Daniel Angelini Stand Up Desk Interview

Daniel Angelini Stand Up Desk Interview

The rise of elevated workplaces to address the increasing health concerns relating to long hours sitting at work show a positive trend towards the adoption of new solutions to an old problem. However, in spite of uptake from progressive organisations, the global community remains predominantly seated; a pattern which Australian Researcher, Ex-Uber Manager and Author of The Sitting Epidemic Daniel Angelini has taken a stand on, with the introduction of newly designed and innovative standing solution, MOVI Workspace.

Together with his wife Nadia, an accomplished Chartered Accountant by trade, Melbourne‐ based Angelini has worked with some of the best medical minds, innovative designers and resourceful manufacturers to develop the world's most spacious retro‐fitted elevated workspace to address the hurdles often associated with standing desks regarding design, ergonomic fit, space, aesthetics, sustainability and of course, ease of use.

'Right now, we know positive conversations are happening around the need to live with a healthy level of movement, including in the workplace," said Angelini.

'However in practice, this can be a big hurdle and products need to reflect the attitudes, requirements and lifestyle of a busy and modern individual."

MOVI Workspace is a design led solution. The patented design functions as an aesthetically beautiful, spacious and sustainable elevated solution while focusing on ease of use with integrations such as the one-touch electronic lift. 'This is a product designed for users with every detail considered. Our mission is to bring this product to life, beyond prototype, to make it accessible and affordable for everyone," said Angelini.

The MOVI Workspace Kickstarter campaign launched globally on August 29th, 2017 with the goal of commencing production in 2018.

Angelini continued, 'If we achieve this together, we know that we will have helped change the lives of everyone who uses it. That is why we do what we do."

For more information on MOVI Workspace, visit www.moviworkspace.com or to view the live Kickstarter campaign, visit: https://www.kickstarter.com

 

Interview with Daniel Angelini

 

Question: Can you tell us about your product, the MOVI Workspace?

Daniel Angelini: Our standing desk is the most innovative, ergonomic, spacious standing desk add-on product available. It lets you sit and stand effortlessly with one-touch electric lift. MOVI is an ergonomic, electric, spacious standing desk, crafted from bamboo. MOVI gives you the ability to sit and stand effortlessly, with the touch of a button. MOVI comes fully assembled, all you need to do is plug it in and away you go. MOVI has been designed with no compromises.

Question: Where did the idea for the setup of the MOVI Workspace come from?

Daniel Angelini: It all started four years ago when I brought my DIY stand-up desk into work. It inspired the team to roll-out stand-up desks. The problem was they weren't getting used because they were uncomfortable, bulky and didn't look good. So my wife and I set out to invent a stand-up desk that was functional, safe and stylish, one that would get used all day everyday so everyone could experience better health. In 2017, we launched MOVI!


Question: How does the (space) desk encourage movement?

Daniel Angelini: MOVI makes it easy to get moving. Over the last four years, we've tried just about every standing desk on the market but never found a product that suited all our needs. There are often major issues with standing desk add-ons, in terms of design, lifting hazards, stability, space and ergonomics. In consultation with health experts and through hours of user testing and extensive feedback, we designed MOVI to overcome every limitation of desk add-on products.


Question: Should we be standing on a particular mat or wearing a specific pair of shoes when using standing desks?

Daniel Angelini: It's best to use flat footwear and stand on a surface that is soft. If you have a hard concrete floor, than an anti-fatigue mat is highly recommended. And it's best to avoid high heels!


Question: Can you talk about who you've worked with in developing this project?

Daniel Angelini: MOVI has been created by myself, Daniel and my partner Nadia Angelini. We're passionate about making a positive impact on the world, helping people experience better health, all with the environment in mind. Along with MOVI's co-founders, a team of experts with deep knowledge and experience in product design and mechanical engineering have been involved to create this product. The Tricycle Developments team have years of experience in the development of consumer, industrial, scientific and healthcare products. Their team work with subject matter experts around the globe to bring world-class innovation into MOVI.


Question: What inspired you to research the health concerns associated with sitting long hours at a desk?

Daniel Angelini: We clock up so many hours working and sitting: 11 hours, 12 hours a day every day. We fill our day with so many things: meetings, emails, Facebook, calls, commuting, couch time. There's not a lot of spare time left to keep fit and healthy.
Many health problems come from physical inactivity regardless of how much exercise we do. I was shocked when I first found out the facts. Sitting is impacting everybody around the world, and we don't talk about it much. To me, the easiest way to solve this problem and get moving more, is to change the way we work. This way we are improving our health while we work, without putting in the extra effort or time after hours.


Question: What are the health concerns related to long periods of sitting?

Daniel Angelini: Here are just some of the facts around sitting too much.

Sitting for 12 hours a day puts your risk of being diagnosed with heart disease and cancer at the same level as a chronic smoker. Some studies have suggested that prolonged physical inactivity can increase heart disease risk by as much as 147%. Sitting puts 40% more pressure on your spine than standing and lower back pain problems lead to annual health care costs of US $500b p.a. and AU $9b p.a. as a result of loss of working hours, therapies, treatments, rehabilitation etc.


Question: What are your top tips for being healthier whilst working at a desk job?

Daniel Angelini: Move regularly. Experts recommend moving every 30-40 minutes. Changing your posture often helps to avoid health problems, even if it's for a few minutes. Stretch, move, walk.


Question: What do you hope to achieve from the Kickstarter campaign?

Daniel Angelini: We hope to establish a community of engaged early adopters that are excited to come on the journey with us.


Interview by Brooke Hunter