When the highly anticipated OE1 Workspace Collection first launched in 2021, the landscape of the modern workplace was forever altered. The acclaimed design duo behind Herman Miller’s signature range, Sam Hecht and Kim Colin of London-based Industrial Facility, managed to invent something completely new, yet perfectly familiar. OE1’s fluid, intuitive nature was an organic response to the shifting character of work, enabling businesses and individuals to adapt to changing goals and preferences with ease, joy and minimal disruption.

“When OE1 first launched, it ushered in a new type of systematised flexibility for the modern workspace,” says Sam Hecht. “Our designs introduced ultra-simple agility to existing furniture types such as the table and the pedestal.”

Result of robust hands-on research, tinkering and development, the award-winning collection has now become synonymous with a completely new way of thinking about the modern workplace – one that inspires different ways of operating by embracing the autonomy and self-expression of an individual as well as the constant state of flux.

Sam explains that OE1 was designed to help scale up or down, mobilise and densify existing workplaces, while being non-confrontational in its minimalist, edited down and empowering design language. “It’s repurposeful, it’s flexible, and it can adapt,” he adds. “It can grow with you, and, if it has to, it can shrink with you.”

Now, in a fitting expression of this allegiance to perpetual state of change, Herman Miller expands the OE1 Workspace Collection with a selection of new products designed to further enhance the range’s pronounced focus on productivity. The existing range of mobile tables, portable partitions, height-adjustable workstations and storage trolleys is enriched by a few ingenious additions: the OE1 Personal Hoodie, OE1 Workbox and OE1 Agile Wall Corner Cover.

The OE1 Personal Hoodie is a delightfully versatile tabletop boundary. Soft, light and portable, this clever accessory can be used to block off distractions, enhance privacy and gently communicate unavailability. Creating a dome-like shield over one’s work station when folded out, the OE1 Personal Hoodie can also help reduce glare – which is particularly useful when working outside.

Portability also underpins the very idea of the OE1 Workbox – a neat storage box that keeps tools and personal items organised and at hand as individuals move through their workday. Fitting perfectly between OE1 Storage Trolley, Ubi Mobile Bag Catch and Formwork’s desktop storage system, OE1 Workbox is compatible with both OE1 and Herman Miller’s other storage solutions, while catering to the crucial need for privacy and ease of personal storage on the go.

The OE1 Agile Wall Corner Cover is yet another addition to the core collection. This corner piece works in tandem with the OE1 Agile Wall, a portable boundary designed for space definition and collaboration. While the mobile partition gives individuals the ability to swiftly form collaborative spaces, the new corner piece enables them to close off an area completely. The new addition is fitted out with the same acoustic material as the Personal Hoodie, cancelling out distractions, aiding focus and enhancing productivity.

These versatile, useful and intuitive enhancements to Herman Miller’s iconic workplace system are a testament to the brand’s deep understanding of the modern workplace’s dynamic, constantly shifting trajectory. And they undoubtedly highlight Industrial Facility’s extraordinary ability to create inventive solutions anchored by a reassuring sense of familiarity.

“Herman Miller is thrilled to continue our partnership with Industrial Facility to expand the OE1 Workspace Collection,” says Malisa Bryant, Senior Vice President of Global Product. “Sam and Kim’s passion for industrial design empowers organisations and individuals to find their own perfect blend of purpose, performance, and expression. The enhancements we’re making to OE1 will provide our customers with even more flexibility to adapt their floor plates as their needs change.”

Designers in Australia and Asia can now access the OE1 Personal Hoodie, OE1 Workbox and OE1 Agile Wall Corner Cover through Herman Miller and MillerKnoll’s local dealers. Plus, more OE1 additions will be coming later this year. “With the new OE1 enhancements, we present completely new typologies of products that enhance the delight of working anywhere, and in any way,” Sam enthuses.

This sentiment certainly acknowledges the profound impact of the changing nature of work on the evolving character of workplace design. And it is certainly an affirmation of OE1’s constantly unfolding, multifaceted nature as the perfect design solution for a productive and happy workplace of today – and tomorrow.

Head over to Herman Miller’s OE1 Workspace Collection hub to find out more about the new additions – and keep an eye out for new announcements coming up later in the year.

Herman Miller

hermanmiller.com