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    • Cubicle Wall & Panel Extenders
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    • Desk & Table Mounted Modesty Panels
    • Tack Boards
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    • Privacy Panel Options
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  • Home
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    • Free Standing Desk Mount Privacy Panels
    • Ceiling Hung Screens
    • Ceiling Sound Baffles
    • Split Screen Panels
    • Desk & Table Mounted Modesty Panels
    • Tack Boards
    • Whiteboard Privacy Screens
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Category : workplace aesthetics

Home/Archive by Category "workplace aesthetics"

Our Favorite Offices from Inc.’s Best Offices of 2017

3 October 2017Mark Canavarrooffice design, workplace aesthetics No comment

Yes, it’s that time of the year.

Business-focused website Inc.com has published their list of the top offices in the world and it’s another chance to get inside the workspaces of some of the most innovative and creative office designs on the planet.

What we like about their yearly articles on the best of the best is that they don’t just breeze over nine or ten workspaces. They get in-depth, launching more than a dozen pieces on various offices and design elements around the world.

In this post, we’re pulling a few of the concepts we loved the most, not only because they’re amazing, but also because we believe they can kindle some creativity in you.

The Castle Full of Bears, Star Wars and Employees

If you take a stroll through Gloucestershire, England, you’ll probably notice a massive Victorian castle and the steady stream of people going in and out of it.

Inside that Victorian castle is the headquarters of Money.co.uk, and what a headquarters it is.

The designers and architects the company hired brought a sense of wildness and modernity to the offices without sacrificing the traditional appeal of the castle itself. Bright colors and trendy furniture pieces sit alongside aged walls revealing the weathered history of the building.

Our favorite aspect of the offices? It’s a tie between the neon-paint splatter knight’s armor and the ice room, where comfy seating is couched in an Arctic setting featuring a giant stuffed polar bear.

The Moss Wall at LinkedIn’s Headquarters

Bringing the outdoors in has been a popular trend in the past few years, no doubt a desire to make the workspace a more holistic, natural space that doesn’t feel like a 9-5 prison yard.

The concept has produced beautiful office spaces in London, Lisbon and Stockholm, but we want to focus on a unique element of LinkedIn’s San Francisco offices: the fern wall.

The wall was designed by IA Interior Designers and features varying shades of moss swirled into circles. When you look at the living wall, you get the sense that you’re flying over a forest swirled with trees of different shades of green.

“IA Architects used different kinds of moss to create a living wall with more depth and texture than your average patch of grass,” Inc. wrote.

ByteCubed Gets Geometric in Virginia

The first thing we noticed when we saw photos of consulting company ByteCubed’s offices was the pervasive use of angles. Everything from the chairs in their lobby seating area to the designs on their wall to the company’s logo itself are replete with angles.

Perhaps our favorite feature of their Arlington offices is the cubby holes they’ve integrated into one of their office walls. The three geometric spaces include angled walls for reclining, soft recessed lighting and cushioned seats.

ByteCubed plays it straight in the dining area, where long white granite countertops, bar seats and picnic tables provide the perfect place for eating and meeting.

King’s Office in Stockholm Is So Much Better Than Candy Crush

King, the app maker who created the insanely popular sequencing game Candy Crush, has what could be considered the most incredible office in the world.

Located in Stockholm, King’s offices feature a “forest” comprised of silhouetted metal trees, carpeted “stone” terraces, pockets of fern and plenty of sunlight.

The company has even incorporated bean bag chairs camouflaged as rocks.

Here’s a sneak peek at this fascinating space:

Every New Office Design Starts Somewhere

Don’t get caught up in comparisons. Do, however, pull bits and pieces of each of these offices and consider how you can integrate these into your current office.

You may want to transition from full-blown cubicles to panel extenders that provide enough privacy for productivity and enough openness to connect with co-workers.

We can work with you to incorporate these changes. Head to our Contact Us page to send us a message or give us a call at 888-323-5126.

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Seeing the Science: How The Color of Your Office Affects Your Workers

10 May 2016Mark Canavarrooffice design, workplace aesthetics No comment

colorWhat comes to your mind when you think about the color of an average office?

White? Grey? Maybe the occasional taupe?

It’s not out of the ordinary for traditional offices to feature drab colors on the walls and carpet. The modern movement for open workspaces tend to feature vibrant colors. It’s easy to assume that today’s offices – their reds, greens and blues – are more conducive to productivity, but is that just a feeling or is it science?

We wanted to get the bottom of the question of office color, so we sifted through a few articles and research to come up with a definitive answer. Over the next few minutes, we’ll talk about a study from the University of Texas that offer pretty convincing data about how colors can boost or burden your employees.

