Prolific Partnerships with Herman Miller: Ayse Birsel and Bibi Seck
As a powerhouse duo, Ayse Birsel and Bibi Seck have contributed beautifully thoughtful designs partnering with Herman Miller since 2002. Their innovation and collaboration have fuelled a robust portfolio of incredible design.
When Ayse Birsel was tasked with a unique project for an automobile manufacturer in 2002, she requested that the company connect her with a mentor. They sent her Bibi Seck and Birsel and Seck turned into a design powerhouse. The two became partners in work and in life, developing a robust client portfolio comprised of beautifully designed products. One being Overlay, a unique solution to transforming the open floorplan.
Overlay: Transforming the Open Office
Overlay is a system of freestanding, movable walls that helps you define your space. Designed to create visual clarity in open-plan offices, Overlay helps you evolve on the fly. Customizable and ready for anything, Overlay will bring new purpose to your space beautifully and with ease.
Unique, Customizable Spaces
Overlay can be outfitted with colors, textiles, laminates, glass, markerboards, or any material you need. You can use media display or writable surfaces to support whatever the day might bring. The interior and exterior sides of an Overlay wall can share the same look or reflect the design of the office on the outside and the productive vibrancy of the work happening on the inside.
Ready for Anything
Whether you need a simple room divider or a whole stand alone office space, Overlay will be ready for anything. Use a single boundary as a room divider. A three-sided workspace can become a designated area for impromptu meetings or collaborative work. Or, use four Overlay walls to create an enclosed meeting space—complete with a door—that can offer a higher level of visual and acoustical privacy.
Conclusion: A String of Dichotomies
Overlay was inspired by a string of dichotomies—messy and clean, alone yet together, simple but flexible. The duo designed Overlay with both viewpoints in mind. Overlay allows for spaces to be divided into their own entities, while still feeling like a cohesive space, flexible for anything that comes its way.