Heights don’t bother photographer Alexander Remnev, who routinely climbs tall buildings without a harness to snap dizzying photos like this one. Photo: Alexander Remnev

A young Buddhist monk demonstrates his agility in Hunan Province, China. Photo: Steve McCurry

The stacked ice bubbles of Abraham Lake in Alberta, Canada, are a rare phenomenon caused by methane gas naturally released by the lake’s plant life. Photo: Chip Phillips

The world’s smallest deer, the pudu, is just 16 inches tall and weighs 20 pounds. This baby, only one month old, is even smaller. Photo: Jose Luis Saavedra

This runaway tent was able to take flight thanks to some creative photography and a bit of digital manipulation. Photo: Laurent Chehere

Only on close inspection does this swirling, iridescent sphere reveal itself to be an ordinary soap bubble. Photo: Jason Tozer

Every morning, the giraffes of this Kenyan estate help themselves to a table of breakfast treats. Photo: The Safari Collection

The last, foggy remains of night cling to the trees high up in the Polish mountains. Photo: Boguslaw Strempel

Check out Eye Delight-2011 and Eye Delight-2012 for more interesting images.

Advancements come in all shapes and sizes. Some are big ideas, like the suspension material of the Aeron Chair that replaced the foam and fabric typical to so many office chairs. Others are smaller advancements, resulting in an improved process, or, in this case, a better way to build a chair.

A recent advancement on our SAYL Chair assembly line is saving time, money, and nearly 25,000 pounds of packaging materials a year. How? By developing reusable packaging, we’ve eliminated handling steps and material waste. Previously, the Y-Towers of the SAYL Chair were bundled, boxed, wrapped, and shipped to the facility with the assembly line. Upon arrival, the towers were unboxed, placed on a cart, and moved to the line. Now the Y-Towers simply arrive ready for assembly.

It’s part of our culture to look for advancements, whether they’re the Aeron Chair or a new way to package parts.

Here’s hoping the optimism of Girard’s design inspires you in this new year. Click here to download one of six free desktop wallpapers featuring “January” for your computer, mobile, or tablet device.

Apparently, when it comes to snowflakes, we’ve been misinformed.

Adriana, a young and energetic participant in We Care, fills me in, “There’s a factory up in the clouds, stamping the snow, and that’s what’s shaping the snowflakes. They could be the same or different—it depends.”

It’s undetermined whether this explanation had anything to do with the holiday card she was decorating at the time—covered in silver ink-stamped snowflakes.

Here in Holland, Michigan, Adriana was one of 225 kids and 50 employee volunteers stamping, gluing, and coloring during the Herman Miller-sponsored arts and crafts extravaganza known as We Care.

Steve Hightower, a Herman Miller employee and avid volunteer of six years, said his favorite part is “seeing the kids smiling and running around. They get a chance to do crafts that maybe they wouldn’t otherwise. It’s really cool.”

This year marks the 16th anniversary of We Care, our partnership with Boys and Girls Clubs of America and local design firms. We Care reaches 30 communities across North America and this holiday, more than 6,000 youngsters came to craft.

“I never thought of myself as an artist and couldn’t bear the word.”

She objected to the generality of the label, but her comments about her interdisciplinary approach to art and design provide an intriguing contrast:

“It was natural for me not to separate them, you know—now you study history, now you study dance, now you study music, or now you study pottery or whatever it is—it all seemed to be one thing. “

Of Ray’s many artistic pursuits—painting, film, textiles, fashion, and furniture design—perhaps the most personal was her proclivity for making interesting arrangements with found objects. Of her curious habit, she said:

“Almost everything that was ever collected was an example of some facet of design and form. We never collected anything as just collectors, but because something was inherent in the piece that made it seem like a good idea to be looking at it. “

It’s always a good idea to revisit the work of Charles and Ray Eames, especially in light of the 100th anniversary of Ray’s birth on Saturday, December 15, 2012. We celebrate Ray’s life and work as a painter, collector, and designer.