The Basics of Color: Why Blue is Different than Orange

Color is a matter of wavelengths. “Wave” should be a familiar term…radio waves, microwaves are just two examples. “Ray” is also a popular word for waves – gamma rays and x-rays fall into this category.

The rays have shorter wavelengths. Think of them like waves in the ocean. Shorter wavelengths are like waves moving toward the beach rapidly with just a few seconds between them. Longer wavelengths are like waves coming to the beach I slow intervals, like maybe one wave every 15 seconds.

Now, let’s bring this around to specific colors. Violet and blue have shorter wavelengths than red and orange, and, for some reason, have a completely different effect on our minds.

That’s right, the color of your office is literally (and scientifically) a mind-altering experience.

Which Colors Help Us Work Better?

Back in 2004, a team of scientists from the University of Texas at Austin observed workers in three different offices. Each office featured a different combination of colors. During the study, researchers recorded their productivity.

You might think that these kinds of studies happen all the time, but up until 2004, they weren’t that common. Here’s what the introduction to the study said: “The importance of environmental effects on employees’ productivity and morale has been suggested, yet very little experimental research on the long-term effects of interior color on workers’ productivity in the office environment has been reported.”

So, to get to the bottom of the color conundrum, they painted one office white, one mostly red and one mostly blue green.

They split the employees into three groups based on how well they could block out distraction. To measure their performance, they had employees check lists of zip codes for errors and perform typing tasks each day for four days.

At the end of the study, they found some interesting things:

  • Red room: People who could block out distractions (“high screeners”) got increasingly better at their jobs as compared to those who had a hard time blocking out distractions (“low screeners”).
  • White room: Results were very similar to the ones observed in the red room
  • Blue-green room: Everyone performed the same, with those who were only mildly distracted (“moderate screeners”) scoring slightly better than their counterparts.

Make sense? We’ll put it another way. The blue-green room seemed to have a calming effect on everyone, no matter how high or low their tolerance was for distractions.

The red room seemed to have a negative effect on workers who were easily distracted, but not so much or employees who can block out distractions while they work.

The white room had a pretty strong effect on the low and moderate screeners – they made significantly more mistakes in checking zip codes or errors than high screeners.

What Does All This Mean for My Office?

Let’s begin by saying we’re not suggesting you have to hire a contractor to come in and repaint your walls a soothing blue-green. However, science says that might not be a bad idea.

And the experts at task management company Taskworld agree. In an infographic that appeared in an Entrepreneur article, they said blue “is universally known for productivity” and is a “stable and calming color that helps workers focus on the task at hand.”

They also give high praise for green, which isn’t a surprise in the context of the study we just looked at.

“Green is a good color for people who work long hours,” they said. “It does not cause fatigue and helps you remain calm and efficient at the same time.”

Red, as you probably guessed, isn’t the best fit for an environment where you’re sitting for long hours. However, “if your job or task involves physical activity” red is a great color because it has been shown to “increase the heart rate, blood flow and also invokes emotion and passion.”

Have you recently changed your office color or worked in an environment where the color seemed to affect employee performance? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

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4 Industries Where Office Privacy is Vital

16 December 2015Mark Canavarronoisy office, open office design, privacy screens, workplace aesthetics, workplace culture, workplace distractions, workplace privacy No comment

office privacyMore and more offices are making the switch from traditional cubicles to a more open-spaced layout, designed to create a space that encourages energy, productivity, and especially the sharing of information for the best collaboration. However, this advantage also comes with a disadvantage – a huge loss in privacy. For some industries, office privacy is not that great a concern, yet there are still many industries that rely on discretion as their bread and butter, not only for completing their work but retaining their credibility as businesses that can be trusted.

Here are four industries where office privacy is still incredibly vital.

1. The Health Industry

Anyone who’s gone to the hospital and been forced to wear one of those nightgowns with the open back understands that privacy in the health care arena is hard to come by. However, jokes aside, when the technical aspect comes into play within the offices of the doctors themselves, the technicians, the scientists, and so on, privacy between offices and between cubicles is absolutely key, considering the information they have on hand and the amount of people who could suffer if it was wrongly unveiled.

  • Identity theft.

The health care industry has more information on us than our own mothers, with access to not only our immediate contact information, names, ages, and so forth, but in some cases more sensitive legal information that could result in a horrible case of identity theft if revealed. Privacy within the office through privacy panels, personal offices, specialized computers meant to combat those “over the shoulder readers,” and other tactics ensure that only those with explicit permission and clearances can review the information, preventing a new employee, an intern, or even a long-time worker having a bad day from doing something unwise with the information.

  • Embarrassment and loss of trust.

