Tactile lamp and timer concept fosters focus and mindfulness in work-from-home arrangements

Although travel and work restrictions have mostly been lifted already, the office world is really no longer the same. It has now been proven that the work your bosses claim can only be done in the office can actually be done at home or even in a coffee shop, and so more flexible remote working conditions have started to take root in many companies. At the same time, however, the pandemic also proved that working from home is far from being the idyllic scenario that many people dreamed of in the past. Maintaining focus and motivation isn’t exactly easy to achieve, but this curious desk lamp helps develop that sense of balance between work and personal life using a very visual and tactile experience.

Designers: Pinar Aydogdu, Naren Yildirim, Nurbanu Kocak

One of the oldest productivity tricks in the book involves focusing on a single task for a certain amount of time and then taking a brief break before repeating the cycle all over again. Ironic as might sound, this technique, most popular by its “Pomodoro technique” moniker, actually helps you focus during those moments you are working. It also elevates rest to its proper place in our hectic lives, presenting it not as wasted time but as an important factor in boosting productivity.

You’d probably never think that a decorative desk lamp would be the tool to encourage that productivity practice, but the Fall concept design is exactly that. At its most basic, it is composed of a conical lamp standing on a circular base that has a rippling surface, almost like the ripples in a pond. The soft diffused light that the lamp gives isn’t going to be enough to illuminate your work, but that’s not the purpose of the lamp anyway. It works in conjunction with eight balls that magnetically attach to the top of the cone, turning this productivity practice into something like a game.

Each ball represents one hour of working time, so their total makes up an entire day’s work. At the start of your work day, you stick those balls at the top, and after an hour has passed, one ball falls down on the base. Because of the undulating surface of the base, the balls won’t roll off, but you can remove each ball as you please. In fact, you remove the ball from the base to signify that you’re taking a break and you put the ball back on the base when you’re back. If you don’t bring back the ball within a set amount of time, usually ten minutes, the lamp’s light will turn red to nudge you back to your work.

Fall is an interesting idea that encourages physical involvement in juggling those work hours, making sure you’re more mindful of your time instead of simply glancing at a clock or swiping an alarm away. The lamp itself gives a rather distinctive aesthetic, one that encourages play and interactivity instead of just looking pretty. Admittedly, it’s just a concept and one that will be rather complicated to implement in a real functioning device.

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A Furniture Subscription Model That Leads To A Path Toward Convenience And Sustainability

In a world where the environmental impact of consumer choices is becoming increasingly critical, innovative solutions are emerging to address the challenges of over-consumption and waste. One such solution is the Koru WFH Furniture Subscription, a pioneering concept in the realm of home-office furniture that not only meets the needs of modern remote work but also champions the principles of a circular economy.

Designer: Studio Elk

As of 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency reported a staggering increase in the amount of furniture and furnishings being discarded, reaching a whopping 12 million tons. This alarming statistic underscores the urgent need for sustainable alternatives in the furniture industry. Koru is a visionary response to the environmental challenges posed by the disposal of office furniture.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed a monumental shift in work culture, giving rise to the widespread adoption of remote work. In this context, Studio Elk seized the opportunity to introduce a circular economy concept for home-office furniture through its subscription service. By leasing modular furniture to businesses instead of selling it outright, the studio has developed a sustainable approach to furnishing home offices.

Koru furniture isn’t just functional; it’s a harmonious blend of professional utility and aesthetic sensitivity to the home environment. Employees subscribing to the services gain the flexibility to configure their home office setups according to their unique needs, spatial constraints, and personal style. This design characteristic ensures that the furniture seamlessly integrates into the home while meeting the demands of a professional workspace.

https://www.behance.net/gallery/184030027/Koru-WFH-Furniture-Subscription/modules/1042109815This subscription model empowers businesses to choose from a variety of flexible monthly plans that can adapt to the evolving size and requirements of their teams. The service encompasses installation, repair, upgrades, and efficient collection when the furniture is no longer needed. This holistic approach eliminates the time and cost burdens typically associated with managing, moving, and storing furniture assets.

The durability of the Koru furniture is a key factor in its sustainability. Crafted from hard-wearing materials and finishes, the furniture is designed for longevity. Moreover, its easy disassembly and reassembly enable a closed-loop system, promoting reuse and enhancing repairability.

Koru’s innovative subscription concept facilitates a continuous revenue stream throughout the entire lifespan of its products. Operating on a Product-as-a-Service model, the company aligns profitability with product longevity. The longer the furniture remains in use, the more sustainable and profitable the model becomes.

