Bill Stumpf (1936 – 2006), Inventor of the Modern Swivel Chair

In 1976, the Ergon chair was introduced by Bill Stumpf, a designer for the American furniture company Herman Miller.

Early Life

Stumpf was born in St.Louis, where his father and grandfather were brewers at Anheuser-Busch. When he was 13, his father died. Stumpf’s mother decided to move to Winona, Minn, to be near her family.

He served in the Navy and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois. He also obtained a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin, and then returned to Winona in 1970. In the mid-80s, Stumpf moved his studio to Minneapolis.

Stumpf joined Herman Miller in 1970 and established his design firm two years later. He continued to work for the company.

Two haemorrhoid pillows sewn together

It had a foam-filled back and seat, gas-lift levers to change the height and tilt, and five-star legs with easy-glide castors. One customer who wasn’t sure about it said it looked like “two haemorrhoid pillows sewn together to make a chair.” We would immediately recognise that it was a standard office swivel chair.

Adjustable Height

Before Stumpf, the standard way to sit in an office chair was with both feet flat on the floor, knees together, legs bent at right angles, and back straight. Since it was up to the worker to sit upright, chair designers focused on making chairs that signalled who was in charge. Height was so crucial. Few chair seats were lower than 45cm, even though the average woman’s leg from the bottom of her thigh to the floor measured approximately 40cm.

Studied Time-Lapse Photography

Then, in 1966, Stumpf began studying orthopaedic data and the movements of office workers. He used time-lapse photography during research at the University of Wisconsin. Stumpf wrote a paper called “A chair is a problem.” It said that “many of us spend eight hours a day in a chair that is uncomfortable, limits our movement, and hurts our performance.”

Science of Ergonomics

The Ergon was based on the new science of ergonomics, which was first applied to the design of aeroplane cockpits during the Second World War. This science sought to improve the fit between workers and their office spaces. Stumpf’s research showed that chairs shouldn’t support one “correct” posture. Instead, they should encourage movement so that workers can spread the stress of sitting across their bodies. Businesses quickly adopted Ergon because health and safety regulations were becoming increasingly stringent. It became the standard place for office workers to sit down.

Aeron Chair

In 1994, he collaborated with Chadwick, an industrial designer based in Santa Monica, to invent the Aeron chair. It was an innovative and striking piece of furniture. The chair quickly became part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. The chair, which is sold worldwide, features a high, wide, contoured mesh back, soft, adjustable armrests, and a mesh seat with a sloping front edge.

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing. https://amzn.to/3ElmSlL

Bill Stumpf, 70; Designer Helped Create the Aeron Office Chair. (2006, September 2). The Los Angeles Times 02 Sep 2006, Page 72 – Newspapers.com. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://www.newspapers.com/image/192850817/?terms=%22Bill%20Stumpf%22&match=1

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