While your name and mother’s maiden name is certainly personal information, what can be more personal than your health records themselves? In the health care industry, patients trust a certain level of confidentiality which allows them to be open about the state of their health. If you knew you were risking a few new interns joking about your rather embarrassing disease that night at the bar, you would be far less likely to trust the medical profession in the future. This logic is why office privacy is crucial in the health industry, as privacy for personal reasons is just as important as for legal reasons.

2. The Financial Industry

A title with no short limitation, the financial industry such as banking, stock brokerage, and even online retail stores are under no small amount of pressure to keep that private information private. While an office does allow for greater collaboration, ensuring that the working space is kept enclosed and private is a top priority, with the aim to ensure that the vital and even personally dangerous information they have access to doesn’t result in ruin.

  • Identify theft or financial ruin.

Just as with the health industry, the loss of personal information can lead to others taking your identity and running from the hills, sparing only the time to land some serious blows against your credibility, your financial stability, and more. Entrusting your personal information and especially your cash to an industry requires a certain amount of trust, with the confidence that such a relationship results in profits rather than financial ruin. By accidentally sharing a few numbers, a few names, or even allowing a passing employee without clearance to glance at a screen, people could be at risk of losing their entire livelihood. With this in mind, many of the businesses within this industry have taken great pains to ensure that privacy panels, enclosed cubical, personal offices, and more are set in place to ensure they can benefit others rather than stand as a massive risk.

3. Law Enforcement

Anyone who’s watched a daytime soap opera is familiar with what happens if a member of the law enforcement, or the government for that matter, leaks a vital piece of information. Not only does it weaken their evidence, but it discredits the individuals themselves and can result in slanderous claims against innocent people. This extends far beyond catching criminals and into all elements of law enforcement, where they are privy to vital information about several people that they themselves, and especially those they’re close to, may not know. With this in mind, office privacy can be the difference between a system that works for the benefit of others, and one that leads to huge lawsuits, a loss in reputation, and damaged lives.

4. Cloud Storage

You may think that the cloud is the exact opposite of an industry in need of office privacy, since the purpose of the cloud is to share information and make it readily accessible by others. On the contrary, cloud computing and storage is home to more information than any of the previous industries combined. In fact, many of those industries turn to cloud’s online sharing and storage as a means for managing their business. This makes it clear that the cloud’s ability to give access only to the right people, and to dodge potential information leaks, is vital.

There are many facets to cloud computing, each requiring a team of experts to manage it. However, cyber terrorism is on the rise and there is nothing a few hackers would like better than to stumble upon a random office conversation, finding a few key words that lead them to unlock that sensitive information. With that in mind, cloud storage, and both the businesses and the techs who manage it, are in true need of office privacy at its best.

Collaboration and sharing truly is what makes the world go round, but when it comes to the sensitive information we’d rather keep to ourselves, and the industries we trust to keep it for us, implementing a certain degree of office privacy is the only thing standing between disaster and a well-working machine.

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Noisy Coworkers? 3 Tips to Help You Be More Productive

2 December 2015Mark Canavarrocubicle extenders, desk-mounted panels, noisy office, workplace aesthetics, workplace culture, workplace distractions, workplace privacy No comment

noisy-coworkers-195x300Everyone works differently. Each person will approach a task with a diverse and unusual array of tools, techniques, requirements, downfalls, and advantages to see it completed. With that in mind, working collaboratively can be a burden rather than a help.

 

An open office is made to encourage communication and interaction, all with the aim to boost productivity, but for some, the sound and activity can actually do the opposite. This gets turned up to eleven when general activity isn’t the only enemy – a particularly noisy coworker is. You know, the kind who likes to read aloud, take their calls on speaker, or even approaches conversations with a voice of utter thunder.

You can’t let this problem harm your productivity, but there are better ways to avoid the distraction besides hoping for a change in their personality or even a transfer. Do you have a noisy coworker? Here are three tips for getting past this obstacle and staying productive.

1. Listen to Other Things For many, the issue is not sound, but noise.

You may be able to ignore the intense sound of a storm outside your window, but the noisy conversation of two nearby coworkers can completely distract you, preventing your concentration on the work at hand. The simple answer is to substitute the distracting noise with something your mind can more easily ignore.

– Music.

Studies have proven that music in fact helps people concentrate; it allows your brain to limit the number of distractions in the environment to a single sound, and then manage that distraction. With this in affect, more brain power can be devoted to what actually matters. Instrumental music is especially favorable, as our minds do not interpret soft piano or violin in the same way it does voices – a sound that is made to draw our attention and keep our attention. In this way, Mozart becomes a much better working companion than the employee next to you, because at least he knows how to stay objective.