Koru’s subscription concept and circular supply chain model provide a blueprint for furniture brands seeking to diversify and future-proof their business. By integrating environmental responsibility with business goals, Koru offers a pathway for brands to thrive while minimizing their environmental footprint. In essence, the Koru WFH Furniture Subscription is not just a service; it’s a sustainable business model that envisions a greener and more responsible future for the furniture industry.

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Multifunctional furniture collection offers simple ways to support your hybrid work life

Many of us have probably become acutely aware of how little space we actually have inside our homes, at least not enough to accommodate other activities that go beyond sleeping, eating, and relaxing. Recent shifts in work arrangements have created the need for hybrid spaces, or areas that can function as a workplace as well as a living space. Aside from making room for specialized furniture, homeowners have found themselves trying to either utilize existing furniture for other functions, like a dining table that becomes your office desk outside of meal times or replace those with multifunctional designs. Multifunctional, however, doesn’t have to mean complicated, as demonstrated by this collection of simple furnishings that ingeniously hide their extra features in plain sight.

Designer: Alessandro Stabile

One of the most important requirements when working from home is having a separate desk just for work or school. As many found out in the past two or so years, that’s a luxury for those living in small homes with a limited number of rooms. Sure, you can use almost any table as a work desk, but that also muddles the separation of your work from other parts of your life. Wally solves this by disguising the desk as a wall shelf that folds to reveal a horizontal surface to work on. It does function as a shelf with a hidden space when the table is folded up, while the top shelf can be home to decorations or more visible objects like clocks and storage bins.

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This theme of easy-to-access hidden functionality is pervasive across the collection. “Mr. Hyde,” for example, looks like an ultra-minimalist wall-mounted wooden desk, at least until you pull that wooden enclosure to reveal hidden storage inside. Its complement, the In&Out shelf, has the same trick, except it uses a more conventional sliding tray to access the compartments.

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What makes this particular collection extra special is that they’re designed for simplicity and ease of integration with the rest of your living space. Their minimalist and modular designs allow the owner to decide where and how to use them. Sure, there are parts of the collection that do need to be securely mounted to walls, but some, like the modular Dese bookcase, offer a bit more flexibility.

There are even some that are so simple that you might wonder why there aren’t more of these designs around. Double, for example, is a side table that can either stand low on both legs horizontally or stand tall on one side, offering you a place to put your things on, regardless of your available floor space. Sometimes, the best solutions are the simplest ones, and this elegant minimalist collection proves how “simple” doesn’t need to be boring, either.

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Anker made the ultimate monitor stand with its own built-in multiport hub and wireless charging pad

Elevating your monitor to the appropriate eye level is the least of what the Anker 675 is capable of. The slick stand also houses multiple USB-C ports (going all the way up to 100W output) and USB-A ports, along with a 4K HDMI port, an Ethernet port, and an SD card slot. If that wasn’t enough, the 12-in-1 monitor stand also has its own 10W wireless charging pad that lets you juice your phone while you’re working on your desktop or laptop. The stand comes with a crawl-space underneath it too – perfect for stashing your keyboard, notebooks, or just hiding cable clutter.

Designer: Anker

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Designed to be a multiport on legs, the Anker 675 cleverly achieves a bunch of things to make your workplace much more comfortable. For starters, it elevates your work setup – quite literally, if I might add. The monitor stand lifts your monitor up by a cool 3.54 inches, preventing you from needing to hunch over as you work. The stand’s about 21.2 inches long and 8.6 inches wide, fitting most regular desks pretty comfortably. If you’ve got a laptop or a multi-display setup, the 675 may pose some space constraints for smaller tables, although it makes up for that with a whole bunch of features, starting with that 12-in-1 multiport built right into its slick design.

The multiport features practically every single connector you’d need in a modern work setup. You’ve got three USB-C ports, including one ‘Connect to Host’ port that outputs a staggering 100W to let you directly power your laptop right from the Anker 675. A DC power input provides juice to both the stand as well as your primary machine. There’s no way for the monitor to draw power from the stand, which seems like its one real drawback, although a 4K@60Hz HDMI port lets you directly hook your monitor to your laptop via the stand. The Anker 675 also has three USB-A ports that work for both power and data delivery (including one USB-A 3.1 Gen 2 port), slots for SD and MicroSD cards, an Ethernet port capable of 1 Gbps speeds, and lastly, a 3.5mm audio jack.

