Formway

The performance of the Blink shell is driven by an auxetic structure – a patterned surface that expands and contracts in response to movement. Unlike a solid shell, this pattern breaks the surface into hundreds of interconnected cells. Each cell can move independently, allowing the chair to deform locally rather than globally. The result is a surface that adapts to each user’s “seat print” – redistributing pressure and improving comfort without the need for additional layers or padding. It’s a structural solution, not an applied one. The Blink Chair, designed by Formway for @teknion

At the centre of the Blink Chair is the shell – a single, continuous seat and back. For an ergonomic chair, this is an unusual starting point. Traditionally, performance and support are achieved through a separate seat and back. Here, we asked whether one surface could do more. The answer lies in how that surface behaves. Rather than resisting the body, the shell is designed to flex with it – distributing pressure, adapting to posture, and maintaining support across a wide range of sitting positions. This responsiveness is enabled through an auxetic structure embedded into the surface, allowing it to expand and contract in a controlled way. The pattern breaks the shell into a field of interconnected cells, so movement can occur locally rather than across the entire surface. Transforming the shell from static to responsive has become a defining characteristic of Blink, both physically and visually. The Blink Chair, designed by Formway for @teknion

From sketch to surface – throughout the design process we thought about how Blink could carry a sense of flow. Early sketches captured a balance between precision and spontaneity – soft transitions, subtle curves, and lines that were never perfectly straight. We think that for a chair shaped by movement, the visual expression of that flow is crucial. The Blink Chair, designed by Formway for @teknion

Blink began with a simple observation: people don’t sit still. Even in moments that appear static, the body is constantly adjusting – shifting weight, leaning forward, rotating to engage. This combination of macro and micro-movements are essential to how we think, communicate, and stay comfortable throughout the day. Our work with @teknion set out to design a chair that supports this natural behaviour, rather than constraining it. The prototype of you see here was essential in this journey. Blink is the result – a chair shaped by movement, where flexibility, structure, and ergonomics are integrated into a single, continuous system.

At Blink’s core is the Keel mechanism: a weight-responsive system that adapts the moment you sit. Inspired by the stabilizing logic in birds, boats, and flowers, the keel acts as the chair’s anchor. Internal gears guide the motion. High-performance springs create tension as you lean back. Because performance isn’t defined by a single point of failure, it’s engineered as a system. The result: intuitive comfort that holds up, sit after sit. In partnership with @formway_

The Blink Chair, designed by Formway for @teknion . A chair driven by purpose and ergonomics in a meticulously detailed form. Perfect for the pace and flexibility of hybrid work. Available in 8 fully dipped colors, from the ground up. Which is your favourite?

Most plastic chairs are rigid by nature. Blink approaches the material differently. Developed with @formway_ , Blink’s auxetic shell uses a honeycomb-like structure that flexes and expands with your body, transforming rigid plastic into a naturally responsive surface. When you move, the chair moves with you. It’s comfort built directly into the structure. How do you prefer your seating to feel?

Have you seen (or sat in) our new Blink Chair, designed for @teknion ? Design Days is coming to a close, so if you haven’t already then head up to Teknion’s Fulton Market showroom to check it out, and let us know what you think! Showroom located on Floor 7, 311 N Green St, Chicago.

In Chicago for Design Days 2025? Come check out an early preview of our new Blink Chair – designed by Formway for @teknion – launching winter 2026. The Blink Chair delivers intuitive comfort for a new way of working, instantly adapting to your body the moment you sit down. Made using recycled and regenerated materials, in a range of configurations, and in a scale and aesthetic that can traverse the workplace.

Denn—designed by Formway for Zenith. Denn has not only been shortlisted in the @dezeenawards_ (workplace category), it also brought home two Gold Pins in the New Zealand @bestdesignawards over the weekend for Furniture Design and Sustainable Product Design! We’re chuffed. Design from Aotearoa taking on the world—one chair at a time. Gorgeous photography of the Denn Chair courtesy of Zenith. The last two photos are from the Best Awards ceremony, where Chris Bisman and Fabian Harbeck represented Formway and the design team for the Denn Chair which includes (but isn’t limited to…) James Prier, Rachael Hall, Oliver Short, Jacob de Lesseps, Hugh McCoshim, Joe McDonald, and of course, our Co-CEOs Paul Wilkinson and Kent Parker. Teamwork makes the dream work!

Lightly—designed by Formway for @noho_co . Lightly has just been shortlisted by the @dezeenawards_ in the Furniture category! We are one of 46 studios to be recognized in the shortlists, which include 47 designs… 47 designs, by 46 studios… why the mismatch?? Because Formway is the only studio responsible for two designs in the final round of the Dezeen Awards! We’re up against designs from 18 countries, and we’re in good company sitting alongside Zaha Hadid Design and Foster + Partners. Our Denn Chair, designed for @zenithinteriors_ is the other half of our success in the Dezeen Awards, stay tuned for more…

We are excited to introduce Denn—a new typology for the modern workplace, designed for our partners at @zenithinteriors_ . We have had a decades-long relationship with the workplace. Our products are based on research and innovation to complement the way people engage with their work. Our Life Chair launched over 20 years ago with @knoll , and the Generation and Remix families followed. Since then, the workplace has continued to change, and the Denn Chair is the latest embodiment of our years of research and experience. Denn furthers our philosophy of subconscious seating. Denn’s design combines a series of interconnected systems that react to every movement your body makes, consciously or not. It’s a chair that supports you as your focus changes, when you collaborate with others, and when you switch tasks—and it does it all in a calm design crafted from post-consumer recycled materials. Our use of recycled polycarbonate and 3D knitted mesh for the chair back lets light filter through to create a visually light work chair, and a range of colours are available to lift any workplace. #Enhanceyou #MeetDenn