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A desk with wooden horizontal surfaces and black metal components mounted on the wall with an attached overhead shelf.

Action Office Wall-Mounted Desk

1964

Robert Propst (American, 1921–2000) George Nelson (American, 1908–1986) Manufactured by Herman Miller Inc. (American, founded 1905)

United States

In the 1960s, Herman Miller designers George Nelson and Robert Propst set out to liberate white-collar workers from factorylike rows of desks and typewriters. Their solution was the Action Office, a suite of furniture that allowed the office worker to move among pieces well suited to each task, such as a standing desk and mobile meeting station. The system was colorful, well built, and dynamic, yet it was eventually redesigned after poor sales, leading to the creation of what we now know as the ubiquitous and dull cubicle.

Aluminum, plastic, and wood

Architecture and Design