All ports are cleverly located in places that make them easy to access while allowing you to neatly route cables from under the stand. The stand’s multiport system also reduces the need to have a power strip cluttering your table, along with a host of wires and cables. You’d ideally need just two plug points – one for the monitor, and another for the Anker 675, which powers all your other devices, from your laptop to your phone. Speaking of which, the monitor stand also has a 10W wireless charging zone on its side that lets you juice your smartphone or TWS earbuds whenever you want.

The Anker 675 comes with a reliably built aluminum chassis that sits on metal-finished plastic legs. The legs come with silicone-strips on the base that prevent the stand from accidentally shifting around while you work (and scuffing the table surface in the process). The entire device is designed to be compatible with both Windows and Mac-based machines (it works with the iMac too), working right out of the box without any setup required. The only setting up you’ll really need to do is physically placing the Anker 675 on your table and neatly routing all your wires and cables through its built-in cable management system located on the underside of the stand.

The Anker 675 ships with the 180W DC adapter and the AC power cord that plugs into your power socket. There’s also a USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 cable included along with the hardware, and the entire device is protected by an 18-month warranty and Anker’s promise for lifetime customer support.

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 brings a no-nonsense powerhouse for hybrid workers

Thanks to a few incidents that rocked our world, a new trend was forced upon both employers and employees. Working from home was never going to last forever, as much as some might have wished, but working at the office like before is no longer ideal either. Hybrid work setups, which saw people dividing their time between the office and any other non-office location, are now an option that some companies and workers have started to embrace. That, however, also meant that they need proper tools that support such an arrangement, particularly a laptop that’s designed exactly for such a scenario. Lenovo’s upcoming generation of ThinkPads is indeed intended to target that market, and the ThinkPad X1 Carbon X11 offers the most powerful and most traditional computing solution among them.

Designer: Lenovo

Even before ownership transferred from IBM to Lenovo, the ThinkPad brand has been one of the most trusted names among laptops designed specifically with productivity in mind. It was often seen as the standard for what specs and features should go into a work laptop, and the newly announced batch of portable computers is no different. For the 30th anniversary of the ThinkPad brand, Lenovo is aiming for the latest trend among computer users in the office, that is, working from the office, at home, or even in a public space like a coffee shop.

Of course, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 has all the basics of a modern laptop powerhouse, starting with the latest Intel Core processors, which would be 13th-gen at this point, alongside up to 64GB of speedy LPDDR5 memory and up to 2TB of SSD storage. The 14-inch screen includes options for different resolutions up to 2.8K, though there is no possibility of adding touch support to that list. The laptop utilizes Intel’s Iris Xe technology for graphics, so using it for gaming might be a little limited.

Lenovo is marketing its new ThinkPads as the perfect hybrid work partner, particularly because of how it can help protect your privacy and security when working out in the open. Its Lenovo View application, in particular, includes features to blur your screen or warn you if an unauthorized onlooker’s face is detected, as well as performance optimizations for video conferencing. It will even warn you when your posture is wrong or if your eyes deserve a break to encourage digital well-being as you spend more time working, even outside the office.

The new Lenovo ThinkPads also represent a step forward in the company’s sustainability commitments. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11, for example, uses 90% recycled magnesium in its palm rest, 55% recycled aluminum on its bottom cover, and 100% bamboo and sugarcane fiber for packaging. The Lenovo Commercial Vantage software also provides tips and settings to improve the efficiency of the laptop and help reduce its power consumption or prolong its lifespan. All in all, this new ThinkPad X1 Carbon laptop promises a no-frills hybrid work experience, with no extraneous features and gimmicks to get in the way of your productivity. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 launches on April 2023 with a starting price of $1,729.

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Microsoft Presenter+ delivers stress-free presentations, whether in person or online

The way we work changed drastically after 2020 due to how many businesses were forced to adopt work-from-home arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though many companies have returned to normal operations by now, a lot have embraced hybrid work strategies that let people work in the office or at home, depending on the situation. During these tumultuous times, the one thing about work and even school that hasn’t changed is the need to deliver presentations. Very few people actually find that activity fun, and it can ironically be even more stressful when done remotely. There are a few ways to lessen the cognitive load when doing presentations, and one of them is by having the right tool for the job, like the new Microsoft Presenter+ remote control specifically designed for a hybrid life.

