Connecting a Design Legend’s Past to its Present

Knoll, the creative and innovative design firm, asked Schema to design and develop an interactive archive to commemorate their 80th anniversary. The Archive incorporates events, products, and designers from Knoll’s founding years through to the present day. It can be viewed in through three different lenses: timeline view, connections view, and grid view. Each view offers a new way to discover the company’s rich history and diverse catalogue.  

Process

Schema’s goal was to create an interactive experience that communicates Knoll’s unique history through the lens of objects, designers, and workplace solutions while also highlighting the idea of connection between each item. Knoll delivered rich, detailed content, giving Schema an abundance of material to work with. Prototyping took place the at beginning of the project to ensure the timeline’s navigation would provide the user with an engaging and informative experience that would go beyond just looking at a timeline.

Outcome

The Knoll interactive timeline captures 80 years of iconic design, from the pioneering modernist vision to bold contemporary designs for home and office. Users can explore the visualization through a linear timeline, a network view, and an index. Clicking on objects, people or events will show related content, and also bring up additional information for the selected item.