greendesign
Designing
A Better World
by Andrew Tan
Herman Miller, Inc. has always had big ginal pieces exist today as collectible anti-
ideas compacted in its line of space sa- ques. After World War II, Miller’s business
ving furniture, this time it is the health began to find its place in the furniture in-
and wellbeing of our planet that will be dustry. Its legacy of consistently being the
the benefactor of their latest concept. As a first to bring groundbreaking innovation
leading global provider of office and resi- to the marketplace is what has propelled
dential furniture it’s almost impossible to this small-scale furniture store to emerge
go anywhere without encountering their a global leader in furniture design.
handiwork. This innovator has laid the
path for the others to follow, from simple In the 60s and 70s, Herman Miller sales sky-
and elegant to outlandish and practical, rocketed with breakthrough inventions such
by crafting some of the most innovative, as the office cubicle and open plan work
adored pieces of furniture the world has spaces. The company popularized ergo-
ever seen. The company has fully esta- nomics, the scientific discipline concerned
blished itself as an industry leader. with designing objects that fulfill human
needs. In 2008, Herman Miller garnered
Herman Miller is considered one of the top its fifth consecutive placement on the Dow
100 best companies to work for, according Jones Sustainability World Index, an eva-
to Fortune magazine. Mark Schurmann, luation of the annual performance of the
director of external communications, who world’s largest companies using economic,
has been with the company for more than environmental, and social criteria. In the
15 years, certainly enjoys his job. His en- 21st Century, Herman Miller maintains its
thusiasm for the Herman Miller culture of reputation with its “Perfect Vision”, a broad
design, the product, the people, is conta- and aggressively ambitious initiative that
gious. When the company started in 1923 sets 2020 as a deadline to only design pro-
as a manufacturer of traditional residen- ducts that generate zero landfill usage, zero
tial furniture, it was a humble shop pro- hazardous waste generation, zero water and
ducing high-quality furniture that people air emissions during production and 100%
loved to need. Some of the company’s ori- green energy for all of its power needs.
8 OUR GREEN BOOK
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