Skip to main content
Control Panel

C9 - Behind the Scenes Q&A

3 Min Read

Watson is excited to launch our all-new C9 desk, an innovative solution to evolving office needs. the C9 system was introduced at NeoCon 2019, where it won gold in its category. The revolutionary new system brings a new level of flexibility, perfect for the modern office.

Q. Can you introduce me to C9?

The C9 system is our response to a growing dissatisfaction with the modern open office. While current open-plan solutions promise easy collaboration and a sense of openness, they also lead to endless distractions.

In recent years companies have been trying to solve this problem by creating ancillary spaces and promoting the idea of activity-based working. In short, they are saying that if you can’t concentrate at your desk, or collaborate well there, then you should move to a different space in the office to do your tasks. However, we see that people don’t actually do this. They like to stay at their own desk and work where they are most comfortable. People end up stranded at a less than ideal workstation, while the ancillary spaces their company invested in go widely unused.

C9 takes a different approach. Instead of telling people to get up and move if they don’t like their workstation, we are trying to transform their workstation into a better place. This next iteration of workspace strikes a better balance between privacy and openness, between focused individual work and collaboration.

Q. What does this new office desk offer that no other product does?

Let’s start with the basics. C9 is a height-adjustable desk that sets the gold standard in comfort and usability while looking better than anything else on the market. It doesn’t require people to bend their work around it. It just fits.

sC9Opn-011-System_Elevation

C9’s built-in rail system bends to your space, allowing infinite layout options. This opens up a world of layouts uniquely suited to your needs, flexing and changing with your company’s natural growth.

The accessory mounting on top of the rail allows for the addition of so many different elements (screens, tables, shelves, planters) in a free form manner to create an office landscape that can provide opportunities for both privacy and openness in the right balance for anyone.

There are also a series of work tools (pencil cups, paper trays, coat hooks, white boards, shelves, phone stands) these all hook into features on the screens/shelves and can be freely moved and adjusted by the end user. This gives everyone direct control over their workspace and helps them make it feel unique to them, like their own home within the office.

Q. Were there any significant obstacles in creating C9?

Creating a height-adjustable desk with legs this slim was a huge technical challenge. We approached leading leg manufacturers who told us it wasn’t possible. They were wrong. We ended up designing and building the legs from scratch right here at Watson.

Creating the rail system presented its own set of obstacles. Trying to maintain a slim, clean, and sleek aesthetic while packing in all the functionality we wanted was a big challenge. The biggest difficulty with the rail system was the timeline. We developed the whole rail from concept to final product in 9 months. It took a lot of late nights and coffee to make sure it was perfect.

Q. How does C9 fit with Watson's goals?

With the C9 system, we have brought a product to market that is not chasing trends or copying what has come before. Instead, it is pushing the envelope in new and exciting ways to create a solution that will improve the lives of the people who use it.

With C9, we’ve created something new and better. One of our goals at Watson is to create furniture that helps people work the way they want to. This is what C9 represents.

Want to see what other design professionals think about C9?

Check out the latest article from Office Insight, a leading voice in workplace design and furnishings. 

C9Strg-001_Cart_Garage
Back to Top