Inside The Flow Chamber: Chicago Visitors Experienced an Unexpected New Way of Sitting
GREEN BAY, Wis. (April 24, 2026) – Commuters and office workers passing through Chicago’s Prudential Building on Wednesday encountered something unexpected: a giant cube inviting them to step inside, sit down, and experience a new way of sitting in the workplace.
The installation, called the Flow Chamber, was created by contract furniture manufacturer KI as the first public encounter with its forthcoming Cognetic Technology™, a patented seating innovation designed by Aaron DeJule. Set to officially debut this summer at Fulton Market Design Days, Cognetic Technology represents a fundamentally different approach to how seating supports the body throughout the day.
While the installation itself was temporary, the reactions it produced were not.
Inside the immersive 8-by-8-by-8-foot cube, participants were invited to sit briefly and simply notice how the technology felt. Within seconds, most were responding instinctively, trying to put words to something unfamiliar yet immediately noticeable.
“I feel like I’m floating in the air, I don’t want to get out of it,” said one participant.
Other responses included:
- “I need this chair, it’s so fun!”
- “I feel happier.”
- “You’ve ruined my current chair; I don’t want to go back.”
Another visitor described the sensation as “cloud-like” and “unexpected,” and “unlike anything I’ve experienced before.”
These responses reflected something more than curiosity; they pointed to a shift in perception around what seating can actually feel like in use. It helped validate the significant impact this technology could have on anyone who sits for work every day.
“The goal of the Flow Chamber was to capture the delight when people first experience a chair built with Cognetic Technology,” said Tony Besasie, chief sales and marketing officer at KI. “It wasn’t to explain the unique engineering of the cognetic patent. The Flow Chamber affirmed that we’re introducing a different sitting experience that is difficult to explain but easy to feel. To truly appreciate the technology requires a test drive. Our aim was to observe how people responded to the laws of gravity and motion artfully designed into a one-of-a-kind sitting experience.”
Capturing Early Proof of Experience
Throughout the activation, nearly 100 participants stepped inside the Flow Chamber, allowing KI to capture facial expressions, body language, and immediate verbal reactions as they experienced Cognetic Technology for the first time.
What emerged was not a scripted message, but a pattern of spontaneous responses that suggested a rethinking of something most people rarely question: how sitting should feel.
Rather than focusing on explanation, the activation revealed something simpler and more revealing: once Cognetic Technology is experienced, the difference is difficult to ignore.
“People often don’t realize how static most seating feels until they experience something different,” Besasie said. “What stood out was how quickly that realization happened. In the Flow Chamber, we saw real moments of discovery and the clear impact this technology has in changing the way people sit.”
For those who passed by without stepping inside, the experience was intentionally fleeting. The Flow Chamber was not designed for mass access. It was designed to create a moment that could only be understood by being there.
A First Glimpse of What’s Coming to Design Days
The Flow Chamber marks the beginning of a series of immersive experiences leading up to the debut of Cognetic Technology at Design Days, taking place June 8–10 in Chicago’s Fulton Market district.
Cognetic Technology was developed to rethink the relationship between the body and seating. Instead of relying on adjustments or mechanisms to manage discomfort, the patented technology works in harmony with the body’s natural micro-movements while seated.
“We are not just introducing a new chair,” Besasie said. “It is a technology that defines how seating moves with the body.”
For more information about KI and its presence during Design Days, visit ki.com/designdays.
ABOUT KI
KI manufactures innovative furniture for education, healthcare, government, and corporate markets. The employee-owned company is headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with sales and manufacturing facilities worldwide. KI tailors products and service solutions to the specific needs of each customer through its unique design and manufacturing philosophy. For more information, visit ki.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Stephanie Smith
262-290-7745
Ssmith@n-s.com