Search Results for: manufacturing

Where are the iconic office furniture products of yesterday?

Where are the iconic office furniture products of yesterday?

A new image of Bauhaus students from 1927 raises interesting questions about the design of office furnitureLate last year, this image went viral on social media. It is of a group of Bauhaus design students from around 1927. They are called Martha Erps, Katt Both and Ruth Hellos. The full image (reproduced below) shows them with legendary office furniture designer Marcel Breuer, who Erps would later marry. The story of the photograph can be found here. On social media, though, the standard response from people of a certain vintage – my vintage admittedly – is to suggest that they were last seen supporting Echo and the Bunnymen at the Barrowland Glasgow in 1984.  (more…)

Four honest impressions of Orgatec 2024

Four honest impressions of Orgatec 2024

 

Here are four of my impressions of Orgatec 2024. Spoiler alert: Orgatec is big. It's the furniture that got small

I’ve been going to Orgatec in Cologne since 1992. It has always been one of the twin global behemoths of office design shows. The other being NeoCon in Chicago. Over that time, I’ve seen it dwindle significantly in size, if not relevance. It is held every two years, which means it can offer a better snapshot of current thinking about offices than an annual show might. The last show, two years ago, was still hungover from the pandemic (2020 was cancelled) so this year’s event was, in a way, the first chance to see how things stand in whatever era we might now be in. (more…)

Design Guild Mark Awards calls for 2025 entries

Design Guild Mark Awards calls for 2025 entries

The Design Guild Mark has opened entries for the 2025 edition, inviting designers and companies to submit entries for three categories: furniture, lighting and interior elements.The Design Guild Mark has opened entries for the 2025 edition, inviting designers and companies to submit entries for three categories: furniture, lighting and interior elements. Entry is open to British designers working in the UK or abroad, and designers with UK based design practices. The Design Guild Mark is a non-profit award programme that was established in 2008 by The Furniture Makers’ Company to raise the profile of British industrial design and to recognise excellence in this discipline. (more…)

Magenta Associates becomes employee owned

Magenta Associates becomes employee owned

Our friends at comms specialist Magenta Associates have announced that the business is now owned by its employees.Our friends at comms specialist Magenta Associates have announced that the business is now owned by its employees. The company has set up an Employee Ownership Trust which owns the majority of the business. The trust will be led by five trustees to ensure the management team is running the business in the best interests of the employees. Magenta was set up in 2011 by Cathy Hayward, the former editor of FM World (now Facilitate) and FMJ magazine who spotted a gap in the market for a PR agency specialising specifically in facilities management. (more…)

Commercial property market should be more optimistic, but it still needs to change

Commercial property market should be more optimistic, but it still needs to change

JLL’s latest Future of Work Survey claims to reveal new opportunities for the commercial property sector as two-thirds of business leaders expect their CRE budget to riseJLL’s latest Future of Work Survey claims to reveal new opportunities for the commercial property sector as two-thirds of business leaders expect their CRE budget to rise between now and 2030. Despite challenges in the commercial real estate sector and bumpy economic conditions, global business leaders are optimistic about the future, with two-thirds (65 percent) expecting their CRE budgets to increase by 2030, according to the poll. This survey sets out to explore the evolving nature of work, assessing the key priorities, challenges, and strategies for more than 2,300 business and CRE decision-makers. (more…)

Firms are optimistic about AI, but most have little idea what to do with it

Firms are optimistic about AI, but most have little idea what to do with it

Despite high levels of optimism about their adoption of AI, two thirds of firms say they are not ready to implement AI in projects yetDespite high levels of optimism about their adoption of artificial intelligence, two thirds of firms say they are not ready to implement AI in projects yet, according to a new poll. The Riverbed Global AI & Digital Experience Survey suggests that while 94 percent of those surveyed say AI is a top C-Suite priority and 91 percent agree it provides a competitive advantage, only 37 percent are fully prepared to implement projects now,  However, 86 percent of leaders say they expect their organisation to be fully prepared to implement a strategy and projects by 2027.  (more…)

