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During the Final Fantasy 14 Media event, I got a sneak peek of the Secretlab FF14 chair. It’s a chair model I’m already intimately familiar with, but the company was kind enough to send one my way. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been using it and seeing how it felt, and once again, the chair masterminds nailed it. However, I also badly wanted to speak to the chair's designer and see what led to the choices made when creating it.
For this, I spoke to Irene Tee, Senior Product Graphic Designer, who talked about her love for Final Fantasy, her favorite games in the series, and what brought her to the MMO. In addition, I was very curious about the design choices for the chair, which are certainly stunning. From the Magnetic Role Patches to the beautiful stitched Crystal Tower, all it’s done is add to my excitement for the upcoming Dawntrail expansion.
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How does the Secretlab Final Fantasy 14 chair hold up?
It’s not a secret that the Secretlab TITAN Evo is my favorite chair and this Final Fantasy 14 version takes it to the next level. I’ve reviewed one in the past, and this is of the same quality as the original. It combines the comfort and lumbar support I expect from a chair, with the visual styling of my favorite MMO: FF14.
Without mincing words, the Secretlab Final Fantasy 14 chair is gorgeous, visually. When I saw it at the Media Tour, I was immediately enchanted by it. The colors—the dark blue of the chair, and the brilliant light blue Crystal Tower—stood out in a way my previous Secretlab chairs didn't. The gold stitching is stunning, and the Magnetic Patch is in a solid place. It’s easy to place and replace the three role patches: Healer, Tank, and DPS.
Admittedly, I do kind of wish I could get specific role patches, but I imagine that would be frightfully expensive in the long run; naturally, it would be White Mage. This Secretlab Final Fantasy 14 chair is of the same, high quality that the Diablo 4 chair is, but there’s just one thing I hope: that this design becomes a part of the Secretlab SKINS line. I know a few people who bought new chairs, right before this one was revealed, and most of them are Final Fantasy 14 fans. As fast as this chair sold, I imagine the skins would too.
Interview with Irene Tee, about the Secretlab Final Fantasy 14 chair
Q. Hello! Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. For those who don’t know who you are, could you please introduce yourself?
Irene Tee: Hi! I’m Irene Tee, a Senior Product Graphic Designer at Secretlab. I led the design process for our first FINAL FANTASY XIV Collection. I’m a longtime fan and have been playing FINAL FANTASY games growing up. It was incredibly exciting to work with SQUARE ENIX to design this collection that was so well-received that it sold out just days after launching! Pre-orders are currently open for those who want to reserve a unit, and we’re working hard behind the scenes to get these to fans as soon as possible.
Q. Secretlab chairs are incredibly comfortable, but there are also a wealth of interesting designs. I want to highlight the one that’s of greatest interest to me - the Final Fantasy 14 chair. We saw it in person at the Dawntrail preview event. When creating the initial design, were there any requirements or data given to you by Square Enix?
Irene Tee: SQUARE ENIX has been an incredible partner who cares just as much as we do when it comes to creating authentic experiences for like-minded fans. The idea behind this collection centered around celebrating FINAL FANTASY XIV’s 10-year legacy and its strong community with over 30 million total registered players.
The design of the chair needed to feel emblematic of this iconic MMORPG which was no easy feat, given how rich the gameplay is. We went through countless iterations of the designs before landing on the version you see today — and we couldn’t be more proud of how it has turned out!
Q. One facet of the chair I love is that it looks to have the Crystal Tower - one of the most iconic locales in the game - stitched into the back. Were there any other cities, dungeons, or designs that were considered?
Irene Tee: It’s essential that our designs feel authentic to fans. To achieve that, we were very intentional about every stitch, color, and detail that made up the overall design.
While we did consider others, the Crystal Tower stood out as an iconic location that all players would be familiar with as they return to it at different parts of the game. Visually, its strong crystalline features are also especially stunning.
The Ocular was also a huge source of inspiration. We were especially drawn to the gilded arches that adorn all the windows and walls, and the star map on the floor. These brought an ethereal quality that we wanted woven into the design, which sparked the idea of having embroidered gold accents trailing the sides of the chair.
Q. One thing that makes the chair stand out from other Secretlab chairs is that you added another magnetic spot just for the Role Patches. Were there any discussions of having patches for all of the classes, instead of the roles? If so, was that something that was rejected out of fiscal responsibility?
Irene Tee: One of the best things about playing FINAL FANTASY XIV is the freedom for players to swap their roles within the game. We wanted to bring this in-game element into the real world and let users bring some individuality to their chair by displaying and changing their preferred role at any time.
We couldn’t have been happier with the final result — the interchangeable Magnetic Role Patches are such a fun way for fans to fully customize their chair into one that reflects their play style. This time, we chose to focus on the three popular roles amongst players. We’re excited to hear what fans think of these!
Q. Were there any major design challenges that had to be overcome when implementing this part of the Secretlab chair?
Irene Tee: We’re very particular when it comes to creating a great design and overall experience for anyone who sits on a Secretlab chair.
We noticed that a lot of the removable badges in the market tend to leave some sort of velcro when removed. This just makes the end product feel incomplete and we felt that we could come up with a better design solution with our Magnetic Role Patches.
Even without putting on one of our patches, the chair should look complete and seamless. Our design cleverly hides the magnetic strip with the Meteor Logo, maintaining that smooth and cohesive design that our fans have come to love our chairs for.
Q. It wouldn’t be a Secretlab chair without a lumbar pillow to pair it with. In this case, you went with two designs that were honestly, a no-brainer: The Fat Cat, and Alpha! When choosing what designs you wanted to go with, were there other picks that didn’t make the cut, or was it always going to be these two?
Irene Tee: Fat Cat and Alpha are such iconic characters in FINAL FANTASY XIV, so these two were always on the top of our list!
Q. Final Fantasy 14 has really taken off since A Realm Reborn, and it’s been a pleasure for me to cover it since the beginning. If you weren’t already a Warrior of Light, has this project inspired you to try and play the game, through its incredible Free Trial?
Irene Tee: I’ve been a fan of the FINAL FANTASY universe for a long time! I started out with their other RPG titles like FINAL FANTASY V, VII, VIII, X, XI… and more.
In comparison to the other titles in the series, I’m relatively new to FINAL FANTASY XIV’s gameplay. This actually worked out well, coming in with a fresh perspective to the allure of FINAL FANTASY XIV which has helped unlock ideas for this collection.
Q. What job or role is the most enjoyable to you, as a Final Fantasy 14 player?
Irene Tee: Dragoon hands down! Everything about this job looks so cool, and I love how Gae Bolg is designed.
Q. Players have all sorts of reasons to be drawn into FF14. What brought you to this MMO?
Irene Tee: Sure, killing monsters and completing quests are fun but I really enjoy the housing system in FINAL FANTASY XIV — I want to be a real estate tycoon in-game hahah!
The Secretlab Final Fantasy 14 chair is available now on the Secretlab website. It features a unique design, with colors and stitching inspired by the popular MMO.
