, you can imagine all kinds of musical-chair hijinks, during impromptu meetings. Instead of being a design you don't have to think about, it might become one more annoying thing to be aware of when you sit down. Even if the women in the office are thrilled, what office buyer would go for a chair exactly half as useful as a normal chair? Sometimes, clever design creates more problems than it solves. Do you think that's the case with Lei?
[Via Designboom]
Related Stories: | Topics:Innovation, Technology, Design, Office chair for Women, Monica Forster, Monica Forster |
Email
Digg
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Buzz Up!
LinkedIn
Recent Comments | 11 Total
February 24, 2009 at 3:43pm by Ronnie Taborn
I am working on my design for men.:-)
February 24, 2009 at 3:43pm by Ronnie Taborn
I am working on my design for men.:-)
February 24, 2009 at 4:49pm by kate holvoet
>>Even if the women in the office are thrilled, what office buyer would go for a chair exactly half as useful as a normal chair?
The problem with this comment goes far beyond an issue with design. Male preferences are seen as the universal default. There is an acceptance of women being less comfortable in designs for men, and an acknowledgment that men being less comfortable in designs for women is a deal killer. Why shouldn't every worker have ergonomic work environments, even if that means customizing the environment based on body type?
February 24, 2009 at 4:51pm by Cliff Kuang
Hi Kate---Thanks for commenting. But I do think you're overgeneralizing in saying that chairs default to men's preferences. They're not--the most successful ones like the Aeron have all be designed to be unisex. I'm still a little skeptical that a chair can really have a sex—after all, it seems to me that even the Lei makes a generalization about women that might not be warranted. Surely not all of them conform to the vision that Lei's designer had in mind for them.
February 24, 2009 at 5:36pm by Rupa Chaturvedi
I don't see why women shouldn't have their own chairs - (love the lemon green color!). A chair is a very personal thing and whether it has a sex or not people don't like sitting on ones that don't belong to them. Chairs that are generally shared belong to board rooms / meeting rooms - you don't carry your own chair to a meeting room do you?
February 25, 2009 at 8:55pm by Shashank Tripathi
There are many chairs that are known to be comfortable, period.
If there really is an issue with women's shapes (how many women did their "study" study, and who the heck were these obese cylinders?), then try and design a "flexible chair" whose armchairs could adjust to the shape of a person. Of whatever gender and shape.
The results of these "studies" are as spurious and stupid as the studies themselves.
February 25, 2009 at 10:56pm by Patricia Appelquist
yeah...we get our OWN chairs...but presidency is just out of reach...
February 25, 2009 at 10:57pm by Patricia Appelquist
yeah...we get our OWN chairs...but presidency is just out of reach...
August 12, 2009 at 5:03pm by hanah rich
Office Chairs provides ease to sit also to minimize or eliminate identified problems and allows you to create your own "custom-fit" computer workstation. Many people experience greater comfort and productivity
Office Furniture
September 3, 2009 at 5:37pm by Alice Wakeman
Perhaps useful in a home office but I really can’t understand how these are going to make much money. I think most woman don’t have any problem with a standard office chair. They are probably quite comfy though. Dallas carpet cleaning