Marketing Manager for Steelcase

FIDM's "Evening With" program, sponsored by Student Activities, is a regular event where speakers are brought in to relate their experiences and answer questions from students in an informal setting.

In an age where working environments are key to retaining the brightest and the best employees, David Coffey had some sage advice for FIDM's interior design students who will be entering the corporate interior design field. David is the Marketing Manager for Steelcase, which is best known for it's office furnishings. David's interest in architecture and furniture runs deep, so it was natural for him to consider a mid-career change to join this industry. Two years ago he entered the Steelcase six-month training program and now he sells Steelcase products from the standpoint of creating better office environments which helps companies compete for talented workers and also helps increase productivity.

He commented that happy customers are the result of the sales person asking himself how the design will positively impact the bottom line for the company. A good salesperson knows that delivering a pretty project isn't enough.

In order to help students understand the current design trends in the workplace, David gave a quick history lesson covering the evolution of the workplace from 1900-1930 where growth and expansion of new technology was running wild and production was at full speed. During that time, management looked at workers from a command and control standpoint and as a necessary evil. As a consequence, offices were designed around the process.

The evolution of the workspace continued in the 60's where companies organized workers into rows of desks. In the 70's, the rows remained but people got cubicles. In the 90's the cubicles were better and had a more open and organic treatment of the space.

The Information Age which covers the years 1985-2010 ushered in a whole new set of design challenges. Employers now have to take into major consideration the employee expectations. In an environment where workers are scarce, companies are using their office space as a tool to support the worker so he/she will feel happier and more productive. That's where Steelcase comes into the picture to help companies achieve better space planning and work areas to attract and retain the best employees, facilitate faster learning, and inspire innovation with ready made or custom products.

David's job is to remove the barriers to effectiveness in the workplace and to use space as a tool. People need help handling information overload from all of the faxes, e-mails, pages, and phone messages. In addition to that,10-40% of the average person's day is spent searching for information. Even something as simple as a better filing system can make a company more productive. Space is a tool that can be used to foster innovation and improve employee morale.

Spaces that include multiple and portable white-boards have also been found to facilitate ideas, creativity, and information passing. For one client, they even installed tables with rolls of butcher paper where ideas can be recorded and torn away from the roll and transported. For another client, they designed compact meeting tables with whiteboard surfaces to be used for idea-creation during small meetings.

David then talked about the employment opportunities available for FIDM students and invited them to visit the Tustin manufacturing facility. To learn more about Steelcase check out their website. Other useful design resources can be found in the Portico section of Steelcase's website.