Drawing 680 galleries, 2,000 artists, and more than 50,000 collectors from around the globe, Art Basel Miami Beach is one of the world’s premier art shows. If you’re an art lover, it’s the place to see works from cutting-edge newcomers alongside pieces by renowned artists.

For the second year in a row, we were the show’s exclusive furniture sponsor. Across the venue—in lounges, restaurants, and VIP areas—people took a break from browsing art and enjoyed furniture from the Herman Miller Collection.

Also on display at Art Basel was a sneak peek of Then X Ten, a traveling exhibition celebrating Herman Miller’s rich history of poster design.

Art Basel was December 6-8, 2012. Couldn’t make it? Check us out on Facebook for more photos from the event.

As Jordan Pierce of the Yale Daily News recently noted, “Nelson stands apart for his wit, lucidity and ability to incorporate a thoughtful, human perspective.” True of Nelson’s writing, as well as his design work. “Nelson tore the numbers from clocks,” explains Peirce, “he put clutter in ‘storage walls’ and turned workplaces into ‘Action Offices.’” By doing so, Nelson earned his position as a founder of American Modernism.

For an opportunity to see Nelson’s writings, alongside his other works, be sure to visit George Nelson: Architect | Writer | Designer | Teacher, a traveling exhibition currently showing at the Yale School of Architecture gallery.

Not in the New Haven area? The new George Nelson Foundation website is another great resource. Check it out here.

Introduced in 1956, the Eames lounge and ottoman has become an icon of design—an icon built to last. Combining high-quality materials and craftsmanship, Charles and Ray Eames designed the chair to withstand the rigors of everyday life. And, much like Charles’ baseball glove, the lounge and ottoman only gets better with use.

If you’re interested in designs built to last, be sure to visit the HermanMiller Store or authorized retailer to shop the Herman Miller Sale. Save 15 percent on classics like the Eames Lounge and Ottoman, now until December 10, 2012.

Every year we collect information like miles saved, environmental emissions, and charitable activities into our Better World Report. We do this to let you know what we’re doing to reach our goals in four areas—community service, inclusiveness and diversity, health and well-being, and environmental advocacy. Are we perfect and do we always succeed? Of course not, but we believe every trip around the equator saved is a step in the right direction.

To learn how we turned 16 into 15,992, check out the new Better World Report.

If you’re interested in authentic design, be sure to visit the HermanMiller Store during our holiday sale to save 15 percent storewide. Sale ends December 10, 2013.

A photo from "Bivouac," a traveling exhibtion of the Bouroullecs' design work.

A photo from "Bivouac," a traveling exhibtion of the Bouroullecs' design work.

A photo from "Bivouac," a traveling exhibtion of the Bouroullecs' design work.

For nearly 20 years, the Bouroullec bothers, Ronan and Erwan, have been partners in design. Working side by side, the two siblings have developed a close relationship that influences their approach to design. “We discuss everything openly and honestly with each other,” explains Erwan, “that’s important because often creativity does not come from a rational point of view but an emotional one.” Designs that balance problem solving with innovation and production process—the Steelwood Chair being a good example—are typical of the brothers’ work and proof that their approach works well.

An exhibition of Bouroullec designs is currently at The Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. The show is entitled Bivouac—a word meaning a lightweight shelter that can be adapted to its environment—an apt metaphor for a traveling exhibition which immerses people in all aspects of the brothers’ designs, including sketches, prototypes, and objects large and small.

Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec: Bivouac will be showing at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago until January 20, 2013. Learn more here.

So, what does Yves Béhar see on the horizon? Good question, and the topic of his upcoming talk, “Designing for Tomorrow,” at the Chicago Humanities Festival on November 3. A few seats are still available, so if you’re in the area, this is your opportunity to catch a glimpse of the future.

