A framework for daily learning and flexible work
Interview with Konstantin Grcic
Scout is a family of mobile and stationary work and meeting tables that showcase Konstantin Grcic’s functionalist approach and his ‘severely simple’ aesthetic. The German industrial designer uses proven materials, such as tubular steel, to create flexible yet lasting frameworks. Mobile and open-ended, the system provides a solution for today’s office environments and adapts effortlessly to any space. Design editor Jessica-Christin Hametner spoke to Konstantin Grcic about Scout, exploring what inspired the concept and why the system serves as an extension for different styles of work.
Jessica-Christin Hametner: For Scout, you designed a collection of mobile and stationary work and meeting tables that can be arranged into various configurations to suit daily needs. What inspired this concept?
Konstantin Grcic: When looking at what inspired the idea, it’s worth noting that Scout had a predecessor. Together with Vitra, we designed a product called Hack in 2016, which helped lay the foundation for what followed. Hack was the result of a trip Vitra made to the US West Coast, at a time when tech companies were rapidly growing and reinventing workspaces. Their preferences leaned towards less hierarchical, more democratic and easy-going workplaces. This shift in office culture led to greater flexibility.
When Vitra and I first visited, there was very little furniture designed to address these changing needs. Hack was quite a radical proposal at the time, and one we feel remains relevant today. With Scout, we want to apply the learnings from those travels. We’ve decided to bring all of that together into a new furniture concept. Like Hack was in its day, Scout should feel fresh, but this is more of an industrial product: affordable because it’s produced at scale, yet still high in quality.
Can you explain the design process?
What made this such a fun project was that it became a real journey of discovery – trying things out, testing ideas and learning along the way. In a sense, we wanted the design process itself to reflect the ideal scenario we imagined for the users. We aimed to be honest and creative, while still learning from the best aspects of what already exists. Scout is not completely disruptive, erasing everything and starting from scratch. Rather, it is about building on what works, while still questioning it: Are things still valid as they are? What could be improved? What is truly necessary?
The tubular steel frame is both a structural and aesthetic choice. At what stage in the design process did this dual role become apparent, and how did it inspire the rest of the system?
We wanted to build a framework in tubular steel, a classic and proven material in furniture making, used as early as the 1920s Bauhaus period, when it first came into its own. Even today, tubular steel remains one of the most versatile, industrial, prefabricated materials, offering designers countless possibilities.
The material always carries certain associations: either the legacy of early tubular steel furniture or, at the other end of the spectrum, the idea of inexpensive, mass-produced pieces. Vitra has used the material in a way that expresses a clear structural logic. It says: this may be an economical way of doing things, but it’s a simple and intelligent way, one that creates a structure with real longevity. The result is a high-quality framework that will not easily break or age.
Can you explain the design process?
What made this such a fun project was that it became a real journey of discovery – trying things out, testing ideas and learning along the way. In a sense, we wanted the design process itself to reflect the ideal scenario we imagined for the users. We aimed to be honest and creative, while still learning from the best aspects of what already exists. Scout is not completely disruptive, erasing everything and starting from scratch. Rather, it is about building on what works, while still questioning it: Are things still valid as they are? What could be improved? What is truly necessary?
The tubular steel frame is both a structural and aesthetic choice. At what stage in the design process did this dual role become apparent, and how did it inspire the rest of the system?
We wanted to build a framework in tubular steel, a classic and proven material in furniture making, used as early as the 1920s Bauhaus period, when it first came into its own. Even today, tubular steel remains one of the most versatile, industrial, prefabricated materials, offering designers countless possibilities.
The material always carries certain associations: either the legacy of early tubular steel furniture or, at the other end of the spectrum, the idea of inexpensive, mass-produced pieces. Vitra has used the material in a way that expresses a clear structural logic. It says: this may be an economical way of doing things, but it’s a simple and intelligent way, one that creates a structure with real longevity. The result is a high-quality framework that will not easily break or age.
Scout was two years in the making. Can you explain both the spatial idea and the functional features of the design?
The line we are drawing is spatial, as it defines a territory where you sit. That has a psychological dimension. When you sit down at this desk, there is a subtle marker around you that says, ‘This is where I am right now.’ At the same time, the structure invites interaction. It provides a protective boundary without creating a barrier, remaining open and welcoming. The entire system can even be tilted slightly. There are options for hanging screens and adding what we call accessories, which are elements that can function as acoustic shields.
The line we are drawing is spatial, as it defines a territory where you sit. That has a psychological dimension. When you sit down at this desk, there is a subtle marker around you that says, ‘This is where I am right now.’ At the same time, the structure invites interaction. It provides a protective boundary without creating a barrier, remaining open and welcoming. The entire system can even be tilted slightly. There are options for hanging screens and adding what we call accessories, which are elements that can function as acoustic shields.
Building on that idea, how many pieces make up the new collection and how do you see Scout being used individually or together?
