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Get a Look at How Teknion Designed Their Zones Focus Pod

Teknion partnered with London-based design studio PearsonLloyd on a series of contract furniture for contemporary workspaces. We featured the Zones collection before and have decided to go in for a closer look at their cleverly designed Focus pods. With offices leaning towards open working environments, the need for smaller, more private spaces has popped up, making Focus a practical necessity. The semi-private pods are designed to reduce extraneous noise and give one person or a couple of people a comfortable spot to work and possibly collaborate without distractions. For this month’s Deconstruction, Teknion and PearsonLloyd share a look at the extensive design process behind their Zones Focus pod.

PearsonLloyd’s preliminary Teknion portfolio analysis

Early sketches by Tom Lloyd for the Zones Collection

The design journey for this new collection started with a deep investigation and analysis of Teknion’s portfolio, during which PearsonLloyd identified areas that the brand could expand by offering a new range of contract furniture.

The investigation found the need for versatile and welcoming venues that enable people to work and connect with each other in a natural, informal way. These ideas informed the design thinking for a new collection for Teknion, which was expressed through preliminary sketches that set the tone and design language of Zones.

A first setting scope proposal for Zones

The ideas were put together to form a collection, the elements of which could stand alone or be part of various reconfigurations. Working closely with Teknion, a selection of products were made, which would be further developed for the market.

The intention for Zones was to develop a collection which would enhance the work flow, comfort and productivity of any work environment, integrating across new and existing workplaces.

The PearsonLloyd team testing the ergonomics of an enclosure in a full size mock up at the backyard of their studio in London.

Render for slot pattern evaluation

Render for tabletop shape & fabric evaluation

The development of the products included the construction of full size mock ups, which enabled the designers to investigate their ideas by testing the ergonomics and developing the complex design details of the collection.

Further research into the materials and design details was undertaken through 3-dimensional renders, which gave the team the opportunity to try different options before they make decisions on the shapes, colors, weaves, textures and materials of the final product.

Detail of the corner trim prototype of the first plywood version

A full assembled mock-up of the Zones screen.

Standing height Digital Workshop with Arch Lamp

Luke Pearson and Tom Lloyd evaluating a screen sample with the Teknion team

The fabric of this quilted infill is examined for its quality, sound proofness.

Once all of the design elements were finalized, the first prototypes were produced and tested. The final look and feel of the designs were reviewed and construction elements and times were taken into consideration before Zones were signed off for production.

The outcome was a collection with a prevalent humanistic aspect. Zones supports modern office tasks in a manner that recognizes the human craving for familiarity, warmth, comfort and empowerment.

Zones includes a variety of furniture components that can be combined with one another to create an all-inclusive office furniture solution. The collection is shaped around the idea of Informal Productivity – an alternative to the traditional office designed to give users choice and to create work environments that encourage collaboration in relaxed and private settings.

Zones expresses an approach to design that recognizes the human need for spaces that are both practical and pleasurable to inhabit. The collection is designed to help people to feel at home in the office via a skillful mix of materials and textures. Drawing upon wood’s inherent warmth and textiles’ play of color, pattern and texture, the furniture is acting as an antidote to the cool, hard surfaces of technology, offering a visual and tactile richness that can engage and energize people at work.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.