“We need contrast and tension to be able to create,” says Hecht, an industrial designer naturally drawn to the details of a project. A tendency complemented by Colin, a trained architect with an eye for big-picture connections. “If Sam gets really small on something,” she explains, “I can back out and say ‘that’s great, but is it relevant? How does it connect?’” An observation acknowledged by Hecht, who describes their design process as a series of conversations. Working together in this way, the two find balance, a fact evident in the simple elegance of their designs.

Check out Sam Hecht and Kim Colin’s contribution to Why Design, a new video series featuring stories from Herman Miller’s creative network.

A diagram drawn by Charles Eames to explain the intersecting concerns of a design problem.

“Design,” said Charles Eames, “depends largely on constraints.” That quote came to mind listening to John Pugh’s recent presentation at PSFK Conference London. As director of digital communications for pharma firm Boehringer-Ingelheim, Pugh knows a thing or two about constraints; few industries are as regulated as pharmaceuticals.

But is Pugh whining? No. Echoing Eames, he says “restrictions force us to create.” Pharma companies do great work under strict constraints when it comes to researching and developing drugs, notes Pugh; they need to be just as creative in promoting themselves, and using social media to do so, despite regulations and a history of not doing it very well.

That attitude fits the view Eames articulated about design: “Here is one of the few effective keys to the design problem: the ability of the designer to recognize as many of the constraints as possible; his willingness and enthusiasm for working within these constraints.”

What’s the secret? Frykholm has found, that “it’s the breaks that allow my mind to refresh and regenerate. If I have a design problem that I haven’t quite solved, something just snaps and I might have an ah-ha.” That snap could come while he’s taking care of his horses, enjoying the ballet, or while simply gazing at the stars from his Michigan farm.

Frykholm is the first to admit the creative process isn’t easy and that not all ideas are winners, but when they are—as his iconic picnic posters illustrate—the results can make the world a nicer place to be.

Check out Steve Frykholm’s contribution to Why Design, a new video series featuring stories from Herman Miller’s creative network. There are eight videos in total, with a new one debuting every Monday. Next week is design team Sam Hecht and Kim Colin.

For Singapore-based illustrator eeshaun it was no problem. Presented with a 15-meter canvas (that’s nearly 50 feet), he set about filling it with his take on the “Workspace of the Future,” envisioned, of course, with his trademark style and sense of humor. Not wanting to have all of the fun, eeshaun encouraged onlookers to grab a pen to add their own flourish. Check out the time-lapse video to watch the piece take shape over the course of two days.

Live art by eeshaun was just one of several Herman Miller-sponsored events held at Singapore-retailer Xtra as part of Saturday in Design. November 8-10, we’ll be attending 100% Design Shanghai; visit our Asia Pacific blog for details as the event approaches.

What makes super graphics so super? Scale. “They’re not just big, but bigger than the architecture,” explains awarding-winning designer Deborah Sussman. “They don’t have to fit into prescribed spaces in the traditional way, and can have their own life.”

Perhaps a lofty goal, but Sussman has always found a way to make a statement and communicate a message. From the towering icons at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics to Disney signage (complete with mouse ears) to the “W” that greets guests to the international hotel chain, Sussman’s work fills rooms, climbs buildings, and really can have a life of its own.

Before her pioneering works in environmental graphics (as super graphics are now known), Sussman honed her skills working for two other pioneers: Charles and Ray Eames. A longtime employee of the Eames Office, Sussman worked alongside the talented couple, helping create such seminal works as Mathematica. Like the Eameses were, Sussman is filled with youthful exuberance and the ability to think big—not just in scale, but to imagine the unimagined.

For that ability, Deborah Sussman was recently inducted into the Art Director’s Club Hall of Fame, placing her among a select few honored as innovators in the field of art direction and visual communications. Congratulations.

A special thanks to the Autry National Center for sharing the video of Deborah Sussman included in this post. The video is part of “California’s Designing Women, 1896-1986,” a Museum of California Design exhibition currently showing at the Autry, in which Deborah Sussman, Ray Eames, and many other talented women are recognized for their contributions to design. Click here to learn more.

