Work Chairs
Throughout the workday, while at my desk, I generally rotate the chairs I sit in. The first chair I used to sit in ( after standing up at my desk first) is the Herman Miller Aeron chair, which happens to be the same chair Professor Jackson showed in the lecture video. Very grateful to have a Herman Miller chair but over time it didn’t feel the same. So I switched to the high chair which provided better cushioning and padding for my rear, thighs, and hips. The high chair also provided a bit of social/work status and as Cranz calls out, a ] “status marker”. No one else sits in a high chair on my team or the office floor and so I am often referred to as ‘The Queen” and the high chair is my throne because I sit above everyone else. The high table/bar chair also allows me to have a bit of fun. I can swing my legs back and forth freely as if I am on a swing and occasionally I give myself a whirl and spin around in the chair for several rotations while letting out a “Wheeeee!” It helps to lighten up the mood and atmosphere. Finally, to ensure I am engaging my core and practicing good posture, by the end of the day I will switch and sit on my Swiss/Medicine Ball. I force myself not to slump by keeping both feet planted on the floor, engaging my core and rolling my shoulders back.
When not at my desk I am usually in the UX lab conducting member interviews. The chairs in the lab are very comfortable and allow for much a more relaxed posture. I often lean on the arms or back of the chair when conducting interviews. What I appreciate about these chairs is how they engulf the body. This ‘tulip’ style chair as Cranz noted helps to create a soothing atmosphere for the participants and researchers. The design accomplishes both style and comfort. The arms, back, and seat of the chair are one connected piece creating an experience where it feels like the chair is hugging the body.
This is a standard conference room armchair that I sit in daily for meetings. The mechanics of the chairs are not as detailed as the Aeron chair at my desk and I suppose that is on purpose. These types of chairs that were chosen for the conference room are not meant to provide full ergonomic support because people aren’t sitting in them all day, although sometimes I feel like I am especially on days when I am in back to back meetings. I find myself always adjusting the height of the chair so it is as high as possible. This is in part because I am used to the high chair at my desk and maybe also someone psychological because I can sometimes be the only female in the room especially when I have meetings with engineers.
Transportation Chairs
The driver seat of my Camry provides a lot of comforts while I am driving. Although I only drive to work 1-2 days per week, it’s still always a pleasant and comfortable ride. After reading The Chair and realizing the number of armchairs I sit in during the day, it was interesting to look at my car seat and realize it is not an armchair but I am always using the middle console and the side of my door as armrests. The seat was definitely designed with some ergonomics as the shape of the high seat back helps to support the back including the lower back.
On most days I take the Caltrain into work where I am subjected to sit on basic L shape seats that may or may not be the standard blue pleather seats that are much more durable than the fabric seats pictured here. The lack of arms on the seats mean my private space is minimal. Furthermore, the design did nothing to incorporate erogonomics or style.
Home Chairs
One of my favorite chairs to sit in while at home is my chair on my balcon
y. This folding all weather armchair provides just the right amount of comfort to allow for relaxing while enjoying a beautiful day or evening outside. Sitting on the balcony allows me to be outside, observing nature and even people while not having to be seen. I sit perched like a bird looking down and around at everything while remaining inconspicuous. This chair also sits slightly lower to the ground, so I feel like I am lounging more as if on a beach. Being outside sitting on this chair helps me to relax after a long day and can transport me into deep thoughts. I have even fallen asleep in this chair.
My reading chair can be classified as an “Easy Chair” made popular, as Cranz points, out during the Victorian time in England. This wide upholstered covered chair with short legs and no arms makes relaxing and lounging very easy. One of the reasons I really enjoy sitting in this chair is because it doesn’t have any arms. Its give me more freedom to curl up in it and I can turn and sit on it in multiple ways. Because of this freedom, this chair is placed by my balcony window/door so that I can read while looking out and turn which ever way I want all while enjoying the natural sunlight
Team Chairs
Thought I would also share this full circle example of the power of chairs. My team is known as S.I.T because of the product areas we work on; Search, Infra and Trust. We decided to play off the acronym of our team name and come up with chairs that represent each of us. A couple of months ago one of our very talented designers illustrated the chairs and we all collaborated on the design. Our team slogan, “You can S.I.T. with us”. Bonus point’s if you know what movie the slogan is a spin-off of.
Below is the design & logo for our team shirts, stickers, and anything we can get it on. Can you guess which chair is mine?
