A Case For Better Chairs

A good workstation may not be top-of-the-mind for most consumers, but Tirthankar Basu of Steelcase tells us about the value it can bring to the table.

- Tsunami Costabir

Steelcase is a publicly traded company on the NYSE, established in 1912. They are a global design and research firm with an aim to help people do their best work by creating places that work better by enhancing productivity, collaboration and well-being. They achieve their goals through human-centered research and design-thinking.

With a presence in over 80 countries, the brand has had to walk the tightrope of providing their markets with relevant propositions for their unique needs and achieving economies of scale. Tirthankar Basu, Managing Director in India, SAARC and Asia Pacific, tells us about how Steelcase goes about achieving their goals and adding value to communities.

Edited excerpts...

Q. How have the offerings of Steelcase evolved over the years?

A. Though we're among the largest in the industry today, we started with very humble beginnings. Back in the day, people used to smoke within offices and dispose ashes in wicker wastebaskets, resulting in devastating fires. As a solution to the problem, Steelcase innovated a fireproof steel waste basket called the Victor. Then, around the 2000s, the brand came under the leadership of Jim Heckett. Heckett later went on to become the CEO of Ford Motors but he gave us the invaluable concept of design thinking.

Design thinking is about identifying pain areas of the user and designing for them. It teaches you that you cannot have your own inertia. You need to always be conscious of what the customer is thinking, what they demand.