Aeron by Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick
A product designer’s job is equal parts scientist, engineer, archivist – their work, the result of years of research and tinkering, may start as one thing and turn into something completely different. No one knows this better than designers Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick, who put in years of combined research into the way people sit. Their most well-known joint production is the Aeron Chair, an ergonomic revolution when it first hit the market in 1994, and now the gold standard for office seating today. But Aeron wasn’t invented out of thin air – Chadwick and Stumpf worked on a number of predecessors that assayed their ideas of elemental chair design. Here’s the Aeron journey, from prototype to industry pioneer.
The world’s first research-based ergonomic chair
Nearly 20 years before the launch of the Aeron Chair, Bill Stumpf designed Ergon, changing the world of office seating forever. Before Ergon’s launch, Stumpf laid out the criteria for comfort, which would influence Herman Miller’s definition of high-performance seating, with a balanced view of comfort, function and aesthetics.
An ergonomic revolution
The Aeron Chair, designed by Stumpf and Chadwick, launched in 1994 and swiftly revolutionised the office furniture industry. It proved pioneering in both ergonomics and material innovation, thanks to its proprietary breathable textile known as Pellicle. This material could flex in multiple directions and was visually elegant enough that it could stay exposed with no additional upholstery, like the standard foam, fabric or leather found in most office chairs at the time.
Museum-worthy
Aeron quickly became the new gold standard for work chairs, landing in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
PostureFit sacral support
Herman Miller introduces its patented PostureFit technology, in collaboration with Dr Brock Walker, back care specialist, designer, and holder of multiple patents in fields including biomechanics and ergonomics.
Thoughtful, integrated style and technology
Fast Company magazine hails Herman Miller's Aeron chair among the 15 best-designed consumer products of the past 100 years, based on its "thoughtful, integrated style and technology," affordability, accessibility, and impact.
Remastered to perform today
Herman Miller unveiled an update of Aeron – remastered from the castors up – incorporating new research around the science of sitting, plus advancements in materials, manufacturing and technology – with the help of co-designer Don Chadwick. Aeron Remastered debuted a more refined tilt mechanism, adjustable PostureFit SL, and an updated Pellicle called 8Z which incorporates eight separate “tensioned” zones – four in the seat, four in the back – for even better suspension.
