The Snap lounge chair: Designing a new classic for the contemporary workplace

When you bring together a company grounded in precision manufacturing and circular design with a studio known for inventive thinking and engineering-led creativity, the conditions are set for something genuinely new to emerge. That was the case when Flokk, a European leader in ergonomic seating with sustainability embedded into its DNA, partnered with Note Design Studio, a practice recognised for its original approach to materials, form and function.

For Flokk, whose portfolio has long focused on task seating and workplace performance, the ambition behind the Profim Snap lounge chair marked a shift in typology. The brief was not about the work desk, but about everything that happens around it: spaces for conversation and informal meetings, and moments where comfort is as much psychological as it is physical.

“Since Covid-19 and the return to offices from the home, we had noticed the need for a beautiful, comfortable conversation chair that had the psychological effect of safety,” says Flokk’s Magdalena Borowiec. “So we started thinking about creating an armchair that addresses those challenges.”

Note Design Studio was a deliberate choice for the design partner. Their experience in solving complex soft furnishing design balanced with their engineering ingenuity aligned with Flokk’s own technical capabilities.

In the early stages of the project, Note approached the brief by questioning its assumptions, while Flokk responded with a clear set of expectations shaped by its manufacturing expertise.

“They basically said we have this brief, but we don’t know how to solve it, so you will design it and you will solve it with our manufacturing capability,” says Note Design Studio’s Kristoffer Fagerström.

But the potential for the design only became clear with a visit to Flokk’s manufacturing facility, where the scale and sophistication of production really opened the doors for Note to push the boundaries of what was possible.

“It was like entering a Tesla factory, it was hyper modern and more like coming into a car industry setup than a furniture industry setup,” Fagerström says. “We suddenly realised that whatever we decided to do, they could manufacture, and they could also think in different ways that we weren’t used to.”

That capability is closely tied to Flokk’s circular design model, which considers the full lifecycle of every product. From the outset, Snap was required to meet strict sustainability criteria, including the ability to be easily disassembled and recycled.

“We always try to produce a product that is not only easy to assemble, but to disassemble at the end of its life,” Borowiec explains.

This thinking led to a fundamental shift in how the chair was developed. Rather than starting with the outer form, the design was built from the inside out.

“We started with the materials rather than the form,” says Fagerström. “We looked at how we could design the plastic that we wanted to use for the skeleton, and how we could resolve the chair without using excessive foam.”

The resulting structure is made up of layered plastic shells that generate tension, paired with a minimal layer of foam and a concealed wiring system that connects the upholstery.

The engineering is complex, but intentionally hidden. The chair presents as soft and approachable, belying the high level of technical refinement that is behind it. That balance between form and performance was central to the project and also informs the name. When the seat and back components were first joined using a newly developed locking mechanism, the connection produced a distinct sound: Snap.

Comfort was approached with the same level of intent. Designed as a conversation chair, Snap supports a more upright sitting position that encourages engagement. Subtle shaping in the seat and back, combined with the tension created by the internal structure, delivers comfort without using excess foam.

As Fagerström put it, the challenge was “to use the least amount of materials, but still create the best possible comfort.”

Two upholstery options extend the design further. One is sleek and controlled, the other softer and more expressive, often described as a down jacket-like version. Together, they offer different readings of the same object, allowing Snap to sit comfortably across a range of workplace settings.

For Note Design Studio, the outcome comes back to a simple principle.

“If we design a piece that looks really soft, then it’s almost like an insult to the consumer if it doesn’t feel that way,” Fagerström says. “So it should feel what it communicates.”

With Snap, that expectation is not only met but exceeded. It has the clarity and restraint of a classic, paired with a level of engineering, comfort and environmental thinking that firmly places it in the present.