Herman Miller, Inc., Offers Comfort, Organization, and Connection with The Be Collection of Personal Work Accessories
January 04, 2008
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This year's "Digital Experience" event, leading into the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, includes display and demonstrations of Herman Miller's latest personal work tools and accessories. A comprehensive array of innovative designs, including unique technology applications for personal climate control, lighting, and voice privacy, The Be Collection is designed to foster greater comfort, choice, and control in today's diverse work environments.
The Be Collection, with its portfolio of breakthrough solutions, enhances the relationship between people and their work. The proprietary designs encourage personal choice and support unique work styles and individual preferences for comfort, organization, and technology support.
The wide-ranging portfolio includes C2, an innovative personal heating/cooling appliance, a pair of Yves Behar-designed lights, including Ardea, the sequel to the 2007 CES Innovation Award-winning Leaf Light, as well as an enhanced update of Herman Miller's revolutionary Babble voice privacy technology--another CES Innovation Award winner. The collection also includes new personal organization and paper management tools, new keyboard platforms and monitor arms, and all with a fresh approach to design using environmentally friendly materials.
"Overall, The Be Collection was designed to delight individuals by encouraging personal choice, comfort, expression, and connection to work, wherever and however their work takes place," said Robyn Hofmeyer, General Manager of The Be Collection.
Added Hofmeyer, "We see this not only as an extension of our comprehensive product offering to commercial customers, but also as an important opportunity to further the growth of the Herman Miller brand beyond with consumers, through Herman Miller for the Home retailers."
The product lineup includes multiple new designs that bring innovative support and enhanced performance to individuals under the categories of:- Be Comfortable
- Be Organized
- Be Connected
Be Comfortable
C2 Climate Control
C2 is a personal heating and cooling unit and the newest technology-driven design from the Herman Miller Creative Office. It responds to one of the most vexing issues in the work environment--personal temperature control.
The device is built upon advanced thermal-electric technology. Herman Miller has an exclusive license with BSST, a subsidiary of Amerigon Incorporated. Amerigon is the leader in the application of this technology in automotive seating. C2 allows the user to select warm or cool, depending on their preference.
A common problem in today's work environment is finding a temperature that works for everyone," noted Hofmeyer. "C2 can solve that issue for individuals in an energy-efficient and safe way." C2 has a list price of $300.
Ardea Personal Light
The Ardea light, designed by Yves Behar, is a sleek, sculptural lighting solution that incorporates the use of an energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulb. It is available in black, white, silver, and polished aluminum. The list price ranges from $345 to $380, depending on the finish.
Leaf Personal Light
Yves Behar's award-winning Leaf personal light also joins The Be Collection. Its organic design and energy efficient LEDs make it an appropriate solution for a variety of environments. Since its introduction in spring 2006, it has garnered international acclaim and inclusion within the collections of New York City's Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian's Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum, and the Art Institute of Chicago. Leaf's list price is $525.
Babble Voice Privacy Device
Babble, a product that emerged from the Herman Miller Creative Office, is now part of The Be Collection. The sound management device, which allows for confidential telephone conversations in open spaces, has been refined and enhanced. In addition to its original functionality in connection to a landline phone at the office or home, Babble also can now operate untethered, enabling true individual voice privacy when using a cellular or cordless phone. Babble has a list price of $695.
Be Organized
Stoa, Modular Rail System
Jeff Sokalski, who worked on Herman Miller's breakthrough My Studio Environments and Vivo interiors, has designed two products for The Be Collection. His Stoa modular rail system and components keep work organized, within reach and in clear view. Stoa allows for the attachment of trays, drawers, shelves and technology support for convenient, user-friendly access. Sokalski also redesigned Herman Miller's existing paper management tools, now included in The Be Collection, incorporating a clear, simple aesthetic for a more sophisticated look and feel in today's work environments.
Be Connected
Monitor Arms and Keyboard Trays
Creating better, more effective solutions to connect individuals to their work is one of the key goals of The Be Collection. This includes new high-performance, ergonomic monitor arms and keyboard trays, designed specifically for Herman Miller and also through alliance partner Bretford.
The Be Collection, like all new products from Herman Miller, was purposefully designed with the environment in mind. As part of the Herman Miller Perfect Vision plan, an initiative to become a truly sustainable company by the year 2020, all products in The Be Collection were developed according to the company's demanding Design for the Environment (DfE) protocol, which emphasizes material chemistry, recycled content, ease of disassembly, and end-of-life recyclability.
"This is a significant first step into the world of accessories for Herman Miller," Hofmeyer said. "We are launching a comprehensive collection of unique designs that take a new approach to supporting the individual--and this is only the beginning. We are excited about moving into the future with a growing and powerful portfolio of new products in the accessories market."
About Herman Miller
The designs and services of Herman Miller enhance the performance of human habitats worldwide, making customers' lives more productive, rewarding, delightful, and meaningful. The company's award-winning products, complemented by furniture-management and strategic consulting services, generated $1.92 billion in revenue during fiscal 2007. Herman Miller is widely recognized both for its innovative products and business practices. In fiscal 2004 Herman Miller was named recipient of the prestigious National Design Award for product design from the Smithsonian Institution's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. In 2007 the company was again included in CRO magazine's "100 Best Corporate Citizens" and was cited by FORTUNE magazine as the "Most Admired" company in its industry. The company trades on the NASDAQ market under the symbol MLHR.
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