While office chairs may not seem revolutionary, two designers changed that public perception.

Don Chadwick

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Don Chadwick attended school at UCLA as a design student. Because of his grandfather, who was a cabinetmaker, Chadwick developed an interest in furniture and eventually specialized in it during his career in design. Chadwick owned a design studio in Los Angeles where he spent much of his time promoting his idea to different manufacturers.

According to Chadwick, it was in 1972 that Herman Miller paid him a visit. The modern furniture design company gave Chadwick’s dream a chance, and now many of his creations are among recognizable Herman Miller products. In the midst of his uprising and soon to be booming career, Chadwick returned to UCLA to share his knowledge with students as a professor from 1976 to 1985.

Bill Stumpf

The late Bill Stumpf, born in St. Louis, Missouri, served in the U.S. Navy and eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial design from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Additionally, Stumpf earned a master’s degree in environmental design from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Stumpf first found he was interested in ergonomics, the study of people’s efficiency in their working environment, after working with specialists in orthopedic and vascular medicine. He was able to conduct extensive research in this field, specifically in the way people sit.

Herman Miller took Stumpf under its wing in 1970, where he joined as staff on the Herman Miller Research Corporation. Stumpf, since then, has created an abundance of products under Herman Miller, including the Equa Chairs and the Ethospace panel systems.

The Aeron Chair meets MoMA

In 1994, Don Chadwick and Bill Stumpf aimed to completely redesign the regular office chair—so they collaborated to make that idea a reality: The Aeron Chair.

Stumpf and Chadwick set out to create a chair that was health-positive, cross-performing, inclusively sized and environmentally sensitive. Dream come true? It is.

Aeron, a forerunner in ergonomics and material innovation, provided a comfortable solution without having to use environmentally harmful materials such as foam, fabric or leather. Now featured in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Aeron changed people’s perception of what they should expect of their office chair, and quickly became a fixture in pop culture.

aeron chair

Want one in your dental practice?

Five years ago Benco Dental, the nation’s largest privately owned dental distributor introduced Herman Miller furniture to the dental community.
In 90 seconds (below), get a glimpse into the philosophy that drives the inspired designs you can easily incorporate into your office with one call to your Friendly Benco Rep at 1.800.GOBENCO

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