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Designing Together: The Power of Community-Based Furniture Design
Furniture doesn’t just fill space.
It shapes experience. When designed with purpose, it can foster belonging, support multiple ways of working, and help communities adapt to change. Steelcase’s Community-Based Design offers a powerful framework not just for workplaces, but for any community-based furniture initiative. In this post, we’ll explore how Steelcase’s principles can guide furniture design grounded in real lives, real needs, and real people.
What is Community-Based Furniture Design?
Steelcase describes Community-Based Design as a methodology and mindset that draws inspiration from thriving cities – neighborhoods, plazas, business districts, parks, etc. – to build “districts” in workplaces. These districts are mixed-use areas that support different kinds of work, interactions, and well-being.
Key pillars include:
- Understand: Involving a diverse group of people (users, stakeholders) to learn how they truly use spaces and what they need.
- Design: Creating a variety of mixed-use spaces (“districts”), where different kinds of activities – focus work, collaboration, socializing, learning, rejuvenation – are supported.
- Measure: Continuously collecting feedback on how people feel, how they use the spaces, how well the design is serving its purpose, and then reiterating.
Also important are principles drawn from urban planning: density, diversity, short blocks (breaking up long walks or distances), mixed-use, lively gathering places, and community involvement.
Applying These Concepts to Community-Based Furniture Design
Here’s how furniture designers or community groups could use Steelcase’s approach to create spaces that truly serves and builds community.
| Steelcase Component | What It Looks Like in Furniture Design | Example / Actionable Steps |
|---|---|---|
| Understand | Tattoo insights into how individuals, groups, and the community use furniture: How much privacy? How often do people shift between solo and group tasks? What mobility/access needs exist? What aesthetic or cultural values matter? | Conduct workshops with community members; observe how existing furniture is used; collect stories about what’s missing or what frustrates people. For instance, seniors in the community might need lower seat heights or armrests for support. |
| Mixed Use Districts | Instead of only making dining tables or benches, think in “districts” of furniture types: communal gathering pieces (e.g. large tables, benches), private or quiet furniture (e.g. lounge chairs, pods or flex walls), learning/interactive furniture (e.g. whiteboard tables, movable seating), and restorative pieces (e.g. relaxed benches, hammocks, outdoor shelters). | Map furniture types in a building or neighborhood: where does socializing happen vs where do people need solitude? Then design furniture sets that correspond—e.g. a “plaza bench” that becomes a social hub, and “neighborhood workstations” for focused tasks. |
| Design with Diversity and Inclusion | Ensure furniture designs accommodate different body sizes, mobility (wheelchairs, walkers), age, sensory preferences, visual needs, etc. Include community voices in design (“design with, not just for”). | Invite people with different lived experiences into design charrettes. Prototype furniture that’s adjustable: height-adjustable desks, chairs with arms, surfaces that reduce glare, materials that are easy to clean etc. |
| Resilience & Adaptability | Furniture that can be reconfigured, moved, or repurposed as needs evolve. Modularity, flexibility, multi-function. | Use modular pieces, fold-away or stackable components, modular joinery etc. For example, seating that can convert from a solo reading spot to group seating. |
| Social Infrastructure | Just as parks, sidewalks, cafés help people meet, furniture should facilitate interaction—places to pause, gather, share. | Place benches or seating clusters in corridors or gathering zones. Design pieces that invite sitting side by side. Make furniture that supports casual meeting: movable stools, tables with power outlets, surfaces for shared work. |
| Measurement & Feedback | After deployment, gather input: usage patterns, comfort, emotional responses, suggestions. Iterate. | Use surveys, observation, maybe sensor data (if possible). Hold periodic check-ins with users. Be willing to adjust designs (e.g., change seat materials, spacing, orientation) based on what is learned. |
Case Examples (Hypothetical and Real-Inspired)
To bring this to life, here are some scenarios showing how a community-based design project inspired by Steelcase’s framework might look.
- Community Lounge & Learning Hub at a Local Library: A library partners with local residents to design a lounge area. They observe that many people come to read quietly in the mornings, but also that evening workshops draw crowds. A healthy community-based design solution includes comfortable lounge chairs near windows, modular tables that can be grouped together for workshops, stools with moveable surfaces for laptop work, couches for relaxed socializing, etc. Feedback loops after six months inform tweaks, such as adding more soft seating, better lighting for late hours.
- Urban Park Outdoor Seating Project: A city wants to redesign its park seating. Community meetings reveal needs: shade, back support, places for families, and spaces to sit alone or together. Designers can provide benches under trees, cluster seating for groups, solitary seat nooks, and tables for picnics or outdoor games. Materials are durable and easy to maintain. Staff can monitor which areas get used most, adjust layouts, and even add maternity-friendly seating later.
- Hybrid Co-Working/Community Center Furniture: A multi-use center where people come to work, meet and relax. Furniture is design with “districts” include a “City Center” zone near the entrance with cafe tables (for informal greeting and drop-in), “Neighborhoods” of dedicated desks or pods for regular users, “Business Districts” of flexible meeting tables, “University District” for learning (with bookable tables with tech, whiteboard walls), and “Urban Parks” of soft seating/rest zones. From day one, the community is consulted about preferences and after three months, adjustments can be made.
Why This Matters and What it Gains
When people see furniture and spaces that reflect their needs and identities, they feel respected and more connected, promoting a sense of belonging and well-being. Multiple types of furniture in multiple configurations means fewer awkward or under-used pieces allowing for better utilization and adaptation. Adaptable furniture reduces waste over time. Designing for longer life, multiple uses, and local repair helps improve sustainability. Finally, involving the community gives ownership, encouraging care for what people help create.
Challenges and How to Mitigate Them
- Cost and Resources: Flexible, modular, inclusive furniture can cost more upfront. Mitigation: phase the project, reuse materials, partner with local fabricators.
- Balancing Preferences: Different people want different things – quiet vs open, modern vs traditional aesthetics. Solution: gathering diverse input, offering multiple styles, and creating “choice” in zones.
- Maintenance and Durability: Furniture must withstand real daily use. Materials, finishes, and construction need to be durable and maintainable.
- Changing Needs Over Time: What people need within a community may shift over time. Mitigation: measure and iterate, choose designs that can evolve.
How to Get Started
- Host Community Discover Sessions – Interviews, group discussions, walking tours, surveys to understand furniture needs.
- Audit Existing Furniture – What works? What doesn’t? What are the gaps (comfort, versatility, accessibility)?
- Prototype & Pilot – Try a few pieces or a zone and get feedback before a full investment.
- Engage Local Makers/Resources – Sometimes local craftsmen can help produce furniture more aligned with local identity.
- Measure & Iterate – Use both quantitative (usage, occupancy) and qualitative (feelings, stories) feedback over time.
By combining community-centered processes with Steelcase’s Community-Based Design principles – diverse districts, mixed uses, inclusive processes, feedback loops – furniture design can transcend mere functionality. It becomes a way to shape connection, belonging, adaptability, and long-term value. If furniture serves people, listens to people, and grows with people, it doesn’t just fill a room – it helps build a community.