Generative AI will lead to a threefold increase in greenhouse gases from data centres

Generative AI will lead to a threefold increase in greenhouse gases from data centres

Data centres are set to emit three times more carbon dioxide because of generative AIA new report claims that data centres will generate around 2.5 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide by the end of the decade. This figure is three times higher than it would have been had the rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) not occurred. The report, published by Morgan Stanley titled Global Data Centers: Sizing & Solving for CO2, suggests that the combined emissions from the construction of new facilities and their energy consumption will amount to around 2.5 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent by 2030, roughly 40 per cent of the United States’ current annual emissions (more…)

Working from home prevalent across Northern Europe, but has no effect on productivity

Working from home prevalent across Northern Europe, but has no effect on productivity

 

Working from home has become a permanent feature of the European workforce, with notable variations across different regions and citiesA new research briefing from Oxford Economics claims to highlight the sustained prevalence of working from home in Europe, particularly in northern cities, and examines its impact on office real estate markets. According to the briefing, which analyses data through 2023, working from home has become a permanent feature of the European workforce, with notable variations across different regions and cities. (more…)

How generative AI is shaping a new landscape for creativity

How generative AI is shaping a new landscape for creativity

 

The impact of generative AI on creative workflows is challenging, profound and multifaceted, writes Chris Hewish Every significant leap in technology has promised more than it has delivered. Or, perhaps more accurately, it has delivered something different from what was promised. When automation began infiltrating manufacturing in the 19th century, there was widespread fear that it would render human labour obsolete. Instead, it transformed the nature of work, creating new categories of jobs and even eradicating others. The digital revolution of the late 20th century followed a similar trajectory. It shifted the burden of tasks, spawned entirely new industries, and necessitated new skill sets. (more…)

Businesses planning major investments into Generative AI to increase productivity

Businesses planning major investments into Generative AI to increase productivity

firms are planning major investments into generative AI technologies to drive increases in productivity, but are still being cautious about their impact.A new report from Cognizant and Oxford Economics New Work, New World: Quantifying Global Gen AI Momentum suggests that firms are planning major investments into generative AI technologies to drive increases in productivity, but are still being cautious about their impact. Additionally, 76 percent of businesses say they are looking to leverage the technology to create new revenue streams, while 58 percent are incorporating revenue increases into their business cases. (more…)

British icons showcase sustainable design at Material Matters during London Design Festival

British icons showcase sustainable design at Material Matters during London Design Festival

Bisley and MARK Product have announced their participation in Material Matters, as part of London Design Festival 2024Bisley and MARK Product have announced their participation in Material Matters, as part of London Design Festival 2024. This marks the debut of their collaboration since their strategic partnership was announced earlier this year, spotlighting their commitment to a sustainable and circular economy. Material Matters bring together over 40 world-leading brands, designers, makers and manufacturers. MARK and Bisley have been invited as part of the Room 12 exhibit, curated by designers TP Bennett and The Furniture Practice in celebration of the importance of material intelligence in architecture and design. Their installation focusses on the social aspect of the circular economy – how good jobs and skills along with building strong manufacturing and creative communities are essential for a sustainable future. (more…)

3 Days of Design proves we don’t know what we’re doing

3 Days of Design proves we don’t know what we’re doing

We don't know what we're doing. That was what we all learnt about sustainability at last week's 3 Days of Design in CopenhagenWe don’t know what we’re doing. That was what we all learnt about sustainability at last week’s 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen as Denmark’s capital city played host once more to this increasingly influential European Design event. Timed, as it is, in the same week as Chicago’s Neocon, and following on from Milan’s enormous and well-renowned Salone, not even intermittently inclement weather could disguise the noticeably larger audience drawn to Copenhagen this year. (more…)