There are five pieces in a range of sizes. The collection consists of fixed and modular workstations, such as Scout Work; compact options, including Scout Work Mobile; and small tables on castors, like the Scout Sprint variants. It also features meeting tables in both sitting and standing heights, for example Scout Summit and Scout Meet, which work well in educational settings. Altogether, it has grown into quite a family.
Scout is coherent in its use of material and the internal logic behind it. As with tableware or cutlery, where a fork and knife belong to the same family yet serve different purposes, each piece is defined by its own form and proportion, depending on its intended use. All the pieces are straightforward and highly adaptable. People will inevitably invent their own way of using them, whether in a bank, a school or at home, so the system doesn’t prescribe a specific environment or a fixed mode of use.
There are five pieces in a range of sizes. The collection consists of fixed and modular workstations, such as Scout Work; compact options, including Scout Work Mobile; and small tables on castors, like the Scout Sprint variants. It also features meeting tables in both sitting and standing heights, for example Scout Summit and Scout Meet, which work well in educational settings. Altogether, it has grown into quite a family.
Scout is coherent in its use of material and the internal logic behind it. As with tableware or cutlery, where a fork and knife belong to the same family yet serve different purposes, each piece is defined by its own form and proportion, depending on its intended use. All the pieces are straightforward and highly adaptable. People will inevitably invent their own way of using them, whether in a bank, a school or at home, so the system doesn’t prescribe a specific environment or a fixed mode of use.
In your view, is the focus on observing how people move through these spaces and understanding their behaviour, which then feeds back into your design decisions?
That's a very nice way of putting it. Yes, exactly – this is about behaviour. Observing, watching and studying how people move, work and interact is a big part of what we do as designers. Everything is human-centred. The user – whoever that may be – is at the core of the process. At the same time, the goal is not to design exclusivity for a highly educated or privileged few. Rather, it’s about enabling people through the tools we create, giving them something they feel comfortable with, something that empowers them. That’s what I hope to see and observe in return.
Given the increasing fluidity between work and private life, and the rapid pace at which work environments are evolving, do you think designers need to rethink the categories we assign to furniture and even reconsider how we define something as a chair or a table?
Yes, definitely. But that doesn’t mean reinventing the table; it’s already one of the simplest and most versatile pieces of furniture, serving as a place to work, eat, play or sit. Alongside the chair, the table remains perhaps the most essential item, as it creates a stage for things to happen.
That's a very nice way of putting it. Yes, exactly – this is about behaviour. Observing, watching and studying how people move, work and interact is a big part of what we do as designers. Everything is human-centred. The user – whoever that may be – is at the core of the process. At the same time, the goal is not to design exclusivity for a highly educated or privileged few. Rather, it’s about enabling people through the tools we create, giving them something they feel comfortable with, something that empowers them. That’s what I hope to see and observe in return.
Given the increasing fluidity between work and private life, and the rapid pace at which work environments are evolving, do you think designers need to rethink the categories we assign to furniture and even reconsider how we define something as a chair or a table?
Yes, definitely. But that doesn’t mean reinventing the table; it’s already one of the simplest and most versatile pieces of furniture, serving as a place to work, eat, play or sit. Alongside the chair, the table remains perhaps the most essential item, as it creates a stage for things to happen.
Is this system intended to replace traditional office setups, or is it designed to complement different ways of working?
I’ve been speaking about this new form of office, but of course, not every workplace operates in that way. Not every company is fully agile or organised around that model. Some offices function entirely like this, while others may need just six of these desks to support a particular team dynamic or specific task. The idea is to provide maximum flexibility, whether on a small scale or when structuring an entire floor, which depends entirely on the context.
With Scout, we did not intend to suggest that everything else is old-fashioned or obsolete. The aim is not to replace what already exists. Rather, the system is an extension or complementary offering that responds to different levels and styles of work.
Konstantin Grcic was trained as a cabinetmaker at Parnham College in Dorset before studying industrial design at the Royal College of Art in London. In 1991 he set up his own practice, Konstantin Grcic Design. The Vitra Design Museum devoted a monographic exhibition to Grcic and his work in 2014.
I’ve been speaking about this new form of office, but of course, not every workplace operates in that way. Not every company is fully agile or organised around that model. Some offices function entirely like this, while others may need just six of these desks to support a particular team dynamic or specific task. The idea is to provide maximum flexibility, whether on a small scale or when structuring an entire floor, which depends entirely on the context.
With Scout, we did not intend to suggest that everything else is old-fashioned or obsolete. The aim is not to replace what already exists. Rather, the system is an extension or complementary offering that responds to different levels and styles of work.
Konstantin Grcic was trained as a cabinetmaker at Parnham College in Dorset before studying industrial design at the Royal College of Art in London. In 1991 he set up his own practice, Konstantin Grcic Design. The Vitra Design Museum devoted a monographic exhibition to Grcic and his work in 2014.
Publication date: 19.03.2026
Author: Jessica-Christin Hametner
Images:© Vitra