Close collaboration has been the studio’s hallmark since it began more than 20 years ago in the back of a 7.5 ton truck where the members made their first office. While the truck didn’t last, their teamwork (and the number) did. Today, the members of Studio 7.5 work as one, anticipating each other’s thoughts and tackling complex problems with creative thinking—evident in designs like the Setu’s flexible spine, which uses material innovation to eliminate the complexity of adjusting an office chair.

“In our world today the answers are complex, and it’s hard for just one person to answer all that complexity,” says Plikat—an observation surely supported by her teammates.

Check out Studio 7.5’s contribution to Why Design, a new video series featuring stories from Herman Miller’s creative network. There are eight videos in total, with a new one debuting every Monday. Next week is graphic designer Steve Frykholm.

Inspired by Charles and paying homage to the rigorous process that produced many iconic designs, the PM Gallery of London entitled its new exhibit on graphic works of the Eames Office Address the Need. On display alongside well-known pieces, such as the Giant House of Cards and Powers of Ten film, are brochures, posters, and other rarely seen items. It should be a visual treat.

If you’re in the area, check it out. Address the Need will be open to the public until November 3, 2012. For more information on the exhibit, click here.

Zaccai’s desire to bring people together is well suited for healthcare, where patients, family members, caregivers, and support staff often share space. This close proximity demands a careful balance of needs—a fact not lost on Zaccai when he developed Compass, a healthcare furniture system for patient rooms, exam rooms, and other clinical spaces. Wanting to design a better experience for everyone, Zaccai and Herman Miller researchers spent a lot of time talking with people—more than 550, actually. With each person helping to ensure that Compass got the balance just right.

The resulting design has won multiple awards. And it demonstrates that good design, like good food, can bring people together.

Check out Gianfranco Zaccai’s contribution to Why Design, a new video series featuring stories from Herman Miller’s creative network. There are eight videos in total, with a new one debuting every Monday. Next week is Studio 7.5.

Throughout her life, Ray used pictures, and later, objects, as a means of communication and expression. A study of correspondence between Charles and Ray hints at their reliance on a transcendent, pictographic language. It was as if their ideas were too brilliant and beautiful to capture in the strict confines of a word or phrase, so pictures became their favored form of ideation.

It’s clear that color was the defining parlance of Ray’s unique visual language. Influenced by her study with Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann, Ray’s love of bold, primary color is evident in every facet of her life and work—the exterior panels of the Pacific Palisades home she shared with Charles, her Arts and Architecture magazine covers, and her dress designs and textile patterns.

Ray’s visual language colored her design partnerships with Charles; her aesthetic imprint is unmistakable on collaborations like the Eames Wire Base Low Table. It’s now being offered for a limited time in a Select Edition, in three Ray-inspired colors—cobalt blue, red-orange, and yellow-gold.

This fact becomes even more apparent when you reflect back on his long and distinguished career. A long-time member of George Nelson’s design office, Harper is widely acknowledged as the creator of some of the 20th century’s most iconic designs: the Marshmallow Sofa, the Ball Clock, and (something very close to our heart) the Herman Miller logo, among many well-known designs.

Much in same way he transforms paper into art, Irving Harper has always had a knack for turning humble materials and seemingly simple ideas into something special.

In Irving Harper’s hands, you can imagine any material to be versatile.

See more of Irving Harper’s paper sculptures at Why Design, a new video series featuring designers from Herman Miller’s creative network. There are eight videos in total, with a new one debuting every Monday. Next week is designer Gianfranco Zaccai.

Let’s be honest. For a time, you might enjoy the quiet and manage to get lot of work done. But after awhile, your work might start to suffer from a lack of collaboration—the unique human ability to turn connection, cooperation, and ideation into tangible products and solutions.

A recent outdoor installation by Montreal artist Nicolas Baier explores the concept of a workplace devoid of humans. The piece, on display in front of Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, is housed in one-sided glass and features ten Eames Aluminum Group Chairs surrounding a conference table—all rendered inert by reflective nickel. Baier encases the stereotypical artifacts of a meeting—a water bottle, a coffee cup, a pair of glasses—in mirrors.

