The new Newson Task Chair by Marc Newson, designed exclusively with Knoll, has been lauded by the design community upon its preview at MillerKnoll Design Days. Newson describes the process himself noting, “it’s very difficult to express how technically complex and demanding task chairs are to design, they simply have to do too many things.” Newson, charged with a project akin to reinventing the wheel, did just that by developing mechanics that hide under the seat of the chair rather than sitting out in the open.
Design innovations also include the S-shape back panel, upon which Fast Company comments, “At first glance, it might look like your typical frame, covered in mesh fabric. In fact, it is one big component that was created in a single, incredibly complex injection mold. What your eye doesn’t realize is that it’s seeing 10 different materials each with different performance attributes, all color-matched and formed together so that it appears to be a single cohesive structure.” The effect is one that Newson compares to the human body “you have bone, cartilage, and muscle– different densities of materials doing different things in different places, but they’re all connected to one another… they can’t be disconnected in order to work. They’ve got to be integral to one another.” The analogy is an apt one for the complexity of Newson’s design, as each piece plays off the other to create a cohesive unit of a chair that is built to last.
DesignBoom applauds the chair for the “design [being] a meticulously crafted statement piece that simultaneously blends into its surroundings.” As with any great design, the form should be able to stand alone as a work of art as well as lend its beauty to a cohesive space. The Newson Task Chair toes the line of ingenuity without creating a piece so outlandish that it draws too much attention to itself. The design is crafted for years of comfort and style.