– Rain sounds and white noise.

In the same way music helps limit our distractions and fill our ears with something easily ignored, white noise provides a healthy substitute to voices. White noise is specifically sounds such as running water, rain, wind, and so on, which are so normal that they’reeasily dismissed. This can also apply to a simple desk fan or an air purifier that will supply dull noise, but a pair of headphones can be even more efficient. Some rain
sounds can help to not only block outside noises, but also create a more tranquil mood that allows you to focus and complete your task.

2. Get Out of Dodge

Sometimes the best approach is the most direct approach, and if you are one of those people who find music and white noise as distracting as the noisy coworker, you may need to take the situation by the reins and find a more obvious solution.

– Ask your manager to move you to a different space. Your productivity level benefits or harms the entire business, so if you’re suffering from distractions and are unable to deliver the necessary work, your manager is suffering too. By approaching your boss and letting them know that a noisy coworker– who may or may not be named – is making it difficult to work, they can move you to another area, eliminating the problem with advantages for not only you but the entire company.

– Get to work early or stay late.

Midday is known as the most prime hours for work, as the sun is high, the sleepiness of the morning has faded, and the afternoon lull has yet to set in. Because of this, you might find your noisy coworker is a lot less active and a lot less loud in the mornings while everyone is still easing into the day. This makes it an ideal time for you to begin your projects, allowing you to complete vital tasks that require concentration before the distracting person arrives. Additionally, while no one likes staying late, if you continue to work after your coworker has gone home, you’ll have a quiet office that allows you to keep your priorities in order, leaving the noisy midday for less important tasks or even some web-surfing.

3. Take Action

If these more docile solutions have not earned a result, or perhaps they simply aren’t your style, you can always resort to the fastest, most direct, and – nine times out of time – most effective solution.

– Ask them to quiet down. While there are certainly people who must have a patent on being obnoxious, many others are unaware they’re being so noisy. Perhaps they have an unusually loud voice, think that communicating on speaker boosts productivity, or that everyone works in a loud environment as well as they do. In these cases, they are simply trying to do their job well and do not realize they are preventing you from doing the same. By simply mentioning the problem to them and asking them to lower their loud activities, the entire situation can be resolved.

– Ask a manager to speak with them. If you find confrontation as appealing as walking on hot coals, or your coworker does indeed have a patent on being obnoxious, the next best step is to bring the issue to the attention of your manager. At this point, your manager can speak with the employ with a certain degree of authority, resolving the problem that may have caused derision or confrontation between two employees of equal status.

Noisy co-workers are as helpful for productivity as a one-man-band in your living room is helpful for sleeping, but there’s no reason to accept an inability to focus. By applying a few of these three tips, you can see the problem resolved, your productivity boosted, and perhaps a better workplace environment – since everyone else can also enjoy a reprieve from the noise. If the noise is still unbearable, you may want to look into cubicle extenders or panels. OBEX Office Panel Extenders offers a large variety of office panel extenders to fit any cubicle or desk.

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How Office Furniture Color Can Affect the Tone of Your Work Place

18 November 2015Mark Canavarroworkplace aesthetics, workplace culture, workplace privacy No comment

affect-of-colors-150x150

What is Color Really? 

Colors are different frequencies of light whose spectrums run from the lowest, which are in the red to orange. The middle spectrum is yellow to green. The highest is the blue to violet frequencies. The human eye is a remarkable natural phenomenon of nature. It sees 10 million distinct colors.

Many businesses and corporations believe in, and swear by the emotional value that colors hold for industries like: Interior design, marketing, businesses and their offices, and even in the prison system to influence and control prisoners adverse behaviors.

The Psychological Effects of Colors

Blue Tones: If one is trying to achieve a cooling, calming effect in a stressful environment, whether in work or in numerous business situations, blue tones are the way to go. Blue tones are soothing and are good for high tension and crowded areas, which makes them great for places with standing lines of customers like banks and movie theatres. Blue is also the number one choice when people are asked what their favorite color is.

Relaxing Greens: Greens are also similar to blues. Greens give an air of reassurance, and of course nature. Green is relaxing and is said to refresh one’s mood and mental stamina. Dark green instills concentration. Add some other colors in as well with the furniture scheme, or the mood could get muddled from too much browns in the room.

Red Tones: The fiery energy of red tones in furniture is great for motivation and productivity. Red is a power color, good for an office of authority. Reds are also emotional as we all know, celebrated as the symbol of the heart, which will add an air of caring to a business or organization. Red is an aggressive color, though, so make sure you don’t go overboard.

