Some 27 years young, the design/manufacture firm known as Humanscale has a much deserved reputation as pioneers in the field of workplace ergonomics. The company’s elegantly simple philosophy is two-fold: 1. “help ensure that individuals who spend hours each day in front of a computer do so in maximum comfort and with minimal long-term health risks”; and 2. “the belief that when design solves a functional problem as simply and elegantly as possible, the resulting form will be honest and timeless.”

Diffrient Series task lamp. Designed by Niels Diffrient for Humanscale.

Speaking as one of the hunch-shouldered and squinty-eyed masses referenced in 1, as well as one eminently appreciative of the kind of functional/aesthetic synergy referenced in 2, I can attest that Humanscale’s achievements are admirable on both fronts. It seems only fitting that the company is also an industry leader in sustainable manufacturing practices and eco-wise resource allocation. The green predispositions of Humanscale manifest in innumerable ways: the use of lightweight materials to reduce inputs and transportation costs; the incorporation of a high percentage of recycled and recyclable content (they’re big fans of aluminum); and the creation of products that accomplish more with less, like designer Niels Diffrient’s series of ergonomic work/task lights. Beginning from the revolutionary proposition that different environments and users require varying degrees of illumination (viewing paper documents, for instance, requires five times more light than viewing a computer monitor), the Diffrient series debunks common schemes of overhead ambient lighting in favor of focused task lighting with adjustable illumination.

The strategy has several benefits: focused light reduces eye-strain and headaches (a pervasive complaint among office workers); elevates mood and thus increases productivity; and enables massive reductions in ambient lighting outputs, thus reducing energy costs and helping to save the planet. And I haven’t even mentioned that the Diffrient task and work lights use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs, which consume 25% less energy, emit 75% less heat, and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Nor have I said that Diffrient lights are constructed primarily of 100% recycled aluminum, that they feature shades in asymmetric cones or parabolic reflectors (both of which enable pinpoint adjustment), or that they’re engineered with a near-perfect internal counter-balance and one-touch “feather-light” positioning—absent the “friction knobs or rigid joints found on other task lights.” Couple this with double-arm construction and the longest reach on the market (42”), and you’ll soon see that Humanscale and Diffrient succeed four-fold in getting the light exactly where you need it.

And as far as that “form following function” business… you’ll just have to attend next week’s #NeoCon09 for a live look at the Diffrient series, as well as the debut of Mark McKenna’s exciting Element Task Light for Humanscale. What the Diffrient does for CFCs, Mckenna’s new piece promises to do for LEDs.

Can’t attend the show? Join us virtually for live posts and pics from all three days of #NeoCon09, June 15-17.