Standing up for postural change
Herman Miller has always believed in the importance of supporting a variety of postures and encouraging healthy movement while you work. An alternative to sitting down at the desk is woven into our design history. In the 1960s both Robert Propst and George Nelson pioneered the concept of alternative working positions.
Propst, the creator of Action Office, the world’s first open-plan office system, designed a hybrid stool and chair he termed a “perch.” Nelson, who was appointed Design Director in 1947, enjoyed standing at work and thought others might also. He designed a stand-up, roll-top desk for the Action Office line. Both designers recognized the benefits of standing whilst working, long before the term ergonomics was widely known or understood.
