Client: Steelcase

Overview

While representing Steelcase, Alisa Wolfson, SVP of Leo Burnett's Department of Design, commissioned Rick Valicenti, design director of Thirst, to produce a series of short animations expressive of Steelcase's GLOBAL POSTURE STUDY, an in-depth worldwide survey of chair ergonomics from over 2,000 people in 11 countries. 

Goals

These animations express different ergonomic benefits such as lightness, support, and flexibility, all using motion capture data taken from common office chair postures. A longer animation highlights the results of the survey, including nine postures that were identified as being critical for new chair technology to address.

Process

Valicenti assembled a team of dedicated image makers to elevate the real human presence within the digital animations. To do so, a dancer was invited to choreograph each of the postures identified by Steelcase and perform them on the prototype of the new ergonomic chair armature.
She was outfitted with motion capture sensors and her motions were captured digitally. Motion capture designer/artist John Pobojewski created a visual array of surfaces responsive to gravity while driven by body's movement on the chair as it followed the lead of her dance.
A video of the choreography sessions, captured by Dave Burk, (then of) Hedrick Blessing Photographers) and edited by Thirst accompanied the digital animations.

Additional Information

Rick Valicenti, design director John Pobojewski, motion capture designer/artist Dave Burk, (then of) Hedrick Blessing Photographers A young new dancer from the Hubbard Street Dance Company https://vimeo.com/71519175 https://vimeo.com/71518617 https://vimeo.com/71518616 https://vimeo.com/69659848