It seems everyone wants to ride Steve Jobs' coat-tails. In an era when the diminutive lower case "i" has become a bellwether for technological innovation, competence, high functionality, and sleek design, an association with Apple makes for excellent PR. We've already seen this subtle linkage with products like Ross Lovegrove's 100% Desk Lamp, the Blue Lounge Studio Desk, and Ki's eCoupled Wireless Technology. Each of these present an auspicious synergy, but Magnus Olesen's i-SIT Lounge Chair is the first product I've seen that actually resembles a classic i-Mac.
i-SIT. Designed by Magnus Olesen.
The gentle curves of Olesen's handsome, ergonomic chair are loosely modeled after the clean organicism of i-Mac's casing, but the resemblance is definitely more than skin deep. Olesen's objective with i-SIT was to create a back-friendly lounger that resembled neither a task chair nor some industrial number you might find in an orthopedist's office. To that end, the Danish designer concocted a shell of laminated birch, a vibrant upholstery of summer wool, and a quartet of tubular steel legs finished in shiny chrome. The high-backed silhouette and contrasting upholstery give i-SIT a compelling aesthetic aligning it with signature pieces like Jaime Hayon's LOUNGER and Javier Mariscal's Muebles Amorosos, but those designers hail from sunny Spain, and i-SIT's compact functionality is distinctively Danish.
Since Olesen's objective with i-SIT is the easy integration between ergonomics and appearance, the chair contains a number of skillfully integrated features--none of which it wears on its Scandinavian sleeves, if you will. These include a high back support, a lumber pillow, and an adjustable inclination. The latter pairs the chair with the natural rotation of the user's hip, which means that--much in the manner of Apple's enhanced capacity to sync technologies for optimum functionality--i-SIT anticipates your every move. So no matter what contorted extremes you may twist yourself into, i-SIT helps your spine stay aligned. And it looks darn good doing it too.
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