Do you wish you had a superhero standing by to guard your cubicle from pesky coworkers? Perhaps you could just use a superhero’s cape. That’s what the CoworkerBGone cubicle door looked like. The “Eco-fi” cape was basically a rod with a piece of black fabric hanging from it and a bracket to attach the hinged rod to a cubicle wall. The plain black curtain was made of recycled bottles. But you could also choose more decorative curtains made from the fleecy polyester material popular for blankets and pajamas.

What Happened With This Idea?

According to the 2011 press release upon the launch of this product, “The CoworkerBGone Cubicle Door lets employees create privacy when working on sensitive information and improve productivity by managing unwanted interruptions.” There’s certainly a lot to be said for increasing privacy in the cubicle. Most of us know first-hand how tough it can be to concentrate with constant interruptions. It was a good idea but apparently didn’t last since the website is now defunct. There’s no telling what factor proved to be the kryptonite for this product. It could have been:

• Failure to garner enough web traffic to get the concept out there (internet marketing can be tough)
• A higher than justifiable price point based on the materials and construction ($40 or more plus shipping)
• The fact that the item isn’t all that attractive (the black curtain does somewhat resemble a heavy duty garbage bag tacked up across the cubicle opening)

What’s odd is that at least three competitors with similar products also appear to be out of business as well. Good luck finding a supplier for the Dilbert Inflatable Door, Cube-a-Door and CubeDoor these days.

All Is Not Lost!

Fortunately, you can still find higher quality workstation privacy screens online. Quartet can come swooping to your rescue with a standalone mobile screen to block off your cubicle while still letting the light in. The aptly named “Behind-You” screen from Teknion is another high end option. Apparently, companies don’t have a problem with granting workers more privacy. They just want a product that looks professional and is constructed of quality materials.