Herman Miller gets into gaming chairs

Herman Miller, the maker of expensive office chairs, announced a partnership with eSports organization Complexity Gaming to develop new products that cater to the specific needs of gamers. It's unknown when can expect the first eSports gaming chairs from Herman Miller. Expect these to be pretty expensive considering that Herman Miller's typical chairs cost upwards of $1,000.

Complexity Gaming, one of North America’s most elite and longest-standing esports organizations, and Herman Miller, a global design leader and furniture manufacturer, have come together to enhance esports ergonomics to improve industry standards for esports wellness. Herman Miller becomes Complexity’s official seating partner and title sponsor of the newly named Herman Miller Innovation Lab, housed within the GameStop Performance Center, where the two companies will conduct research and test new products.

“Herman Miller is globally recognized for ergonomics and design innovation, and is a perfect partner to develop new advantages for our players,” said Jason Lake, Founder and CEO, Complexity Gaming. “Through this unprecedented partnership, we will research and develop findings that educate gamers, increase wellness, improve player performance, extend professional careers, and increase the overall quality of life for not only Complexity players but gamers around the world.”

This partnership aims to develop an industry-wide solution to ergonomic equipment and design products to address the specific needs of gamers. Leveraging real-time player data from the in-house innovation lab, Complexity and Herman Miller are working together to understand gamers’ needs for high-quality ergonomic gaming equipment. Herman Miller desks and Embody Chairs are already in use at Complexity’s headquarters, and players have already seen an improvement in performance.

“At Herman Miller we have a robust history of ergonomic research and human-centered design, which we’re excited to apply to the esports community. As our first foray into esports, we are applying our research capabilities in the Herman Miller Innovation Lab to study alongside some of the best players and trainers in the industry to understand how our designs can address the points of struggle,” said Diane Turnwall, VP of Global Seating, Herman Miller. “The partnership is not only mutually beneficial to our respective companies but also casts wide-bearing advantages for gamers around the world.”

For more than a century, Herman Miller has relied on research-based design solutions to solve problems for people in the places they live, work, learn, and heal. This design philosophy pairs seamlessly with Complexity’s dedication to innovating and propelling the esports industry forward. The partnership applies Herman Miller’s expertise in ergonomic research and design in new ways to explore the growing needs of the rapidly expanding esports industry. Herman Miller will leverage Complexity players as participants in an ongoing research study that serves to educate the industry and discover solutions that prevent esports injury as well as maximize player competitive potential. Additionally, the two companies plan to collaborate to produce and publish a variety of content focusing on injury prevention and best gaming practices at the GameStop Performance Center.

For more information on the Herman Miller Innovation Lab at the GameStop Performance Center, please visit https://gspc.gg/.