Today's laptops, tablets and smartphones have enabled workers to be more flexible in defining when, where and how they get their jobs done. While offices are still quite important for many, the way they're set-up is ripe for evolution. An increased emphasis on community and teamwork is also at play—potentially at the cost of privacy and concentration. To consider solutions for this conundrum Herman Miller recently asked students from the Cranbrook Academy of Art to find the proper balance between group interaction and personal space in the modern office.

"Rest and Concentration in the Workplace" is the result of sixteen Cranbrook students considering how to foster calmness and focus for individual workers while balancing group unity with personal space. Working closely with Herman Miller, whose product development teams offered critique, the two-semester collaboration resulted in the selection of six pieces for display at this year's ICFF. The pieces were constructed with the aid of Herman Miller's engineering team and local upholstery and fabrication vendors.

Pieces of note from the collection include the Integrated Workstation, which takes the basic components of a workstation and adds a daybed, and the Private Rocker, which uses high sides to give the chair an intimate, focused feel plus the added benefit of noise cancellation.

Although produced in close collaboration with Herman Miller, the students retain the rights to their own designs. We're hoping these get commercialized sometime soon.

While stopping by Cafe Intramuros at this year's Wanted Design, we stumbled across "Espress Yourself", a line of espresso cups fashioned by a collective of NYC designers. The group of five created their cups in a mere two months leading up to the show, using a combination of rapid prototyping, computer-aided design, 3D printing and CNC machining to help speed up the process. The porcelain beauties that they produced reflect a reverence for coffee and a fresh look at the morning ritual.

With no more than 100 pieces per design and a limited time frame, the designers didn't have the option to export labor. The pieces were made using an old yet efficient method of porcelain slip casting. While only Kenjiro Yamakawa had experience in the process, they were nevertheless able to hand-pour, sand and glaze their pieces in time. Erik Strom's "A Day in the Life" reminded us of Dror's Vase of Phases, and Marco Leone's "Sip" took a fresh look at the ubiquitous rim—turning it into a kind of sippy cup for grown-ups. The three-pronged "3 Senses" from Loren Kulesus made for a whimsical vessel while Yamakawa kept it old-school with a cask-inspired mug. As for William Kang, his traditional cup was cleverly contrasted with an asymmetrical geometric handle.

The cups are available individually and as a set in limited quantity from Espress Yourself. We're expecting five unique interpretations of other common housewares to come from the collective int he near future.

After a well received debut last year, WantedDesign is back again at NYC's Design Week with an even more impactful exhibition showcasing both new and known international designers and architects. This was the break-out year for WantedDesign for its fine curation and product presentation, and while it was a strong show overall, here are five outstanding pieces of innovative and inspiring design.

Live Screen

Using hydroponics in a more stylish form than usual, the Live Screen from Brooklyn-based designer Danielle Trofe is a self-sustaining planter system for the indoors. With this elegant, modular design, urban gardeners can enjoy the fruits of their labor even without a rooftop. Although still a prototype, we anticipate production of the structure soon.

Ball Lamps

Feeling both retro and futuristic at the same time, Big Game's Ball Lamps take inspiration from the "Hang it all" racks by design legends Charles and Ray Eames. These bakelite spheres take on any number of colors and sizes in this form, giving both the designer and consumer a wide range of beautifully stylistic pieces. Look to Tamawa to learn more.

Fiber

The flat-pack oragami-like side table from Argentinean designer Heidi Jalkh was another highlight of the show. By using CNC-cut textiles to cover the wood's top surface, the foldable Fiber table retains its integrity and singularity, while the thread stitching adds a hint of craft to the industrial design. Still in the prototype phase as well, keep an eye on Jalkh for updates, or reach out directly to help bring the concept to fruition.

Folded Steel Side Table

The minimal folded steel side table from furniture designer Martin Konrad Gloeckle combines a book shelf, side table and magazine rack into one impressively well considered piece. Keep an eye on the Gloeckle office for design for more information on its upcoming release.

Baskets

In the Maori creation story, the gods gave mankind three baskets containing the knowledge to live well—knowledge of the natural world, the spiritual world and the rational world. Native New Zealander David Trubridge interprets this stuff of legend in three teardrop shaped lights. Using an energy efficient LED spot light and bamboo, polycarbonate and aluminum, the three hanging baskets create a beautiful mixed material light source. For more information and a list of retailers see Trubridge Design online.