Designer: Microsoft

No matter how well you’ve prepared your slides and rehearsed your delivery, something always tends to go wrong during presentations. One of the biggest “accidents” that happen is a slide that just refuses to move forward or backward at your command. If you’re near the laptop or computer where the presentation is running, that might be easy to resolve, but not if you’re at a distance, whether in a meeting room or your bedroom.

The new Microsoft Presenter+ addresses a few of these problems and then some. With Bluetooth connectivity and a maximum range of 32 feet, you won’t have to worry about your presses not going through. Dedicated forward and backward buttons make it clear which does what, but these can even be reprogrammed to do other things if you really need some extra functionality. For in-person presentations, a screen pointer is also available to keep your audience focused on the content that matters.

The Microsoft Presenter+ is designed from the ground up for the new systems and technologies that have been adopted in the workplace, especially hybrid work arrangements. A dedicated Microsoft Teams button lets you easily join a meeting or raise your hand when you’re already in one. There is also a clearly-marked mute button, so you won’t have to scramble to click the correct icon. A helpful status indicator lets you easily see if you’re muted or not to prevent that awkward silence.

Although specifically designed with Microsoft Teams and PowerPoint in mind, the Presenter+ also works with other presentation software, including Apple Keynote and Prezi. With an easy-to-use interface and convenient shortcuts to often-used functions, this handy gadget keeps you focused on your presentation rather than on which button to press next. Availability details for the Microsoft Presenter+ are still forthcoming, and this piece will be updated once the information becomes available.

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Ignite Desk separates work and personal life in a simple yet effective way

It’s probably arguable that many of us spend the majority of our waking moments in front of desks and tables, whether it’s for work, play, or anything in between. The desk, in particular, has long been associated with working, studying, or other kinds of activities that require a flat surface, and the desk’s core design hasn’t changed much until recently. Limited room space has given birth to modular desk designs, while work-from-home arrangements caused multi-purpose desks to flourish. Even as the world settles down into the cadence of a “new normal,” the need to separate work from other activities at home hasn’t gone away. This customizable desk has a design that respects that separation of concerns, and it implements this in a beautifully minimalist manner.

Designer: Subi Hahn

The same desk can be used for almost anything, of course, and you’re free to configure it the way you like or need things to be. Switching between different modes or kinds of work, however, can be tedious and cumbersome, especially if you use different specialized tools for the job. The amount of work needed to keep your desk organized and tidy can be daunting and disheartening, so most will eventually end up with a cluttered desk that just mixes everything together.

The simplest solution that doesn’t involve buying a new desk is to just cover your work desk when you’re done and uncover it again the next day. The Ignite Desk concept design borrows that idea but expands it to make the same desk usable for two different purposes. In its “neutral” state, the backboard is unfolded over the entire desk, providing a flat and clean surface you can use for activities like reading, playing, or even eating.

To put the Ignite Desk in its “active” state, simply push and fold the backboard to the rear, revealing the second-level work space underneath. Rather than just a simple tabletop, it provides a few sections and customizable modules that let you set up your workstation according to your job and needs. There are containers for stationery and accessories, for example, as well as a wireless charging pad. There are hidden power outlets for your devices as well as movable dividers to really personalize your setup.

The Ignite Desk doesn’t have a sophisticated mechanism, and its design is practically to cover the real work desk with another desk. At the same time, however, it creates a clear yet flexible division between the desk you use for work with the desk that you can use for everything else. Even if you don’t actually use this “neutral” mode desk, it still encourages creating a sort of ritual where you put a start and an end to your work hours, letting you allocate time for the rest of your life and, hopefully, leave enough room to ignite your creativity and the time for work finally does arrive.

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WFH Keyboard with interplay of connection and disconnection is partly entertaining and partly informative

We have orange and green access dots on our smartphones that appear on the top of your screen whenever an app is using either the microphone or camera or both. What if the keyboard you are using in your home office has a detachable touchscreen bar that lights up when the user is unmuted on a video meeting?

The clouds of the pandemic are fading away. In the transition phase, whether you are working from home for a few days or full-time, you still need a workstation knitted completely to your needs. The WFH Keyboard, as the name suggests, is designed to step up to the occasion.

Designer: acollective

The keyboard comes with a built-in speaker and microphone. The unit is built into the peripheral’s MacBook-style touchscreen bar. The screen pad – as the designers refer to it – pops out from the keyboard frame. This alerts the user that the speaker and microphone are active. This system – keyboard and the screen bar – become one again when the user hooks in a pair of earphones.

