Portable Workstation

Working from home sometimes really means working from anywhere we want. Some of us prefer a quiet coffee shop with WiFi, maybe a library or public workspace like WeWork. The rest of us will work just fine beneath a tree in a park. Industrial designer Matan Rechter developed Shelly, a personal outdoor workspace, to create some privacy and shade for the workdays we spend outdoors.

Inspired by the recent global move to working from home, Rechter designed Shelly to create a sense of privacy for concentration and productivity when working in outdoor spaces like public parks. Named after its shell-creating capabilities, Shelly features a canopy that folds in and out. Constructed from aluminum profiles and synthetic Cordura fabric, Shelly is built to protect users and their electronics from UV radiation. Rechter designed Shelly to be convenient and easy to transport, making working outdoors as comfortable and accessible as working from home. The canopy’s folding segments retract and extend like an armadillo’s shell. When users need some shade, Shelly’s bench pops into an upright position and the attached roof unfurls overhead. When packing Shelly away, the roof retracts just as easily as it unfurls and the bench folds into itself for portability.

The WFH movement has brought our laptops and notebooks everywhere but home. Working outdoors in public parks or even our own backyard has become more tempting as each workweek draws on. Rechter designed Shelly as a means for privacy and shaded comfort while we work under the sun, protecting our skin from harsh UV rays and our laptops from overheating.

Designer: Matan Rechter

Shelly retracts and unfolds like an armadillo shell to provide ultimate comfort and protection against the sun.

The workstation’s shell can be pushed back completely with the bench still intact.

Made from aluminum profiles and synthetic Cordura fabric, providing vetted protection against UV radiation.

No matter where you’d like to work, Shelly can provide enough shade and protection to keep you in the zone.

In public parks, Shelly gives provides you with your own private workspace away from the noise.

Furniture ideas are really evolving during quarantine and I am loving that a table brings a lot more to the table than being a table. Never did I think I would come across a clock that was also a table but the world of design always surprises us! Functional furniture is an essential as our lifestyles become more flexible, especially after the pandemic that has taught us to optimize our resources to serve more than one purpose – just like this conceptual work station.

This table is called a Clock and I want you to keep that in mind for the rest of this story. Clock was designed to be compact and fit in the growing trend of smaller living spaces. The designer wanted to create something that seamlessly blended into our workdays (especially when working from home!) without disrupting our office hours or eating habits. The hybrid station converts food waste into energy to power itself wirelessly but also includes the systems to be plugged into a wall if needed. It is an innovative product that combines technology and functionality to sustainably manage waste and encourage more people to shift to natural/renewable energy sources.

When you aren’t working, simply slide the parts back and close the product into a slim bench. In its closed state, only the power icon and energy levels are visible, simply tap the power icon to light up the panel. The smart furniture appliance also has defined heating and cooling areas that are touch-controlled. You can sync your phone with Clock to receive all the important updates and statistics about your hi-tech table. This is an award-winning project that gives us a glimpse of a better future where multi-functional, sustainably powered, and aesthetically sleek products give us the flexible life we crave.

Designer: Yeg Design Studio