What's the Future of the Office? We Asked a Product Designer to Give Us The Lowdown
Things have certainly changed over the past few years, with our working lives being one of the most notable. Many of us have gone from full-time in-office work to enjoying more flexible schedules and remote work. We’re moving into a new way of working so we reached out to Matteo Bonacina, Poppin’s Director of Product Design, and asked him to share his vision for the future of office design.
A Conversation with Matteo
Director of Product Design
What is your vision for the future of the office?
Like a city— it is a place where ideas are shared, exchanged, mixed, and refined. The wonder and content that drives such ideas rarely are born within a traditional 9-5 office setting. The “office” is the process of polishing what is already there from a previously absorbed experience.
How do office furniture and office design play into that vision?
They are tools used to build intentional environments that help support a particular activity and area of focus.
As a furniture designer, what do you see your role as when it comes to building a sustainable future for offices?
Make it beautiful or avoid making it; make it useful or avoid making it; make it to last or avoid making it. Use as little as possible to give back as much as possible.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
Life.
What does your design process look like?
Curiosity, observation, and openness. Supporting the ripening of ideas within the mind by attempting to reduce stress and doubt. I use pen and paper in a very unskillful way. I use KeyShot and SOLIDWORKS as practical tools to visually communicate those ideas to myself and others.
What are some Poppin products you think best support the future of hybrid work and why?
Hybrid workers seek variety and flexibility. Our curated collection of products, from pens to PoppinPods, cater to a diverse range of needs.
Where do you see Poppin’s collection heading in the future?
I hope we are able to share projects with strong points of view and personalities. They may not be met with open arms— some of the most interesting things rarely are. Humans require time to adjust to shifting tides.
For more on how offices can adapt to support the new way of working, download our PDF on The New Role of the Office and visit Poppin.com to shop all of our solutions for the hybrid office.