White: A clean color, hygienic, and hospital like. White is a no distractions color. White is definitely better when suited to a doctor’s office, rather than a business office. White can come off to customers or clients as being too cold and unimaginative. White also gets dirty far too quickly when it comes to the office.

Black is Black: This color is better for the ceilings of warehouses. It is great for a men’s suit or at funerals, but not for furniture in a business, unless it’s a nice leather couch, but black instead of brown with leather still either gives that dark biker look in an office, or a mortuary waiting room. Black can be great for going to sleep, but it can also be a negative influence to some psychologically in a deeply depressing way.

Dismal gray: This color is perceived as totally neutral. This is why there are no proven psychological attributes of gray that are known. It is a lack of any color in its form – And therefore nothing. Gray can be depressing as anyone from Seattle can contest to. Gray is dull and listless and not appropriate in office furniture unless in small amounts.

The Purple Peace Train: Purple is a peaceful color, and a favorite for kids, just look at Sesame Street and the use of purple to instill non-threatening laughter for small children. Purple is a fun color that tells people that you are a young vibrant company that really knows the times and what other young people want. This is a great Tech color for up and comings. Fun, vibrant, new, just don’t try to pull off purple in a serious environment. It is hard to keep a straight face with purple office furniture. Purple is also attributed to reflection and contemplation, making it a meditative color, perfect for a break room at a contemporary office environment.

Vibrant Orange: Just as Home Depot gets your attention with a loud orange color logo, transmitting home value, knowing how color affects your customers is not just good decorating skills, it is good business! It can be a matter of boosting workplace productivity up to 20% if implemented in the right optimum working environment. Orange instills low cost, regular folks, good values. Orange is also festive and can brighten up a room when needed. If one needs cheerful in an office setting, orange is your color.

Everyone has a deep personal love of color and cultural associations that affect their experiences and perceptions of life. Believing in a subconscious connection with color is not that far-fetched. Influencing your office with color also influences how people see and instantly perceive your company. You normally only have one chance to impress in business. Make sure to give yourself a well prepared psychological advantage. Yellows oranges, reds, and several other popular colors play more of a part in our everyday lives than we sometimes even realize. But in the subliminal world of marketing, that’s a good thing for you and your business office.

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Tired of Noisy Colleagues in the Office? Try These 5 Tips

21 October 2015Mark Canavarronoisy office, office design, workplace aesthetics, workplace culture, workplace distractions, workplace privacy No comment

loud-and-noisy-office-150x150

One of the most common things that people say when asked about their work at the office is, “I love my job, but I hate my noisy coworkers.” Whether in one’s own personal cubicle space, or in an open space office environment, rowdy project teams will get out of hand, or that click of employees that chatter more than they work, will start to encroach upon the sanctity of your workspace; sometimes even when they are across the room. Nobody likes a tattletale, nor the ongoing animosity or negative consequences that out-of-hand confrontations can cause in the workplace. It is better to take a subtler and more thought-out approach to handling the problem, by trying the 5 useful tips listed below.

1. Noisy Coworker Canceling Headphones

One of the most popular remedies for rude, noisy coworkers, who don’t seem to understand that other people are trying to work at the office, is noise canceling headphones. The headphones will also act as a visual deterrent to interrupting you at your desk. That “Chatty-Kathy,” who always b-lines to your desk just to shoot the breeze, will now have to have something important to say to you, especially if they want you to stop and take your headphones off.

Headphones have an air of focused concentration to them when one is tuned out to the office noise, and intently tuned into their work. For those who like to work to music, calm, soothing tunes are always a sure fire way to block out loud and inconsiderate blockheads. Big headphones have a psychological factor of letting people know you are busy. This is why small ear buds are not as effective. People are more likely to expect you to still be able to hear them through earbuds, defeating the purpose.

2. Avoid Public Confrontation

Go up to the coworker when they are alone, and politely ask them to please tone down the excessive noise. If you confront them in front of other coworkers, you risk causing an ongoing feud over the situation. Public confrontation will encourage other workers to weigh in on one side or another, causing a rift in the workplace. On the other hand, if your noise concerns fall on deaf ears, search out other working colleagues with like-minded concerns about the negative effect that the unnecessary noise has on office productivity, and then confront the offending employee as a group; as somewhat of a workplace intervention. This should be used only as a last resort though.

3. Find Quiet Refuge

Whether working in an old-school cubicle set-up, or a contemporary open office space, there is usually an open conference room, or in most open space workplaces, a designated quiet room. If your supervisor or another coworker asks you why you are working there rather than your desk, then you can simply be honest. Since they opened up the proverbial door, you can then tell them about your problem with the noise factor in the office without looking like the office snitch. This way there is no reason to have to awkwardly point fingers or name names. This solution may be inconvenient at times, working away from your desk, but it could be a productive godsend as well if put in the right perspective.

