Tag Archives: Work

These air-ventilated and soundproof modular meeting room are here to improve those laggy Zoom meetings!

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Work meetings during the age of COVID-19 have changed. Despite all of the memes about sitting in a meeting that could have been an email, the acute need for collaborative workspaces remains. The value of in-person collaboration has become that much more obvious with the onset of stay-and-work from home orders and teams of designers across the globe have issued solutions that both address and transcend the immediate needs brought on by the pandemic. The creatives at Room, a design firm dedicated to rethinking the modern workplace, developed their own solution for the changing needs of the modern workplace with their latest modular meeting room design.

ROOM’s Meeting Room is a soundproof and air-ventilated external collaborative pod that can be placed almost anywhere in order to provide a meeting space that works for business meetings or presentations that require privacy. Silent fans located in The Meeting Room’s roof provide silent air-ventilation to keep the air fresh and moving for longer work meetings. Built as a prefabricated office pod, The Meeting Room comes equipped with all the office essentials such as a whiteboard, round table, integrated powerbox for charging, and even storage units like shelves and wooden boxes. The Meeting Room can be placed in any setting from preexisting office spaces to crowded spacious coffeeshops and it requires no construction for assembly. Just like those old phone booths, The Meeting Room provides a soundproof space with 27 decibels of outside noise reduction so that it can operate as a private working space or conference room for confidential matters. The Meeting Room’s powerbox comes complete with 3 AC outlets, two USB-A ports, one USB-C port, two CAT6 data ports, 1 HDMI port, and a camera connection for its Jabra’s 180-degree PanaCast. Additionally, the external pod’s lighting can be adjusted for dimming or brightening to fit different types of collaboration such as presentations or brainstorming.

In-person collaboration cannot be replaced by technological developments or virtual workdays, but while some try and figure out the ways by which it can be, adaptive workplace designs like the modular Meeting Room from ROOM offer a physical means for collaboration in the meantime. Outfitted to be a microcosm of the office buildings we’ve grown accustomed to, The Meeting Room delivers the conveniences that come with them and promotes both the economic sensibility and sustainability that comes with thinking modular.

Designer: ROOM

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The sliding design of this thermal footrest relaxes your legs and warms your frosty toes!

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A full day of being glued to your chair is draining in its own way. Your blood does not circulate through your lower body as well when sitting, which leads to aches and numbness, and pressure being placed on your joints. With the rise of remote working, many desk workers have the luxury of customizing their workspace in order to solve this problem. They can kick their legs up on a side table by their desk, not worrying about intruding into someone else’s space. What happens, however, when we return to our original offices and have to co-exist in working spaces?

The OFF:REE thermal footrest provides the blood circulation to reduce strain on your joints while retaining a compact shape that won’t get in the way of your co-workers. The built-in heater helps improve blood circulation while also keeping your feet warm during the winter months. The design is simple yet well-informed by user research. Its slightly curved shape provides support and fits comfortably to the arch of your feet. Its sliding platform allows users of varying heights to adjust the footrest’s angle to suit their needs. Finally, its large buttons – easily controlled by your feet, add another layer of convenience and usability.

If you’re going to spend 40 hours each week sitting in one place, you may as well be comfortable. And if you can achieve that comfort without intruding on your fellow worker’s space, all the better.

Designer: Hoyeon Kim and Mungyeong Kim

Google won’t reopen its offices until September 2021

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Google is once again delaying its return to the office in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, although it’s now planning a change to the way people work when they get back. The New York Times has obtained company-wide email from Sundar Pichai indicating...

Fired Amazon worker gets a court hearing over retaliation claims

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Amazon workers alleging retaliation over whistleblowing and labor organization will get at least one day in court. BuzzFeed News has learned that the National Labor Relations Board has granted former worker Courtney Bowden a hearing before an adminis...

India’s new ride hailing rules cap driver hours and limit surge pricing

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India is bringing app-based ride hailing services under dedicated regulation for the first time, and it might just set an example for other countries. TechCrunch reports the country has instituted guidelines that set expectations for both drivers and...

This Jenga-inspired organizer transforms and adapts with your changing desk setup!

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I am very particular when it comes to choosing desk accessories. If I’m going to use this product every day, it needs to fit seamlessly into my working life. It can’t be too large or have oddly shaped compartments. The best desk organizer is one that makes your life easier without you noticing. You can search through multiple stores until you find the perfect fit or, with this constructor-organizer, you can build your own.

