Project Overview

Allsteel Mimeo with IntelliForm™, a vivid combination of ergonomics, elegance and engineering.

The Allsteel Mimeo proves that brilliant engineering, superb comfort and stunning elegance can be masterfully orchestrated to create a striking composition that will enrich any environment. Designed to leverage the potential of today’s materials and manufacturing methods, Mimeo's unique IntelliForm™ back technology provides optimal flexibility and personalized comfort to a wide range of users and workplaces. Its IntelliForm™ back structure echoes that of the human body. The 3D knit is the ‘skin’, warm to the touch, breathable and responsive, distributing pressure and delivering initial support where it’s needed. The flexible back carrier acts as ‘muscles’, adapting to different shapes and responding to changing physical forces as users move from one activity or posture to another. The back uprights, the ‘bones’, support users and transfer their weight in a controlled manner to the ground, via the weight-activated mechanism concealed below the seat. Mimeo is lightweight and versatile, allowing it to be easily transported and visually integrated into a variety of spaces, while providing active support of multi-directional sitting within the user's environment. A masterpiece of design and engineering, Mimeo has been designed to accommodate today’s users and support cross-functional interaction in active workplace environments.

Project Details

Mimeo is Allsteel’s third partnership with Bruce Fifield and his studio based in Milan, Italy. Studio Fifield has been successfully designing user-centric product experiences with a focus on meaningful innovation, refined aesthetics, and well-thought-through industrialization for over three decades. Both Allsteel and Studio Fifield share the belief that beautiful and ground breaking design is the result of a product development process well informed with key insights gathered through team-based, in-field observational research.

Mimeo proves that brilliant engineering, superb comfort, and stunning elegance can be masterfully orchestrated to create a striking composition that will enrich any environment. Mimeo has been developed to respond to changing workspace dynamics, user demographics, reduced individual space, and more collaborative workspaces. Mimeo combines amazing levels of comfort with a whole new approach to office economics, dynamic support, and freedom of movement.

Approach

The challenge was to create a new seating concept that would offer unrestricted support in multi-directional movement and would adapt intuitively to each user. This concept was to be realized in the form of an open and inviting “sitting experience” that adapted to every person and possible sit style, including cross-legged and side-sit orientations. Designed for use in highly active environments, the new seating solution would also have to support cross-functional interaction across the workplace.

Development

Designed to leverage the full potential of today’s materials and manufacturing methods, Mimeo pushes boundaries to provide amazing comfort with a whole new approach to dynamic support of movement, maximum comfort, and versatility to a wide range of users and workplaces.

Mimeo’s generously proportioned seat surface is further enhanced through the elimination of the traditional “T” structured arm support. Mimeo's fully adjustable arms elegantly arc up and forward from their mechanical attachment point at the base of the back uprights. The end result is an open and inviting sitting experience.

Mimeo's IntelliForm™ back structure emulates the human body. The 3D knit, like skin, is soft and warm to the touch, breathable and responsive as it works to distribute initial pressure and provide support where it’s needed. The pliable carrier with its structural, non-uniform curvilinear mesh spans the back in an ergonomically correct array and melds with the flex wings to create a continuous, flexing whole. This combination of elements acts like “muscles,” and bends, elongates, and flexes as it adapts to different shaped users and in response to the changing physical forces as the sitter transitions from one activity or posture to another. The back uprights, the “bones,” support users and transfer their weight in a controlled manner to the ground via the custom-designed weight-activated control mechanism concealed below the seat. This continuum of elements allows Mimeo to respond to every user’s unique build, changing movements, and specific activity.

Outcome

A masterpiece of design, engineering, and compliant material science, Mimeo has been designed to accommodate today’s users and support cross-functional interaction in highly active workplaces as well as contribute visual depth and richness to any environment. The multiple back-component layers specified tone-on-tone can bring monochromatic visual depth to a more subdued environment or, with a touch of contrasting color, the vivid graphic quality of the back can come to life and make a strong visual statement.

Extremely light (27 pounds [12 kg] without arms) Mimeo uses a minimal number of carefully selected polymers to provide maximum comfort and support. It is the ideal solution when space is limited but expectations are high.

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