(Archive) NEGOTI(EET)

Back to the negotiating table

From Donald Trump to Covid measures, the last few years have seen increasing polarisation on several fronts, driving a wedge between different groups of people. Social media has amplified extremes. This table encourages a return to times where discretion, diplomacy and respect outweigh being loud and sensational. It encourages its users to commit to sitting down together to find mutually beneficial solutions without trying to score points against each other. It wants them to focus on what they have in common, not what separates them.

Influencing behaviour

The design aims to influence behaviour rather than prioritise comfort. It puts users in a crowd in the public eye by seating them higher. At the same time, it is visually closed off on two sides to create a secluded space for 2 people, who are forced to sit next, rather than opposite, each other. Sit too long and it can get uncomfortable, encouraging a speedier conclusion to negotiations. Its sculptural looks means it also serves as functional objet d’art, with multiple potential uses – from work space to picnic table to display table.

The starting point was to require the parties to take action to be able to sit together – in this case by climbing into the table, as required by its frame. The shared corner bench literally bridges any physical divide. The frame separates the unoccupied sides of the table from the surrounding space – and makes it perfect for putting in a corner, where the occupiers are obliged to interact with each other without distraction.