Conversational Positioning
Aeron originally combined a deep knowledge of human-centered design with innovative, never-before-seen technology to deliver a chair unlike any other. Remastered for today’s work and workers, Aeron now offers smarter weight distribution and suspension through 8Z Pellicle, and adjustable PostureFit SL that supports both the sacrum and lumbar to better nurture the natural S-shape of the spine. Available in three holistic material expressions, Aeron harmonizes with today’s work places.
Backstory
Designed by Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick, 1994
When designers Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick set out to create a chair that was health-positive, crossperforming, inclusively-sized, and environmentally sensitive, they arrived at a design unlike the world had ever seen. Aeron demonstrated a pioneering step in ergonomics and material innovation, and provided a comfortable solution without the standard use of foam, fabric, or leather. It changed people’s perception of what an office chair could be—and in doing so it soon found a place in popular culture.
Remastered by Don Chadwick, 2016
Fast forward to the present, and the same criteria serve as the foundation for a whole new Aeron. Just as iconic films and albums are updated for new mediums, standards, and audiences, Aeron has been remastered based on Herman Miller’s latest research around the science of sitting, advancements in materials, manufacturing, and technology, and today’s world of work.
Key Messages
Design
• Health-Positive Design: With Aeron, Stumpf and Chadwick proved that a chair didn’t just have to sit there, and you didn’t just have to sit in it—it could actually be better for you.
• Cross-Performance Design: For individuals sitting in Aeron, cross-performance design means the chair accommodates a wide range of activities and postures people adopt while working—from intense forward-facing focus to relaxed contemplative recline. For designers and organizations, crossperformance makes Aeron suitable for a wide array of workplace settings—from residential workpoints to shared workshops.
• Inclusive Design: With chairs, one size does not fit all people. Based on an ends-to-the-middle design approach, Aeron comes in three sizes to provide a fit that is inclusive rather than exclusive— and delivers the same comfort to the largest range of anthropometric body types of any chair.
• Environmentally Sensitive Design: The Aeron Chair was designed with sensitivity to its impact on the interior environment in which it will be placed and the broader environment that provides the resources for its manufacture.
Performance
• Get into the Zones: Pellicle, the innovative, elastomeric suspension of the original Aeron, eliminated circulation-restricting pressure points and stretched the boundaries of material design. New 8Z Pellicle pushes the material to a whole new zone—eight of them. Across the seat and back, eight latitudinal zones of varying tension—tightest at the edges and more forgiving where the body makes contact—envelope the sitter, and deliver increased comfort and ergonomic support.
• A Stance Worth Backing: If an active body is at its strongest when standing, chest open and pelvis tilted slightly forward, it makes sense that you would be better off sitting like that too. And that’s exactly where PostureFit SL comes in. Adjustable, individual pads stabilize the sacrum and support the lumbar region of the spine to mimic that healthful standing position.
• Combined Comfort: All of the enhancements to the new Aeron were designed to work together to comprehensively support the human form. Posturefit SL and 8Z Pellicle represent a higher level of ergonomic expertise and state of the art support to improve the experience for the sitter. Together they create total spinal support—calculated, localized support that moves the skeletal system into a position that provides ultimate spinal support. This is achieved both when the person is still, and when the person moves, to provide more active support.
• If You’re So Reclined: Staying in one position reduces the natural pumping action of the muscles that deliver nutrients to the intervertebral disks. The Aeron Chair’s tilt allows it to move with the body in such a natural way that people can shift from forward to reclining postures intuitively. Today’s slimmer, updated tilt mechanism delivers an even more seamless experience of movement (and stasis) to the sitter through a smoother trajectory and optimal balance point. Aeron is designed to keep people in contact with the back of the chair and in control of their continuous movement throughout the entire range of recline.
• A Seamless Shift: The new Aeron enables people to shift from an upright position to a full-recline smoothly and simply. While the original design supported numerous positions and postures, the frame angle has been adjusted 1.8 degrees forward to better support the body in the upright position and across a wider range of postures. Whether a person is positioned forward for typing and intense focus, or fully-reclined for conversation and contemplation, they will find the new Aeron moving with them—without any trouble—to offer proper ergonomic support across a larger variety of tasks.
Materials
• Curated Materials Expressions: Through hundreds of samples, tests, and iterations, we arrived at three tightly curated, holistic material expressions. Graphite is the darkest, a modern take on the original Aeron. Carbon offers a balanced neutral that works equally well in warm and cool environments. Mineral is the lightest, ideal for today’s more open office environments.
