Catalog for Herman Miller Furniture, "The Action Office," 1964

Action Office, conceptualized by Robert Propst with final design by George Nelson, was rooted in Propst's research into office function and worker behavior. The system was not a commercial success: manufacturing costs were high, and it was, in Propst's words, "too showy and bright for serious consideration as a middle management tool." Propst went on to design the hugely successful Action Office 2 cubicle-based system.