Office chair fits spot in era of electronic gadgets

The intrusion of electronic gadgets such as iPads and smartphones into offices has not only shaped work life, but also workstations.

Steelcase, one of the world's biggest and oldest manufacturers of office furniture, has rolled out a new chair it calls the "Gesture", which it says is designed to accommodate the ever-widening range of seating postures adopted by office workers who are no longer deskbound at their computers, but get their work done by using their electronic gadgets.

Steelcase Asia-Pacific president Uli Gwinner explained that improvements to the design of workstations and social areas would directly help lift productivity, efficiency and creativity.

The company's new chair is a product highlight in the Business of Design Week, a global trade show on design, products and brands, this week.

It is billed by Steelcase as an aid to encouraging more interaction among staff.

The Gesture chair was the outcome of a Steelcase survey of more than 8,000 people around the world who used electronic gadgets such as iPads, mini-iPads, tablets and smartphones in the office.