Vitra and the designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby have devised and developed the new seating system Soft Work, uniting expertise from the home, office and public sectors. Instead of creating a working environment centred around desks with peripheral sofas, Soft Work has developed into a system in which table workstations are focused around a seating landscape. Barber and Osgerby see this as a long-term development: 'The workstation is going the same way as the dining room – it’s disappearing as an archetype. The desk has had its day. With mobile technology you need a place to sit occasionally, or a comfortable place to hang out. That’s our belief.'

Soft Work offers a versatile platform for both individuals and teams. Besides ergonomic seating options, users also find practical table surfaces, power outlets and charging stations. Mobile tables and chairs can be pulled up as needed and put away again, and the addition of panels creates spaces for quiet, concentrated work. Thanks to its modular concept, Soft Work can be easily assembled into diverse arrangements, enabling architects to structure the internal spaces of a building, create specific focal points, or define flexible public areas.