ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
LITERATURE REVIEW
CASE STUDY REVIEW
Structure of Company Designers
Radical Innovation
Figure 2
Figure 3
SDM at HM
Figure 4
01 02 03 04 05 06
Figure 1
STRATEGY DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
Figure 5
CONCLUSION
07 REFERENCES
C O N T E N T S .
Through a study in design management, this report explores strategic design management through the lens of Herman Miller, examining their innovative approach to product development and user-centric problemsolving with context to their iconic Aeron chair Providing valuable insights into the intersection of design and effective organizational strategy.
HERMAN MILLER WAS FOUNDED IN 1905, WENT PUBLIC IN 1970, AND TODAY, THE HERMAN MILLER FAMILY OF BRANDS EMPLOYS OVER 8,000 PEOPLE WORLDWIDE
Herman Miller (HM) is an American company that is known to be the leading producer of office furniture, equipment, and home furnishing They are trailblazers in the industry, some notable designs include the Aeron chair, Noguchi table, Marshmallow sofa, Mirra chair, and the Eames lounge chair in collaboration with leading designers Isamu Noguchi, George Nelson, and Charles and Ray Eames. Designer Robert Propst a designer under the company proposed the openplan office space in the 1960s, using cubicles (Encyclopedia Britannica, n d ) This has factored in placing them as leaders in ergonomics. They are also considered early pioneers in participative management; an open form of management where employees play a role in an organization’s decision-making (Juneja, 2015)
Herman Miller has always been synonymous with innovation and delivering design leadership and business leadership, being visionaries of design thinking and creative product development. Their strategic emphasis on design, participative management model, and adaptive design are per the ideals of a ‘’design-centric’’ organization.
They are exemplary in showcasing how a company ’ s strategic focus on design can drive innovation, customer satisfaction, and organisational success
''“Designisaresponse tosocialchange”GeorgeNelson
Herman Miller bases its design and development on a problem-solving approach. The company has a history of collaborating with talented designers, who observe the world and solve its problems through provocative design The company places human beings at the centre of their research-based problemsolving Understanding change at different levels and picking out areas of life and work that aren’t keeping pace with change driving innovation in product design.
Designers play a huge role in their innovation process They provide a creative voice to problem-solving. This rich history of working with designers started with their founder D.J. DePree, who collaborated with names like Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, Gilbert Rhode, Bill Stumpf, and others. Hiring designers instead of relying on an inhouse team allowed the company to gain the best, brightest and newest perspective on problem-solving keeping them innovative and relevant in the industry This helps maintain a distance between the designers and the day-today internal processes of the organization that might restrict their thinking and creativity, providing them with the freedom to design to their full capacity
The company collaborates with the designers to provide them with engineering skills, explorations and problem-solving processes, especially when the company has identified the problem but requires someone to physically represent the solution This has resulted in numerous prestigious design awards like the iF Design Award, International Design Awards etc Sustainability also plays a huge role in their philosophy, projects like The Greenhouse and Marketplace have received environmental awards and Leeds (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certificate (Goeman and Beckwith, 2010)
The Aeron Chair designed by Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick was considered an ergonomic revolution and material innovation when first launched in 1994 Years of combined research on the way people sit resulted in the new age gold standard for office seating It is also part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (Herman Miller, n d) The typical office chair before was rigid, with foam cushion and back support classifying it as a radical innovation with no competitors
1. PILLICLE MESH UPHOLSTERY:
Flexible and breathable. Adpats to the form of the sitter
2. BACK:
Contoured to support spine-without additional lumber support
3. FIXED & FULLY ADJUSTABLE ARMS:
Available as upgrades. Fully adjustableheight, and armpads pivot outward and inward. Leather armpads for comfort.
4. SEAT:
Height is adjustable. Seat has waterfall front edge, and stretches to match contours
5. a) POSTUREFIT:
Designed to enhance upright posture. Adjusts support for you lower back area below your hipline.
b) LUMBAR SUPPORT
Adjusts for height and deoth to control amount of support to your lumbar region when inclined
6. TILT:
Sets tension of inclince to body weight Locking or restricted recline and forward tilt
7. CASTERS
Herman Miller’s approach to design, commitment to strong design leadership, open participation of employees, and user-centric approach to problem-solving through product innovation aligns with the strategic integration of design in the overall business concept. Positioning it in the fourth level of The Danish Design Ladder.
The R&D leadership team facilitate design collaborations and creative product work The design integration team networks and connects lead designers to the project teams that are formed inside the company. The leadership of the projects team is open to all disciplines (marketing, engineering, architecture etc.) in the company based on ability and participation Each team is coached by senior leadership, who have learnt from those who preceded them. The senior leadership contributes business insights and constant support in terms of reviews and trade-off debates
The Designers play a key role either from the beginning of the project or are brought in once the design idea is formed. Projects can vary from remastering of existing products or can involve complex projects involving multiple designers (Goeman and Beckwith, 2010).
Herman Miller provides a special emphasis on the value of design within its organization through internal programs conducted by the Design Now Team, a committee of key design leaders with the sole purpose of extending the company ’ s practice, knowledge, and awareness of good design to the next generation. Guest speakers from different creative fields regularly present their work and views on design through their Leadership Forum Conducting workshops for educating employees on design basics. The training programs conducted for new employees introduce the company ’ s philosophy and vision ensuring all employees are part of the design culture practised by the organization (Goeman and Beckwith, 2010)
Brand Loyalty
Good relations with Designers
Employee Retention
Innovative Design
S W O T
Competition from furniture brands
Limited product portfolio
Not affordable by all
Market and product expansion
Sustainable products
Local Collaboration
Affordable product offerings
Copy cat products from competitors
Changing demographics
Based on the SWOT Analysis and Ansoff Matrix, the following strategic recommendations are made,
1. Affordable product line: HM's products are perceived as unaffordable by SMEs’s presents a growth opportunity With the shift to a work-from-home culture post-COVID-19, there is a dual benefit to introducing a ''value'' product line Thus helping in tapping into the SME market and meeting the increasing demand for home office solutions. This helps expand their market reach and accessibility of their products.
2. Collaboration with local talents in different countries: Based on their existing organization culture of working with notable designers. HM can collaborate with local talents in different countries thus facilitating product innovation and international expansion of the organization
3. Product portfolio expansion: HM can make use of its strength in brand loyalty to come up with products for other interior spaces, allowing it to penetrate a new market.
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