4. Be Discreet when Telling a Manager

There is a less confrontational way to tell a manager about a complaint concerning other coworkers. You can discreetly tell your superior about your noise concerns, without having to throw a coworker under the bus. Remind the manager how non-productive excessive noise can make not just you, but the whole office unproductive. This will up the issue and force the manager to actually do something, especially when low employee production will also negatively affect their standing with their superiors. Suggest that the manager sends an open letter to the whole office addressing the problem of excessive noise in the workplace. This will make your problem solving skills look good in your bosses’ eyes, and hopefully open up the eyes of the main offenders who can’t seem to tone-it-down.

5. Last Resort Relocation

People have different noise thresholds in the office, some people need the hustle and bustle of the office with a noisy talkative background in order to work properly. Others are just the opposite. They need a quiet, serene atmosphere in order to concentrate on their work. Most offices have areas that are quieter than others, and a move to that section, if it is feasible and permissible by management, might be the only option left. Once again, this is a situation where being totally honest will work to your advantage. You can state the other lengths you have gone through in order to try and fix the problem. Most employers will be understanding in this situation, and at least know that you are trying to be a team player about the noise problem.

Your workplace productivity is what pays the bills, gets you noticed by management, and gets you promoted. This is why it is important to take excessive noise at the office seriously, especially when it distracts you from doing your job properly. Workplace loudmouths will always be an irritating factor that everybody will have to deal with at some point or another at the office. Following the tips above will give you the advantage you need in order to shut down those rowdy office clicks, and muffle those irritatingly distracting coworkers that just won’t cop-a-clue and shut the heck up!

Alternatively, you can add inexpensive office panels to your existing furniture to increase workplace privacy. Click here to read more.

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Hard Time Focusing at Work? Try These 3 Tips

7 October 2015Mark Canavarronoisy office, workplace aesthetics, workplace culture, workplace distractions, workplace privacy No comment

1. Shut Down Distractions.

According to USA Today, nearly 50 percent of American employees say that they work for only 15 minutes before becoming distracted, and that 20 something year-olds are the most likely to be distracted at the workplace. This can be directly linked to the modern age of e-mail dependency, social media hysteria, and both generations Y and Z’s refusals to put down their smartphones. All these personal digital age workplace distractions will only stop interrupting us if we take drastic measures – We need to knuckle down and go cold turkey by turning digital distractions off at work.

Some might say, “But what if something terrible happens at home and I miss it?” No boss is going to fire someone for getting a landline call at work for a “real” emergency. Work offline if the internet is not required. Remove that temptation to check out what your friends are posting on Facebook, or take a quick peak at that mountain of email that is mostly just spam anyway. Turn off that cell phone, and rejoice in no longer having to answer those outside calls that truly could have waited. Workplace distractions are nearly always man made. They can also be easily made to go away with just the push of a button, unlike that distracting coworker that never leaves you alone.

2. Keep it Clean.

Clean it up! Keep it clean, and one will find a whole new world that has been swept clear of numerous built up distractions. The only thing one usually needs to work efficiently at their desk, is their PC or laptop, a working file, and a safely enclosed drink in order to have a productive work zone. Take time to organize, categorize, and label proper destination spots for all of those daily papers that add up. IE: Reminders, contact information, files, etc., and keep them off the top of your desk and where they belong. This will ensure that the time consuming distraction and aggravation of clutter will be permanently removed from your daily working routine.

Everyone should take some time out for the important pertinent little details at their workspace; this will help ensure it stays smooth flowing and productive. Just like if someone was trying to find something in a cluttered, dirty house, a cluttered, dirty desk is just as difficult to try and accomplish something with. All those seemingly helpful notes everywhere – That snack packet from yesterday that is taking up valuable real-estate on the desk – Those multiple photos of people’s families, their vacations, their dogs; all add up to potential distractions that make people lose focus at work.

3. Micro – break.

Studies have shown that micro-breaks help calm anxiety, and that they enhance one’s problem solving skills. Micro-breaks are little 1 to 3 minute breaks that are taken at least every hour. Micro-breaks are much more effective than taking a few long breaks every several hours. Using one’s brain all day without letting it rest properly allows the brain to grow weary, causing a person to lose focus. This continues to worsen until the brain gets the rest it needs. The longer that rest is prolonged, the longer time it will need to recover.

That old nose-to-the-grindstone mentality of the work gets done first, and then we take a break, has actually been proven to hinder one’s abilities to work properly, rather than increase productivity in the workplace. Break up the monotony of office work; take little mini-breaks after or during a productive work session. They allow the brain to rest, regroup, and start fresh again. This allows one to be focused and on-track with the task at hand when they come back. The practice of taking mini-breaks helps to combat brain fatigue, which is like hitting a mental brick wall when trying to concentrate on a long or complicated project.

