Customers no longer want to simply choose, but to play a role in the design process, too — according to the independent market research company eMarketer. Now there’s an intuitive Online Configurator that can fulfill this desire by offering a simple and fun introduction to the world of USM, one of the world’s most creative and celebrated modern furniture brands. It takes just a few clicks for an architect, interior designer or client to create a one-of-a-kind sideboard, shelving unit or other piece of furniture comprising USM’s classic Haller module thanks to this new user-friendly tool.
Designers first decide on the structure and size of the piece they want to build — according to taste, lifestyle, needs, room size or budget — then assemble its doors or pullout drawers and, finally, select their color of choice. While German and Swiss customers can purchase their custom configurations directly from the shop, customers from all over the world can send their individually configured system to USM to have it processed by an authorized partner in their region. Customers can also seek expert planning and designing advice from the USM network and purchase their system through their preferred dealers.
As an additional benefit, designers and interior decorators can integrate the furniture they configure online in their planning tools as designs that can be downloaded in a number of CAD-compatible files, like DWG, DWG 2D, SKP, FBX and 3DS. The USM Online Configurator was developed in conjunction with Eastern Graphics, an American company that also developed the popular pCon.planner interior design software.
USM is a statement, an expression of thinking and acting — and also a status symbol. As a design icon, it is timeless. It fits into and enhances every surrounding. This is an icon with a heritage, a strong image and a strong identity. The company firmly believes that first impressions matter.
USM furniture fits in well with every architectural environment and every decorative taste. It works with every iteration of interior design, from feminine to masculine, cool to cozy and edgy to classy. It mixes well with individual home and office decors — and even different epochs.
The USM modular system allows a wide range of unusual or unseen interpretations. The company highlights new, flexible and multipurpose home solutions: shoe storage, toy boxes, benches, dressing wardrobes, bed ends, sofas siders, bathroom storage and even kitchens. Bought for the living room, it can easily become a home office.
As co-working becomes the office megatrend that achieves more creative solutions and gets the best from each individual team member while enhancing quality of work, spatial design is becoming more individual and homey. USM furnishings can be integrated easily into these future work scenarios and should no longer be seen as traditional furniture in impersonal office spaces. The brand offers a wide range of solutions that optimize work quality: the Kitos height-adjustable table for “Sit to Stand” solutions, ergonomics, customized solutions, work-life-balance, the homey office and acoustics.
Besides the trend of more social offices, classic workspaces are still a very important market for USM. These are spaces where growth can be achieved, especially within more traditional companies and special sectors like banking and insurance. USM seeks to address that fact and highlight classy but contemporary office solutions for small or large individual or team spaces.
USM History
More than a century ago, USM was known as a preeminent producer of iron works and window fittings. In 1961, Paul Schaerer, grandson of USM founder Ulrich Schaerer, chose to take the company in a new and dramatic direction by transforming the factory from a large, manually oriented metal production plant into a modern, industrial enterprise.
To achieve this goal, Schaerer commissioned Swiss architect Fritz Haller to design a building that would accommodate the Münsingen-based company’s factory and provide ample space for administrative offices. The facilities’ modular architecture inspired Haller and Schaerer in the conception of a flexible storage solution to accompany the firm’s growth prospect. In 1963, the two men created the pioneering furniture product known today as USM HallerSystems.
Nowadays the Swiss furniture company employs approximately 400 workers worldwide, although the head office and production plant are still in Münsingen, Switzerland. USM Modular Furniture is also distributed worldwide in more than 50 countries with a network of more than 410 authorized sales partners. USM has established a prominent reputation and international presence with flagship showrooms in Bern, Berlin, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, London, Munich, New York, Paris, Stuttgart and Tokyo offering both cultural spaces and support platforms.