How Real Teams Inspired Steelcase Flex: The Evolution of the Flexible Office

Before flexibility became a design mantra, teams were already rebelling against the static office. In environments built for order, not collaboration, they improvised, rearranging, reclaiming, and reimagining the spaces around them. From this quiet revolution, Steelcase Flex was born: a system inspired by real people pushing against the boundaries of traditional work.

It began with staking claims. Teams desperate for focus built makeshift barricades to mark their territory, moving display boards, bins, and even filing cabinets to create zones of concentration. Some went further, setting up handwritten rules like “Silent Thursdays.” Within these improvised walls, they found freedom: the ability to think, speak, and create without distraction.

Others embraced the DIY workplace. With few tools for adaptability, people simply made their own. Doors became communal tables, couches were commandeered for brainstorming sessions, and cords tangled across the floor like vines – proof of a collective need for connection and comfort.

There was also making it mine – the deeply human urge to personalise. From pizza boxes turned privacy shields to potted plants repurposed as boundaries, individuals sought to regain control of their space. Oversized headphones and “quiet hour” signs became signals of focus in an environment that never seemed to pause.

And then came can’t take it with you – the struggle of teams working fluidly without flexible tools. Laptops were balanced in awkward displays, and selfie sticks were used to include remote colleagues. Display boards and shared tech were too heavy to move, forcing collaboration to shrink instead of expand.

Steelcase saw these makeshift innovations not as chaos, but as creativity. Flex was designed in response: mobile, modular, and endlessly reconfigurable. It gives teams the autonomy to shape their environment around the way they actually work: agile, adaptive, and human.

Locally, Steelcase Flex is available through Inspiration Office, South Africa’s leading supplier of bespoke office solutions. Founded in 2005, the company has showrooms in Johannesburg and Cape Town and represents an impressive portfolio of international brands. From seating to accessories, Inspiration Office helps businesses streamline their workday with furniture that moves – and evolves – with them.