Great piece of design writing at the International Herald Tribune. Ayse Birsel, designer of Herman Miller's *Resolve* system and other artefacts.

Today, Birsel works out of a studiothat is the home base for the design consultancy she founded as Olive 1:1. She is known as empathic, intense and decidedly unconventional. Beauty seems to come naturally, but being "user-centered" is fundamental to her work.

In the late 1990s, the company invited Birsel to undertake a major project: Rethink the cubicle system that has ruled the open office for 30 years. The request was a leap, since Birsel knew little about office furniture. But Herman Miller was hoping for innovation. Birsel responded with new materials and a human-centered design.

Link:
http://www.iht.com/articles/67483.html