After designing footwear for several years, Martin Keen decided that he could apply the same knowledge he used to create comfortable shoes to furniture, resulting in an unorthodox workstation called the Locus that has users sitting and standing at the same time.
It seems the jury is still out on what exactly makes for the most ergonomic chair and desk combo. Remember, at one point ergonomics experts suggested we sit on giant inflatable balls all day long. And more recently, standing at an elevated desk seems to have caught on as another approach to improved workplace ergonomics. But that can be tiring. So the Focal Locus offers a compromise somewhere between sitting on a chair, and standing at your desk. We got a chance to sit on it at ICFF 2012, and found it actually wasn't too bad. But sitting for 30 seconds is not the same as sitting for a few hours.
The seat's single pivoting leg adjusts to your moves throughout the day so that you're always supported at your natural balancing point. It also means your body's not locked into one position from 9 to 5, encouraging movement that keeps your blood flowing, and your body and brain stimulated. One day all workstations could very well look like this, but if you want one sooner rather than later you'll have to convince your boss to pony up $650 for the Locus chair and $950 for the accompanying desk. [Focal Upright Furniture]
