Championing the power of design to shape the way we live, work and create.

When Herman Miller and Knoll came together in 2021 to form MillerKnoll, it wasn’t a merger in the traditional sense. It was the forging of a collective bound by a shared belief in design as a catalyst for progress. Today, the MillerKnoll family stands as one of the world’s most influential design collectives, uniting distinct brands under a single purpose: to design the world we live in.

“Each brand maintains its own identity, but together we leverage shared scale, capabilities and a common mission,” MillerKnoll senior regional sales manager, Australia and New Zealand, Josh Coughlan says. “The thread that unites us is the conviction that design is a powerful, practical tool for shaping a better future, across the workplace, home and public realm.”

Better together

Three years on, the union has delivered on that promise. By pairing individual brand depth with global reach, MillerKnoll has amplified what each of its design houses can achieve. It has united its portfolio behind measurable sustainability goals, with a clear path to net zero by 2050. Its 2024 Better World Report charts tangible progress across carbon, materials and circularity, signalling an approach built on both creativity and accountability.

“This collective model allows us to combine brand expertise with shared platforms for product development, sustainability, digital experience and more,” Coughlan says. “It’s evidence of what’s possible when great brands move in concert.”

That collaborative spirit extends far beyond its own walls. In supporting Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA), MillerKnoll reinforces its commitment to a design culture that celebrates excellence and innovation. It champions spaces that elevate human experience while pushing environmental outcomes forward.

“IDEA celebrates the calibre and impact of Australian design, values we share,” Coughlan says. “The Workplace Over 1000sqm category in particular reflects large, complex environments where design shapes culture, brand expression, wellbeing and sustainability at significant scale. That resonates deeply with our mission.”

A changing workplace

Australia’s commercial interior landscape is in flux as hybrid work has shifted how organisations occupy and use space, raising the bar of workplace wellbeing. Sustainability is now defined by measurable standards like NABERS and Green Star. Designers are navigating these shifts with ingenuity, but the challenges are real.

“MillerKnoll supports these standards with research-led insights into new ways of working, a portfolio designed for inclusive, flexible collaboration and transparent sustainability roadmaps,” Coughlan explains. “We help clients and designers meet evolving ratings and reporting requirements with confidence.”

This year’s IDEA Workplace Over 1000sqm shortlist underscores just how far the conversation has moved. Designers are creating spaces that morph with ease, balance acoustic control with hospitality-level experience and embed local identity without compromising performance. A sharper focus on wellbeing and brand narrative has emerged as a defining thread.

Future focused

The company’s recent Conversations for a Better World series echoed that same momentum. Hosted across Melbourne and Sydney, the intimate gatherings brought together thought leaders to talk about sustainability, the circular economy and the future of design.

“We heard a consistent refrain: progress is pragmatic,” Coughlan says. “Clients want circularity and low-carbon choices that are easy to specify and maintain. Furniture must support hybrid rituals like video-first collaboration and quick resets. Spaces need to earn the commute through comfort, craft and connection.”

Designers, he adds, are demanding suppliers bring clearer data, recyclable and recycled materials and products designed for long-term serviceability. It’s a shift away from short-term solutions toward enduring design ecosystems.

MillerKnoll is positioning itself to lead this charge, pairing timeless design with measurable environmental impact. The company is expanding low-carbon and recycled content options, designing for disassembly and extending product life through repair and reuse. Transparency remains a core tenet, backed by ongoing Better World reporting.

“We’ll keep convening the industry through conversations that move from talk to tools designers can specify tomorrow,” Coughlan says. “That combination of collective scale, brand depth and open collaboration is how we’ll help Australia build workplaces that are healthier, more resilient and unmistakably human.”

Recognising design at its best

For MillerKnoll, supporting IDEA is about more than celebration. It’s about standing behind a community that shapes how people live and work. It’s about amplifying the talent driving Australian design forward and ensuring their impact resonates well beyond the walls they create.

In an era defined by shifting work patterns, environmental urgency and cultural evolution, design has never mattered more. Through its collective, MillerKnoll stands at the heart of that conversation, championing those who design not just for today, but for what comes next.

Images supplied

Read about MillerKnoll Archives on ADR.