Web Worker Daily

A web worker’s office is her most important tool.  Arranging it should be given more care and importance than setting up one’s LinkedIn profile.  In my four years of web work, I can’t say that I’ve achieved the perfect office yet, but I already know what I have to do to get there.  If I could, I would go back in time to implement the following things so I could get a better start with my home office setup.

Spend time looking for a great chair. One thing we have in common with office-bound workers is the need for a good chair.  Without it, we’re prone to back aches and hours of working in pain or discomfort.

Alternatively, some people prefer to sit on uncomfortable chairs or even work standing up.  Having uncomfortable seating sometimes forces people to work faster and more efficiently.  But if you prefer a more contemplative style of working, you should focus on looking for a comfortable chair.

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So you thought you’d escaped the cubicle farm when you decided to put down roots in your local coworking community? Think again! The cubicle is back!

At Leeds’ The Round Foundry in the UK, entrepreneurs in the creative and digital industries can opt for traditional serviced office space or a hot-desking plan in a large shared space. Each hot-desker gets a cute lockable ‘pod’, that includes…

• Six large shelves (with file holder tabs!)
• Six power outlets.
• Two Cat-5 sockets.
• A coat/bag hook.
• A motorized, adjustable desk area.
• Um, wheels.

The pods (the model is know as a Macro-1)  are actually quite cool, designed by local company Volume Products as part of a range of modular office furniture. Though they appear to be designed for traditional office spaces, they seem to have been adapted well to the Round Foundry’s coworking area.

However is raises some interesting questions about the nature of work environments that coworkers are interested in inhabiting.

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