Contract Magazine now has the lineup for this year’s Best of NeoCon (BON) competition live online! As always, it is chock full of brilliant ideas and beautiful designs. We’re paying particular attention to the architectural products category because this is where we get to see products that complement our own. This year, there are quite a few privacy screens of various shapes, dimensions, and materials. It appears that contract furniture designers and manufacturers are coming to the realization that enclosure, noise control and privacy will be key characteristics of the evolving open office space. We’ll be taking a look at one NeoCon showcase product per week for the next month and giving you our opinion.

Get In the Zone with KI Privacy Screens

First up are the Connection Zone Screens™ from KI. These freestanding panels have a writable surface, making them function as a giant white board. However, a traditional white board on a movable stand or tripod easel doesn’t serve to really create any privacy for a quick meeting in an open plan office. In contrast, KI says their screens are “mobile marker boards for information capture and impromptu space division”. It’s their attempt to bring actual, practical collaboration to the open office by making it temporarily cozier for small groups.

Here’s What We Like About the Connection Zone Screens

• They are quite tall to offer more than just token visual privacy for dynamic teaming
• They are wider at the base than the top to resist tipping
• The color will reflect light and keep the workspace from feeling dark or closed in
• They feature casters so they can be wheeled from place to place
• Multiple screens could be used to divide up even large spaces
• They have a narrow profile that doesn’t take up too much space
• It looks like you can store materials such as markers and erasers inside the base
• The white hue and curved shape make them look like sails on a ship (very romantic!)

If you get a chance to see these in person at NeoCon, try them out and let us know what you think.