The antics of the WFH Keyboard are not limited to the interplay of connection and disconnection, which is partly entertaining and partly informative. The keyboard screen bar also features the chemistry of light. The screen lights up when the user is unmuted on a video call/meeting. This is a prominent cue to alert users about their status on a call.

What makes this interactive keyboard more exciting for our home office needs is the convenience of snapping the touchscreen pad from the main keyboard. The bar is snapped into the keyboard using magnets and it is easily detachable so you can arrange the keyboard for your desktop or mobile usage. The keyboard itself has a comfortable feel, eye-catchy layout and a side-mounted toggle button to switch the screen pad on or off between uses.

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This sleek at-home water dispenser designed at people who WFH can discharge water in three seconds

The Supor Instant Water Dispenser is an at-home appliance constructed for today’s world of remote working and WFH.

As we grow used to spending more time inside the house as a result of stay-at-home orders, many of us are turning to appliances to bring outside comforts indoors. While there is no replacement for morning trips to the coffee shop, at-home appliances like coffee brewers and french presses make the experience a little more accessible. The Supor Instant Water Dispenser is a new at-home appliance concept from designers Guoyu Li and Weili Wu that can pour water out in a matter of seconds.

Designer: Guoyi Li and Weili Wu

Adopting an integrated design language, the Supor Instant Water Dispenser keeps a polished midcentury modern look. The gleaming metallic look gives the appliance a retro, yet timeless appearance so that it can fit into any modern kitchen or office space.

In addition to its adaptable design, the Supor Instant Water Dispenser maintains a slender body so that it can fit onto any countertop no matter the amount of space available. Thanks to a seven-speed touch screen, users can also adjust the rate of water discharge so that it can pour from the faucet as quickly as three seconds.

Marketed for stay-at-home mothers and remote workers, the Supor Instant Water Dispenser is an at-home appliance that can be used for anything from brewing coffee to making a pot of tea. Even when the deadline is quickly approaching or when the meeting is just about to begin, a cup of coffee or pot of tea can be made available sooner than you can punch in the Zoom meeting passcode.

In contrast to similar products currently on the market, the designers suggest, “The attributes of products sold online determine that products need to reflect differences in form and appearance, and at the same time need to increase user stickiness through experience design, so that products are not only satisfied with functional attributes but become a way of life that can be shared on social platforms.”

The seven-speed touch screen adjusts the rate of dispensing water to varying speeds.

The attached grated reservoir ensures no-mess operation.

The slim design of Supor allows it to fit onto most kitchen countertops. 

Supor is plug-and-play for ultimate convenience. 

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This series of tiny prefabricated structures includes a home, remote office, and sauna

My Cabin is a series of prefabricated structures like a tiny home, a detached office for remote working, and even a sauna.

Girts Draugs found all the rest and relaxation he was looking for in tiny, prefabricated homes. Surging in popularity due to stay-at-home orders, tiny homes have been around for a while but only recently took off. Our collective need to head back to nature has prompted many of us to find ways of staying there.

Designer: Girts Draugs for My Cabin

While building a new home from scratch or renovating an old, dilapidated one are certainly options to make that happen, Draugs found more promise and more convenience in designing prefabricated homes. My Cabin, Draugs’s collection of prefabricated structures, features three types of dwellings: a home, sauna, and remote office.

My Milla, the company’s most popular prefabricated structure, is a two-floor tiny cabin finished in spruce wood that’s perfect for short stays in nature to get away from the stress of city life. The internal space of My Milla leaves enough room for a spacious living room, kitchen, bathroom, and main bedroom. The cabin amounts to 265 square feet with a top floor that overlooks the living room and double-glazed plastic windows that run the height of the first floor.

The second structure is called My Kalmus, which covers around 187 square feet to be used as a detached office or den. Inside, the structure keeps an open-floor layout without any frills or surprises, except for integrated features like steam insulation. Finished in finely sawed spruce wood, My Kalmus also comes with lofty, double-glazed plastic windows to bring guests closer to the outdoors.

Finally, each prefab home needs at least one accessory building. Enter My Galia, the 110-square-foot sauna structure. Inside, planks of black alder wood finish the sauna to provide natural insulation while residents find rest in the heated room.

While each home serves a distinct purpose, convenient comforts like a cast-iron stove, electric heater, and terrace are integrated into My Milla and My Kalmus structures. Each cabin is also customizable, allowing buyers to choose their home’s finishes, window placements, doors, and furniture.

An external fire pit provides ample warmth inside and outside the cabin.

The sauna is paneled in black alder wood for natural insulation.

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