Make your walls work for you
PolyVision, a Belgian division of Steelcase, manufacturer of CeramicSteel for whiteboards and architectural solutions, approached Made with a fundamental question: How to innovate in an industry that doesn’t change? Made and PolyVision created a tool that stimulates creative thinking and turns unused wall spaces into places where teams express and share ideas together. Visualizing the collective intelligence sends out a powerful message: it is an invitation to join the conversation and share ideas. And the impact might be huge. Wout Van de Broek, R&D manager: ‘This product is a potential game changer for our market.’
INSIGHTS — Walls are uneven
As ever, we started out with an analysis that provided us with a thorough understanding of the market, the product and its key stakeholders. Using a methodological approach we identified needs and challenges, translating them into visual and tangible insights. It allowed us to tackle the big question: what will the next generation of workwalls look like? Two observations proved to be pivotal for the further process:
Observation 1
A whiteboard, at it’s best, is a tool that stimulates creative thinking and makes meetings a more engaging experience. It facilitates knowledge sharing and brainstorming on the spot. How can we make sure a whiteboard excels again in it’s key-functionality?
Observation 2
Not a single wall on the planet has a surface that is 100% even. Installing a seamless workwall on an uneven background proved to be a challenge, even for the most seasoned craftsman. How would we be able to make the installation easier and decrease installation time?
IDEATION — Seamless integration of 2 challenging observations
These observations led us to challenge the very idea of a work wall that is floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall. Our design researchers created several concepts to simultaneously tackle the way people actually use their work wall and the issue of seamless installation. The most radical proposal? Make the seams in between the different CeramicSteel plates a feature. That increases installation efficiency and it provides the end user with a visual backbone to cluster the ideas they want to develop and share.
DEVELOPMENT — Motif: durable display for thoughts
As the idea for Motif picked up momentum at the Steelcase and PolyVision headquarters, we continued to challenge them. Preliminary prototypes, drafts of the drilling plates and prototypes of the mounting dots were shared among the different teams. Testing them extensively to ensure a relevant solution, resulting in a cost-efficient and user friendly product. Motif allows you to install whiteboards in the spaces where people are instead of putting people into spaces where whiteboards are. Unused wall spaces can be divided using three panel sizes to create a visual framework to cluster ideas and tasks. Lightweight and easy to install with no visible hardware, Motif’s unique mounting system radically reduces time and costs while ensuring an even work surface on the most uneven walls.
DESIGN — Embrace the gap
Our radical idea landed well at PolyVision. An innovative system consisting of drilling templates, a unique mounting method and spacer tools to meticulously define the width of the gaps. We provided a prototype for the innovation manager to pitch the project among colleagues and create a solid basis of support. It worked like a charm. Before we knew it, we were in the States for installer validation tests.
IMPACT — Aligning advantages
Made and PolyVision worked side by side from market analysis, via first sketch and product development to global product launch. By aligning the needs of key stakeholders, rethinking the supply chain and installation process, we created a lasting impact on both installer and user level while creating business in new territories.The bottom line? PolyVision and Made managed to design future-proof collaborative product, through innovative research in workspace design. Another reason why a product like Motif is exclusively available through the Steelcase network. The team at Made is glad we were able to make a contribution and is eager to tackle a next big question.
