Flex appeal: Flex collection from Steelcase

Flex not only responds to a broad-brush change in office culture today, but this versatile collection meets specific requirements. ‘We noticed that teams using agile and design thinking practices need to be able to change how they work overtime,’ explains Bill Bennie, a Steelcase design director. 'Teams need flexibility to change their day-to-day activities. So, we looked at this through a new lens, and instead of one new thing, we ended up creating pieces that all move and work together to let people reconfigure their space in minutes. The pieces work well on their own, but like a team, work better together.'

Flex, whose slender, unimposing pieces ensure offices don’t look cluttered, includes height-adjustable desks on rollers that move around a space as easily as the people repositioning them. Team members can slide them side by side when meeting in pairs and pull them apart when they want to peel off and focus on individual work. Equally moveable are carts for storing whiteboards that can be placed on stands, thereby making ideas and notes attached to the boards easily visible to small or large groups of people. There are also team carts incorporating shelves.

Built into the desks are up to seven sockets neatly powered by one cable, while power cables can also hang from individual stands. Large baskets and smaller containers provide storage and help to keep offices tidy. And tall, floor-standing screens or smaller screens that can be placed directly on desks provide varying degrees of privacy and reduce distracting noise levels.

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