Workspace Tips

Among the many interesting people we met at ORGATEC22 was Barry Jenkins, of Hotbox design legends BroomeJenkins. We caught up with him about all things hybrid, and he very kindly shared these insights.

We talk a lot about hybrid working here at Hotbox – hardly surprising for a company specialising in making products designed to power a hybrid workforce – and we know a fair bit about helping companies cross different cultural divides, from supporting FedEx’s teams going hybrid in Germany to VMWare doing the same in Mumbai and Punai. With that in mind we wanted to talk about something we haven’t before – the method of office management favoured in the US known as ‘Hoteling’.

The pandemic shook up the way we work like few things ever have before. Even though the phrase ‘the new normal’ popped up swiftly, things are still anything but – especially when it comes to office space. Trends and statistics indicating how employers are thinking about the mid- and long-term are not hard to come by, but they can tell a conflicting story.

Wherever you find yourself setting up to work, you want a workspace that’s not just functional, but that promotes good ergonomics, too, and utilising a stand-up desk is something many workers find beneficial. But, before you order one for your office, it’s important that you understand what kinds of standing desks are out there — and which ones might be best for your needs. Fixed stand-up desks, for example, remain in a standing position and may not be adjustable at all, so you need to make sure the height is right for you. Adjustable sit-to-stand desks make it easy for you to move from sitting to standing throughout the day, which experts agree is idea. A standing desk converter can be placed on your existing desk and may be fixed or adjustable, and a swing arm adapter is another way to work while standing at a desk or table you already have. And that’s just the beginning! Learn more about the types of standing desks from Quill in this handy infographic.

Analysing and forecasting work behaviours relies on a lot of generalisation and reliance on ‘averages’. But the idea of an ‘average worker’ is a myth. Who is this mysterious person who always takes exactly 5.8 sick days a year?

We are very excited to be launching our brand new product, Hotbox 4, at this year’s Clerkenwell Design week (24-26th May) Hotbox 4 is the product of a fruitful relationship with BroomeJenkins that began in 2019 with the design of our backpack Shuttle.

If you haven’t heard the term 15-minute city before, the chances are you will do soon. We think it could well be one of the most exciting, transformative and simple ideas to emerge in urban planning over the last few years.

As restrictions lift and the office opens, many of us are finding ourselves with a hybrid working dilemma. Your office involves a long commute, and you find working from home difficult. Both can be unproductive for you and your employer.

Valuing people and helping them maintain a healthy lifestyle is essential for every business. Whether you have a handful or hundreds of staff, there are many ways to improve their wellbeing. We found a few ideas for providing a good working environment for both mental and physical health.

There are lots of co-working spaces out there, but the market is getting crowded. Well-known workspace providers like Regus and WeWork are facing competition from smaller providers and hotels and pub desks. In future, you may even be able to pick up a latte and work at a hub at Starbucks.

A survey by AlphaWise, Morgan Stanley Research, says workers in the UK, Spain, Italy, France and Germany hope to work from home for two days a week post-pandemic. But if WFH will be permanent, how will it work for people living in small spaces?

In the third and last of my interviews with Oliver Heath of Oliver Heath Design, we discuss the use of colour. A subject close to every designer’s heart!