Designer's Vision

A More Human Way to Work

In rethinking the height-adjustable table, designer Brian Alexander began with his favorite source of insights: observing humans at work. While watching people interact with other height adjustable tables, he noticed that they often changed positions when they changed tasks. "When people are focused in, they tend to sit for longer periods," he said. "When they stand up, it signals an attitude, like a second wind. The various postures and frequencies are a direct reflection of the work they're doing and what's right for them."

He realized that to harmonize with this natural behavior, a height-adjustable table should flow up and down effortlessly. "When you're paying people to do things cognitively, you don't want something like a switch to interfere with their thought processes," he said. That insight led to the paddle-shaped switch he designed for Renew, which moves up and down so intuitively that people can use it without thinking about it.

Another challenge was eliminating the visual chaos created by power and data cords. Alexander's solution was to route cables invisibly from the desktop into a trough beneath the table, ensuring that it looks clean and sophisticated from every angle. Modeled after a spice rack, the trough uses a shallow space and tabbed organizers to display all of the cables at once, letting you find the one you need at a glance when it's time to unplug or update technology.

While most other tables use vertical steel blades for structure under the work surface, Alexander said, "There's no reason a table has to be designed that way." Instead, he positioned Renew's legs farther out, adding valuable swing room for your legs. He also softened every angle under the table into a smooth, planar surface that's gentle on your knees.

All of this attention to detail speaks to a level of fit and finish that the product deserves, according to Alexander. Designed from top to bottom-and even underneath-every inch of Renew has been shaped around you.