Of course, there are many other different variations of distractions around the office. They are bound to pop up eventually. Turn off the e-mails, remove the temptation of social media or game sites on the internet, halt personal calls, tone up the work-desk with a quick cleaning, so that it’s actually conducive to work, and take a few minutes of time out in order to give the brain that short break it needs to function properly. These simple tips will all add up to a less distracting, enjoyable, and noticeably more productive working environment.

Alternatively, you can add inexpensive office panels to your existing furniture to increase workplace privacy. Click here to read more.

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5 Ways Privacy Panels Can Increase Employee Productivity

2 September 2015Mark Canavarrocubicle extenders, desk-mounted panels, noisy office, office design, office furniture, open office design, panel extenders, privacy screens, workplace aesthetics, workplace culture, workplace distractions, workplace privacy No comment

privacy panelsNew techniques, tools, and methods for boosting employee productivity are being discussed, argued, and decided on every day. One tool in particular is being hailed as an effective method of helping employees avoid distractions, feel more comfortable in their work environment, and work harder – producing work that is fast, efficient, and quality. The tool in question is privacy panels; compact and often stylish boards that make each individual desk into a working office without the impersonal look of a cubicle.

Here are five ways that privacy panels can make employees work harder, work better, and work happier:

1. Less Visual Distraction

No matter your working style, the human mind is designed to pick up and respond to movement in our area, even if it has nothing to do with you. Some argue this is an engrained cultural habit brought on by many flashy billboards, colorful screens, and constant entertainment, while others say it is a primal trait designed to keep us alert to predators or nearby danger. No matter the origin of this habit, as a worker, you’ll naturally be distracted by a coworker rising to copy a paper, retrieve a cup of coffee, or signal to another coworker. Although there’s very little entertainment value in these visual distractions and your coworker is probably not a tiger is disguise, trying to keep your attention on your work with these little disruptions is difficult.

The quality and speed of your work production relies on your ability to focus and build momentum, completing more tasks at a faster rate. By installing privacy panels around your desk, you are able to block out these little things catching the corners of your eyes and focus solely on your working tasks. This will boost productivity as well as the quality of work you can create.

2. Less Noise Distraction

While privacy panels mainly serve as a visual block, they also block a certain amount of sound. Although you won’t be spared the noise of a coworker shouting across the office to signal another employee, the small clicking of fellow keyboards, your coworker gathering together their paperwork, or the shifting of chairs on the floor will be canceled out. So if a coworker seems to be taking out their passive aggression on their innocent keyboard one annoying clank at a time, a privacy panel can dull this distraction – if not eliminate it entirely. This may seem like a small advantage, but your ability to block out all forms of distraction to focus your mind on your work will make a significant different in your productivity.

3. A Sense of Privacy

Privacy panels serve to seclude you and your desk away from the rest of the office, and by doing so, make you feel secluded in your personal area. With this new solitude, you can focus on your tasks and complete projects, knowing that there will not be a curious coworker glancing over at your computer screen or a bored intern wanting to watch you work.

Additionally, privacy panels serve as a visual barrier between you and your coworkers, encouraging them to leave you to your work, rather than disturb you. You are less likely to enter your boss’s office if the door is shut, and this same instinct will be placed on fellow coworkers with the panel’s advantage. When you settle down at your desk for the day, having this block tells them that you’re not to be disturbed. This can prevent a bored employee from deciding to stop by for a chat when you have a deadline, or a well-meaning coworker interrupting you with matters that could be handled at another time. This allows you to focus for longer periods and complete more.

With this peace of mind of knowing you have reliable privacy, you can shut off that portion of your mind that expects to be distracted at any moment. This reserve — similar to the mental trait that makes your eyes sharp to catch sight of a stalking tiger — ends up becoming a distraction of its own, and a privacy panel eliminates the issue.

4. Customized Work Space

Privacy panels, though minimal, serve as a set of walls between you and your coworker’s office space – creating a small and efficient “office” of your own. With this new privacy and sense of ownership, you can feel free to add personal decorations to your area without fear of disturbing other workers. These personal touches are known for boosting productivity, as they make workers feel more comfortable in their space; this confidence allows them to think creativity and concentrate on their work. These decorations can vary from family photos on their desk to large cat posters on the panels to a range of hanging lights or trinkets.

This also serves the rest of the office, as these little accessories are hidden from view and do not provide distraction for other workers. Perhaps your coworker has that trademark “Hang in There,” cat poster that grates on your nerves; there’s no need to suffer the sight of that every work day. Each employee will have the ability to customize their own personal office space, and not be distracted by each other’s additions.

