Top US design award sets locally made ergonomic office chair for global success

A Melbourne designed ergonomic office chair has taken out a top Good Design Award at the latest annual awards from the globally respected Chicago Athenaeum, Museum of Architecture & Design. The accolade is both an endorsement of the innovation and boosts its commercial success – both for local manufacturing and world-wide licensing.

Called the Cpod, the seat is part of the Melbourne-based Backcare & Seating ergonomic range which are designed locally and made in Coburg. Due to be released in April, the all-new Cpod uses an easy to set smart back adjustment system which provides optimal comfort and ergonomic support.

The US awards give international recognition to innovative product concepts and is held in top esteem by the leading industrial designers and manufacturers. Of the late 2007 submissions line-up, 33 nations were represented and the Cpod was the only Australian product to win an award. Other winners included submissions from Adidas, 3M, Apple Computer, Black & Decker, BMW, Boeing, Daimler Chrysler, Kodak, Electrolux, Ford, General Motors, Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard, Intel, LG, Mercedes, Microsoft, Olympus, Samsung, Siemens, Unilever and Whirlpool. And the Cpod is the first ergonomic seating product to win an award in the institute’s 57 year awards history.

“In taking over five years to develop, this is Australia’s largest investment in an ergonomic office chair,” says designer Kumar Rajaratnam. of Backcare & Seating group based in Carlton. “In our recent success in the US we are one of the very few Australian products to ever take such an award against top global competition and office furniture is always well represented by industrial designers from most continents.

“Now set to be launched internationally, Cpod will not only go into production in Coburg but also under licencing agreement in USA, Europe and Asia.

“Such innovative ergonomic chairs are meeting with tremendous response and this Cpod is part of our expanding range which will be sold in our expanding stores as we expand throughout Australia.

“And it will soon be joined by two other patented ergonomic chair designs, set for 2008 and 2009. These should build on the success of the Cpod to see our small design team here in Melbourne become globally recognised for our knowledge of making quality ergonomic seating which is all part of the world-wide move in health and wellness.

“Aussie backs which have to spend all day in the office are now set for less time off work.” Rajaratnam said.