Designing a Flexible Desk for an Activity-Based Workplace

Abstract

This is a master thesis performed during the spring of 2020 at Chalmers University of Technology in association with Kinnarps AB. Multiple organizations are today replacing their cell or open offices with an activity-based workplace. When implementing an activity-based workplace strategy, the organization is set out to increase its office flexibility by encouraging the employees to frequently change the workstation. This to gain strategic benefits, enhancing employee productivity and satisfaction through stimulation of interaction between employees and initiating opportunities for collaborative work and signalling creativity. This project's aim was to develop a flexible and mobile desk for temporary workstations, that is, ABW compatible. To do so, user needs were established through interviews and observations, the current market and Kinnarps own products were analysed, which resulted in a requirements specification to fulfil. Besides fulfilling the discovered requirements, the desk shall also comply with Kinnarps fundamental requirements about the desk being: foldable, height-adjustable, mobile and provide electrical energy to the users’ electrical devices. The result of the project was a concept, communicated as a CAD-model, that fulfils the fundamental requirements but also is versatile, aesthetically pleasing, ergonomic, durable, intuitive, safe and offers flexibility. This through being multifunctional in how it can be used, having a unique design expressing both professionalism and playfulness, easily rolled aside and stacked when not in use, complies with set standards giving an ergonomic experience, has interchangeable parts and material that handles wear and tear and lastly, is safe to use by preventing accidents.