STEELCASE announced Tuesday the introduction of FrameFour, a new family of products including desking, benching as well as conferencing and collaborating tables designed to provide workers with more choice and control in today's offices. Part of the range is the innovative storage leg which serves as a personal storage unit and power source for multiple electrical devices. The announcement follows a global analysis of worker engagement and workplaces summarized in the ‘Global Report' by Steelcase and Ipsos. According to the report only half of employees globally (51 percent) can choose where to work in the office based on the task at hand. The report also showed that a distinguishing characteristic of engaged employees is that they have a greater degree of control over where and how they work, including access to privacy when they need it. They are empowered, both by organizational decisions and the spaces made available to them. "We know that employees who have the ability to shape their work experience are more satisfied and therefore more engaged as 88 per cent of the highly engaged workers in our survey have this option," says Andy Morris, Head of Sales, Middle East, Steelcase. "However our designers realized that moving around and not having a destination to come to can be a hassle, as well as be uncomfortable and unproductive." John Small, Director of Industrial Design, EMEA at Steelcase, added: "We designed FrameFour to create a consistent and thoughtfully designed ecosystem of diverse destinations where people can get comfortable quickly, recharge their devices and focus on the task at hand." In addition to the possibility of adding the innovative storage leg – a personal locker to safely store one's belongings and power access for up to three devices – FrameFour's features include: The option to choose from over 30 different melamine colours combined with the common design signature create an ecosystem of spaces that is consistent across an entire floorplan and that offers a wide range of possibilities for customization. Privacy options and customizable worktools create destinations for workers to get down to work quickly and comfortably with the support they need to focus on their task. Anti-microbial properties create a health-conscious work environment and support the increasingly mobile workstyles of today. "This family of products solves for the diverse needs of today's workers and their workstyles. FrameFour creates destinations that are designed for residents, nomads and mobile workers while accommodating different modes of working such as collaboration, socializing, focus and privacy," said John Small. Morris adds: "Findings from the ‘Global Report' reveal that UAE workers have less than average access to shared spaces, such as meeting zones, collaborative spaces and private areas. FrameFour addresses these needs while providing space-efficient workspaces that support technology and tools."