5. Wall Space

Privacy panels, in addition to serving as stand-in walls for customization, can also serve as wall space for work-enhancing objects. You can place corkboards on the panels to schedule out the day’s work or place important reminders, or charts which gauge the progress and tasks of a recent project. Additionally, the barrier allows employees to place file cabinets near their desks without degrading the look or style of the office as a whole. Then they can store important files, objects, and tools to continue their work without having to pause and retrieve these items from another location.

This simple addition to any office space can make an employee’s work day more productive and far more enjoyable, benefitting the business and the workforce combined.

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Obex Panel Extenders: Tips on Choosing the Right Color for Your Office Space

27 May 2015Mark Canavarrocubicle extenders, desk-mounted panels, office design, workplace aesthetics, workplace culture No comment

It’s a well-known fact that different colors influence mood, behavior and feelings. All colors have a psychological affect on everyone, whether you’re aware of it or not. People also make different decisions and choices based on the color of their immediate environment. The colors you choose for your business help with the behavior of your employees and clients alike.

Color choice should play an important role in decorating an office space in particular, because of the impact it has on employee’s productivity rate, interaction with other co-workers and on the general mood of everyone in the work place. There are different ways to play with color tones and accents to get the effect desired, but there is one steadfast rule to remember when decorating; over-use of any one color has a negative, and sometimes, an opposite effect than what was originally desired. That being said, here are some tips on choosing a color for an office to bring about the most positive working environment for your business:

  • Strong, bright colors of any shade will energize, whereas the softer shades of pastel will calm and soothe.
  • Blue’s and green’s aid in decision-making, and it’s also good for keeping a calm atmosphere.
  • Subdued orange and peach create a warm, welcome feeling; a great choice for lobbies and reception areas, but it can create a chatty feeling in a workplace.
  • Too much yellow can cause more anxiety in a stressful workplace, but small amounts can increase productivity.
  • Using too much red can cause aggressive type feelings.
  • Turquoise creates a creative, communicative atmosphere.
  • To balance out the effect of any color, use a color that compliments it, i.e., blue with yellow, red with green, etc.

If you place to upgrade your work place with privacy panels or custom extenders, Obex Panel can help you with any color scheme you choose. From custom panels to the many fabrics and colors that are already in stock, Obex will be happy assist you with choosing the right product to satisfy your needs.

To see how Obex can save you time and money with easy-to-install extenders and panels, please feel free to contact us.

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Five Ideas for Office Dividers

29 October 2014Mark Canavarrooffice design, workplace aesthetics, workplace cultureoffice design, privacy screens No comment

Walls are the most traditional form of office dividers. But they’re expensive and difficult to move without a full remodel. These days, businesses are looking for simpler, faster, and cheaper ways to create divisions between work areas. Here are a number of unusual ways they can do just that.

#1 Accordion Walls

One of the most flexible and unique ways to divide space is with freestanding accordion partitions. Molo, a NeoCon 2014 Gold winner, is a well-known provider of this type of solution. Their Tyvek honeycomb architectural products are designed to dampen sound and visually separate space. Because this type of privacy screen can be easily reconfigured by one or two people, it’s an attractive option for employees who like to take control of their work environment.

 

 

 

 

#2 Modular Floor Tiles

Sometimes, space separation is more about visual delineation than physical barriers. It’s possible to use color, texture, and light to divide one space from the next. For example, colored floor tiles laid down in geometric or curving patterns can carve pathways through the workspace and create diverse environments for each department or “zone”.

#3 Decorative Lighting

Extravagant architectural lighting installations from companies like Seeyond can make walls or ceilings completely unique in each work area. Some of these solutions even create alcoves within the workspace by arcing in curving lines from floor to ceiling. These internally lit structures feature different levels of brightness or even different colors to impact mood.

 

#4 Glass and Acrylic Panels

designInstallations from companies like 3Form and LOFTWalls take a semi-transparent and entirely artistic approach to office space division. These pieces of a glass or acrylic can be curved or flat, colored or clear, textured or smooth. Many designs contain inclusions of natural or manmade materials to add visual interest. They may be specified as free-standing panels, but many are used as inset decoration in other structural components.

 

 

#5 Desktop Dividers

At the individual workstation level, cubicle walls have long been the standard for office dividers. However, the advent of the open office has created demand for a more customizable solution. Our OBEX desktop mounted privacy panels achieve that objective. With a wide variety of textiles, polycarbonate tiles, and even custom-printed panels, these products are another example of how space division has gone beyond the boring, blank wall.

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