You may wonder how such a lifeless sculpture commemorates the anniversary of a community icon like Place Ville-Marie, a place populated by people for the past fifty years. But Baier’s piece achieves just this; it reminds us just how important human connection is.

Coherence and alignment, along with innovation and problem solving, are all attributes of Birsel’s work. Her secret? Deconstructing preconceptions (both hers and those of others) in order to see things from a fresh perspective. When she reflects on her life, Birsel applies much the same technique—because, like design, a good life is a harmony of what you want and what you need. When the two are in balance, the results can break new ground.

Learn more about Ayse Birsel’s approach to designing life on Why Design, a new video series featuring designers from Herman Miller’s creative network. There are eight videos in total, with a new one debuting every Monday. Stay Tuned; next week is designer Irving Harper.

That ability, to see the world in a new way, is exactly what helped Chadwick, along with Bill Stumpf, to create the Aeron Chair. Together they designed the first chair to replace foam and fabric cushions, typical of most office chairs, with a mesh-like suspension material that was not only more comfortable, but offered healthier ergonomic support as well. Aeron Chair has since become an icon of design innovation and is the world’s best-selling ergonomic work chair, with a new one produced every 17 seconds.

What would the world be like if Don Chadwick, and designers like him, saw things like you or I? It’s hard to say, but it would certainly be harder to find a comfortable place to sit.

Check out Don Chadwick’s contribution to Why Design, a new video series featuring designers from Herman Miller’s creative network. There are eight videos in total, with a new one debuting every Monday. Stay Tuned; next week is designer Ayse Birsel.

With this in mind, our London office recently launched “The Freedom Movement,” a new citywide campaign for the SAYL Chair—which features a frameless backrest designed to move with you. If you’re in London and happen upon one of our new ads (like the one above), snap a picture and send it our way.

Béhar is known for design, and he makes it look effortless. Whether it’s the frameless back of the SAYL Chair or the biomorphic curves of the Ardea Light, Béhar and his fuseproject team bring years of practice and experience to every product they design.

For Yves Béhar it’s simple: “Let’s try it. Let’s see if it crashes down on top of me. Let’s see if I can actually get through it.” Is he talking about design or surf? In his mind, there’s no difference.

Yves Behar, and his passion for surfing, kicks off Why Design, a new video series featuring designers from Herman Miller’s creative network. There are eight videos in total, with a new one debuting every Monday. Stay Tuned; next week is designer Don Chadwick.

Spring/Summer Campaign for b+ab, 2011.

Exhibition publication for RMIT Gold and Silversmithing, 2011.

Brand refresh for Grill'd, 2010.

Award for the Australian Business Arts Foundation (AbaF), 2011.

From his studio in Melbourne, Australia, designer Fabio Ongarato provides identity design, publishing, art direction, and placemaking expertise to clients in architecture, fashion, and retail. Collaborating with Herman Miller on the recent Then X Ten exhibition, Ongarato helped select the ten contemporary artists commissioned to create new poster designs.

What was the thinking that led to the concept of the Then x Ten exhibit?
[We] looked to the past to shape the future. The poster designs created for Herman Miller by Armin Hofmann in the 50s were our inspiration—we imagined what would the modern versions look like today and who would be invited to create them.

Was there challenge in balancing the posters from the past with the new ones?
I wanted them to have equal value—a mirror reflection of past and present. The contemporary image-makers provide a view of Herman Miller today, while the posters of old reconnect people the value of what came before. Steve Frykholm, one of Herman Miller’s most famous poster designers, has helped curate the past images.

Do you have a personal favorite?
The Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman poster by Mrzyk & Moriceau has become one of my favorites; it’s a simple black and white drawing depicting amorphous figures sandwiched between two lounge chairs. It’s daring, surreal, absurd, humorous, and sexualized, but most of all, it’s very memorable.

Can’t make it to Cranbrook? The next stop will be the Nelson’s alma mater, the Yale School of Architecture.