Any designer will tell you, including Yves Béhar of fuseproject, that designing a chair is a formidable task, and an appealing one. As this clip from the Wall Street Journal notes, the appeal is particularly strong for architects. That’s because, according to Barry Bergdoll, curator at MoMA, a chair “makes space, it has support, so in the end the chair is architecture.” Like architecture, chairs are so visible, our relationship to them so intimate, that designing them can give pause.

Béhar, an industrial designer, sought inspiration for his design of the SAYL chair from a very architectural form: suspension bridges. For Béhar, the project had appeal and risk. He says, “I practiced for more than a decade and waited to tackle the work chair. And it is only after turning 40 that I feel ready for such an epic design challenge.” Part of the challenge, says Béhar, lies in the fact that “every part serves a structural or tactile purpose. Every part is about creating comfort while needing to be visually cohesive and beautiful.”

An element of risk, certainly, but ah the rewards. And it’s especially gratifying when others recognize the achievement, in SAYL’s case the latest coming from IDEA.

“As Charles Eames said, Herman Miller should make ‘the best for the most for the least,’” says Susan Lyons, design consultant for Herman Miller’s Materials Program—now one-year old. “So let’s call this the year of Grades 1 and 2.”

“We have been working hard to design and develop innovative materials that are both purposeful and beautiful, as well as low cost.”

The work has paid off with great reviews. In fact, the program received a Silver award from the International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA, sponsored by Business Week) in the Design Strategy category.

Developed by the Michael McGinn Design Office, the Materials Program consists of two equally important components:
• The Materials Collection: physical sampling to be seen and touched.
• The Online Materials Program: a website to explore and understand our materials and their application.

The program is also featured in many industry magazines and blogs. Here are a few:
• Otto architecture + design
• Core 77
• Interior Design magazine

“We’ll keep building on our success,” says Lyons, “as we continue to make Herman Miller materials honest, intelligent, and delightful.”

In its 29th year, the annual design competition honors design excellence in products, eco design, interaction design, packaging, strategy, research, and concepts. Sponsored by BusinessWeek and presented by the Industrial Designers Society of America, it received more than 1,600 award entries from over 15 countries.

Teneo provides a new paradigm for the filing and storage category. It combines the functional qualities of storage with the aesthetic qualities of furniture, and its systemic approach allows it to be a product platform that can evolve and adapt. All Teneo products are made from the same set of elements and share design features to provide a consistent look and create a unified aesthetic within an environment.

“Teneo storage furniture is an excellent example of a sophisticated and versatile modular storage system,” said juror Stefanie Kubanek, associate partner, Pentagram. “It’s simple, yet it combines high functionality and materiality with a playful and user-focused, sustainable design.”

By Marcia Davis