Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the psychologist who coined the term, claims it's the secret to happiness and a life worth living. "Some people say Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel in a flow state," says Mark McKenna, director of product design at Steelcase.

In order to achieve a flow state, you first have to be able to focus, and that's exactly what Steelcase is aiming to provide with Brody Research. It's a one-person pod with an adjustable chair, a titling laptop stand on a swiveling arm, a footrest, and a privacy screen that encircles the person within. McKenna calls it "a micro-environment" for the user, more like a cockpit than a desk. Steelcase will be showing it off at Neocon, the annual furniture festival, in Chicago this June.

When Steelcase started on Brody, the design team began by thinking about escape and focus in broad terms. Steelcase has explored this territory before: Last year the company worked with famous introvert Susan Cain (author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking) to create five modern office spaces that maximize productivity by offering privacy.