One of its most unique features is the fact that the trays and different compartments don’t have an assigned purpose. This product doesn’t have a specific pencil holder or key ring hook. The nooks, ridges, and holders can fit a wide variety of small supplies; it’s up to you to decide how to use them. Another unusual feature of this product is that it can be oriented vertically as well as horizontally, making the possibilities seem almost limitless.

This freedom might seem overwhelming and a bit intimidating, but I think the wooden aesthetic helps make the product more accessible. It reminds me of a mix between Jenga blocks and legos, a building toy that encourages me to play around with the organizer until I settle on the perfect shape. The neutral coloring also allows the product to blend into a variety of settings. I could imagine it complementing the most colorful office cubicle or matching a wood-shop or other construction space. I’m truly impressed by this product’s versatility, both in terms of function and appearance.

Designers: Alexey Galkin and Olya Marchenko

Robowood wooden organizer 2

Robowood wooden organizer

From steelmaking to 3D printing, this magnetic modular lamp design can light up every corner

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Lighting can easily be overlooked, especially in office settings since work is often prioritized before interior design. The relationship between lighting and quality of work is complementary in that they influence each other. In the morning, we might prefer bright, full sunlight, but come evening time, we might like a dimmer, warmer light from a single lamp. Whatever the case might be, the designers behind Emett, a lighting system for collaborative workspaces, understand the importance of that relationship and took to the drawing boards.

With Emett, the core of the product can be understood through the design process. In order to provide optimal lighting for workspaces, the trio of creators found the design’s anchor in constructing the system around a typical office space. Emett’s adaptability when positioned in different workplaces is thanks to its simplicity. The aluminum base and head of the lamp are constructed using a 3D-printer and the main steel rod, or body, of the lamp structure is closely smelted in order to connect multiple heads and encase the wiring for operation. In order to give workers comfortable and effective lighting, Emett offers refreshing modularity with changeable parts and multi-functioning lamp systems. Each variation of the lamp’s structure allows for users to attach one or multiple lamp heads to the body. Being that this is a system of lamps, a main external driver can be connected to the office space’s electrical room where lighting maintenance for buildings generally takes place.

Additionally, incorporated into each lamp head is a dimming feature that adjusts a light’s intensity for changeable ambiance depending on what sort of work needs to get done. The pendant lamp hangs overhead work desks and group meetings to provide ample, warm lighting, nurturing bursts of creativity while supplying an air of coziness. Meanwhile, the desk and floor lighting fixtures dress up office spaces for general comfort and familiarity. Conveniently, each lamp head can turn 360 degrees to provide the perfect lighting mood to match your energy. Through steady solution-based creativity and clever regards to simplicity, Emett reimagines old and fussy office lamp systems under an everchanging, new light.

Designers: Antoine Gauthier, Maxime Bourgault, and Timothé Duchastel-Paré

Only a magnetic head and support rod make up the elemental concept of the lamp.

The lamp’s head is removable and can singularly attach itself to integrated circuits that protrude from the steel cylinder.

Three different sorts of lamp structures comprise the Emett lighting system: the desk lamp, floor lamp, and a pendant lamp.

The Logitech Ultra concept transforms from a keyboard to a sketchpad for the ultimate multitasking experience!

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As a freelance writer, I’ve had to work in a multitude of spaces: coffee shops, airport waiting areas, subway cars, and more. It’s difficult to find a truly travel-friendly device. Most laptops, even ultra-slim ones, still take up a lot of space in the average backpack. Other smaller touch-screen devices, like iPads, are lighter and more travel-friendly, but the lack of a keyboard is a deal-breaker for a freelance writer.

The Logitech Ultra combines the best of both worlds. At first glance, the device looks like a touch-screen product, which allows you to swipe between windows, including a calendar/to-do list, a virtual meeting room, or various keyboard interfaces. The screen has IR-Cameras built-in, which tracks users’ finger gestures across the surface. This finger-tracking ability is similar to the controls on a smartphone or tablet. Underneath the touch screen lies a bed of small press-able points that give you the haptic feedback of a keyboard without the limitations of a specific keyboard arrangement. Basically, any point on the tablet’s surface can function as a key.

Interestingly enough, the Logitech Ultra was imagined as a communal device, something that could be available for rent at a shared office space. Workshare spaces could offer these devices as a unique amenity; they would also be easy to store in bulk since they are so thin. More importantly, the Logitech could be the mobile-friendly device that replaces the need for iPads. They have the functionality of a PC and the mobility of a tablet. Unlike travel-friendly smart devices, like mini-keyboards, or iPads, the Logitech Ultra doesn’t require you to sacrifice functionality for space. You can have all of it.

Designers: Tillmann Schrempf and Shuai Li

Logitech ultra Shuai-Li

Logitech ultra

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