With work life becoming more digitally accessible – the workspace becomes even more and more portable. Having the ability to set up and work anywhere is becoming more and more popular with the increase of co-working spaces. According to Si Chen – the designer behind The New Normal – the problem with the majority of these spaces is that “they are often in a confined and isolated space that can feel stressful” and she envisioned this project to provide “soothing and energizing elements to make any workspace more comfortable”.
The New Normal comprises of a removable backrest which has multiple functionalities as – a blanket, a moveable recorder pillow and a foot ramp to accommodate leg movement. Chen’s goal behind The New Normal is to address the lack of play in the workplace. The foot ramp can give people both footrest and foot exercise. Regarding the ramp – there are two very important parts to the ramp; there is a footrest made from memory foam for added comfort and then the wooden part is rigid for foot movement, rocking the footrest side to side. What makes The New Normal very special is the recorder pillow – used for both arm resting and napping. There’s more to it than just that, the recorder pillow plays pre-recorded environmental sounds to help the user relax and decompress.
Designer: Si Chen
