HOK Product Design, a company wholly owned by design firm HOK, spearheaded a collaborative product design effort that included HOK designers and manufacturers Mannington Commercial and Pallas Textiles to produce new breakthrough flooring and fabrics for health-care environments, which were introduced last week at NeoCon® 2011. Moderated by Cheryl Durst, executive vice president and CEO of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), a panel of representatives from HOK Product Design, Mannington, Pallas, the University of Wisconsin’s Hospitals and Clinics, discussed the product development process, illuminating the benefits of working as a team and highlighting lessons learned that can improve collaborative efforts in the future.

Panelists included Natalie Banaszak, an interior designer for HOK; Donald Cremers, HOK senior associate designer; David White, vice president and general manager for Pallas Textiles; Natalie Jones, vice president of commercial brand development and creative product for Mannington Commercial; Roby Isaac, creative manager of commercial hard surfaces for Mannington Commercial; and Ardis Hutchins, interior architect for the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics.

Balancing client priorities of performance and ease of maintenance with patient-friendly designs, the team pressed the limits of manufacturing technologies to create the line of resilient flooring called the Vivendi Collection, which offers the soothing impression of soft carpet while minimizing cleaning and care concerns and maximizing durability. Earning Contract magazine’s Best of NeoCon® Gold Award, the flooring is available in textural solid, organic, and geometric patterns in colorways that address a broad range of regional palette preferences across the country. The Vivendi Collection fabrics, also developed by the team and manufactured by Pallas Textiles, were designed to complement the flooring for use as privacy curtains that would appeal to the eye both inside and outside the patient zone. The fabrics will launch later this year.

Supported by qualitative and quantitative research from various sources, the team aimed to differentiate its patient-centric flooring and fabrics from other healthcare products by focusing on the luxury trend in the market during the product development phase. “One way to provide a positive distraction for patients is with a spa-like, pampering environment,” says HOK senior associate designer Donald Cremers.

Produced in less than a year within strict budget parameters, Durst hailed the products as “elastic and flexible,” and praised the team for creating products that both advocate needs of the health-care client and champion design.