It’s difficult to wrap arms around the importance of Herman Miller’s contributions to American design. What started as a small Michigan company turning out reproductions of traditional furniture became the darling of mid-century modernism. Through different pieces, it has largely defined the contours of the American workplace and helped lead the charge in sustainable design.

Its archives are overflowing with products from names and studios you read about in textbooks — Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi, Jasper Morrison, George Nelson, Bill Stumpf, Konstantin Grcic, Naoto Fukusawa and too many more to name. There are more hits, innovations and groundbreaking shifts in design philosophy than there’s time to count, so we’ve assembled (in no particular order of importance) nine of Herman Miller’s most influential designs to-date. And yes, you may see the name Eames pop up once or twice.

**Year Released:** 1946
**Designer:** Charles and Ray Eames

The Eameses fingerprints are all over Herman Miller’s design aesthetic. And while a particular leather-clad lounger is the first thing we think of when we hear their name, it wouldn’t exist without the Molded Plywood chair — a design that would go on to earn every award in the book, including Time Magazine’s Design of the Century.