Swiss furniture company Vitra just launched Scout, a new office furniture system that turns traditional cubicles into mobile, adaptable workspaces. The desks can be wheeled around, adjusted without electricity, and connected together like puzzle pieces.
This isn’t just another office makeover. As companies force workers back to the office, many people are dreading the return to cramped, boring cubicles. Scout offers something different – workspaces that can change throughout the day.
Tables That Move With You
Designer Konstantin Grcic created five different desk types that all work together. Some have wheels so you can roll your entire workspace to different spots. Others can be manually adjusted to different heights and angles without needing to plug anything in. Metal frames around the desks let you hang privacy screens or accessories.
The trapezoidal desks can connect to create shared workspaces or separate for individual focus time. There’s even a small standing desk that folds up and nests with others for storage.
Grcic compared the system to silverware – each piece looks related but serves a different purpose. Scout Work stays put but adjusts manually. Scout Mobile adds wheels. Scout Sprint is a small mobile table that comes in sitting or standing height.
What’s Next
Vitra is betting that offices need to be more flexible as work styles keep changing. This builds on their 2016 Hack system, but Scout is more industrial and mobile. Companies looking to make return-to-office less painful might find these adaptable workspaces appealing to reluctant employees.
