Our story starts much like any other furniture design company: we were planning to launch our latest workplace collection at the industry's annual contract furniture trade show, NeoCon. While we've been in business for over two years, this show was meant to be our grand debut, our first official showing. We were going to share our existing products alongside what we were looking forward to the most: launching a product we've been engineering for over a year—Olli. You can read more about how Olli works and what it’s all about here.
Launching a product we’ve been engineering for over a year—Olli.
When the news broke out about COVID-19 in mid-March, we were heartbroken when we saw what the world was going through. With COVID-19's spread came event cancellations, one after another, and then it was announced that NeoCon too was canceled. Fortunately, our confidence in Olli's place in the future of the office helped us navigate this news. We knew that it was time to pivot our launch strategy.
"Olli was the first product launch I got to be a part of, so when the news broke that NeoCon was no longer happening, I was pretty disappointed. I was looking forward to getting innovative with designing a booth for Pair's debut and showcasing a product I was truly excited about. Fortunately, I was able to channel my creativity into creating the Olli miniatures."
- Alyse, Applications Designer at Pair
Office furniture is large, and we were all working from our our barely-passing “home offices.”
Under the leadership of our founders, Brian Buhl and Brian Wilson, we began to push the envelope. How could we effectively launch a large workplace solution while remaining conscious of our limitations—those being mainly space? Office furniture is large, and we were all working from our barely-passing "home offices."
How do you launch a workplace system from home? Meet Olli miniatures.
1 | Olli for the Marketing Team
Designed by Alyse, Applications Designer at Pair
Making an Olli at home felt like the right response to this moment in time. It ended up being a way to get my mind off the shelter in place and the quarantine.
My Olli is in my Kitchen cabinet right above my coffee maker where my coffee cups typically reside. We have a small kitchen, and I love my colorful vintage plates, which seem to go well with the finishes of my colorful Olli application. I used small pieces of wood leftover from creating the Olli to make shelves and picture frames. The small photos are magnets photos from my travels, and the plant in the stacking planter is taken from my patio.
2 | Olli for the Executive Team
Designed By Elliot, Design Engineering Manager at Pair
As a product engineer, it is rare for us to get client-facing opportunities to showcase our work. That being said, I was looking forward to NeoCon - answering technical questions, explaining the design intent, and creating a buzz within the design community. So I was pretty bummed to learn about NeoCon getting canceled.
Riding the wave of success we just had with the New York Pop-up, creating Olli miniatures became an even more significant opportunity to show off. As a team, we are incredibly proud of what we've accomplished in such a short amount of time.
3 | Olli for the Creative Team
Designed by Hillary, Senior Application Designer At Pair
For my mini-Olli, in particular, I was thinking of a creative or more collaborative team that toed the line of needing heads down and collaborative space throughout the day.
Companies are still navigating what the future office will look like for them. The intent and reasoning for its need will definitely change. I'm confident the office will always hold a place in our future.
4 | Olli for the IT Team
Designed by Samantha, design engineer at Pair
One of my favorite quotes is, "There is nothing wrong with change if it's in the right direction" and I am proud to say Olli answers to that. When we return to the workplace, it will inevitably be a different experience; with Olli's versatility, organizations can virtually "future-proof" their spaces.
Creativity in Isolation.
At Pair, we believe that when we work as a team, nothing can stop us. Whether it's designing a product at the Pair office or designing isolated at our "WFH dining table," the disruption to our regular routine became an opportunity to try something new. We pushed ourselves further than ever by shifting our creative processes to virtual collaboration sessions. We quickly realized, nothing could get in the way of achieving our goals.
"What about the idea of launching Olli WFH? We are all going to be indoors working from home for a long time, so why not make our homes the stage for Olli's launch? But how?" Miniatures. We started with this crazy idea to create miniature Olli models and use our homes as the backdrop. The excitement for this project brought the designer's creativity to life. They developed these pieces, ultimately driving the point that the Olli system is genuinely uncomplicated.
"Once the dust settled, we looked at the change of plans as a new opportunity to express our creativity and push the boundaries of what a product launch could look like. It was refreshing as a designer and team.
Living and working from home is something, maybe for the first time, that so many people can genuinely relate to. The Olli work from home was a fun celebration of this moment when all of us are sharing this collective experience."
- Hillary, Product Designer at Pair
So how exactly did our designers create their workplace concept? Read insights from our designers about their miniature making experience.
