Items For A More Creative and Productive Home Office

Many of the design solutions responding to the coronavirus around the world are tied to rethinking home and work which seem contradictory at first glance. The fusion of these two areas can be seen as a step towards a new future. And it is at times like these that people long for normalcy and accept the circumstances of having to work remotely from home in order to reduce the high number of new infections.

Working from home can be both a blessing and a curse. Offering more flexibility and time for family, the home office also blurs the lines between work and life, as there seems to be no end of things to do. But it doesn’t have to be like that: there are many ways to set up a home office for a creative and productive workday.

The key to success? A calm work environment with minimalistic items to focus on the task at hand. Especially in urban areas, the trend of minimalism continues – not least because of exploding housing prices and smaller living space in city centers. What is more important: Focusing mainly on deliberating restriction to the bare essentials brings structure and soothing calm to living and working. Whether it’s a room of one’s own à la Virginia Woolf or an alcove in the hallway – the main thing is to be able to concentrate and be creative.

The great interest in office design is also reflected in the iF DESIGN AWARD statistics: The number of entries submitted in the category Office has increased over the past 5 years. This year’s iF awarded products in the category Office show that designers’ minds have been on cutting-edge AI and smart technologies with which you can make the most of your home office. It must be remembered that remote working and home office currently still catches many professionals unprepared, especially when residential circumstances prevent you from setting up your own study. 

Designer and iF Juror Ana Relvão recommends:

Short interview with Ana Relvão

iF: How can we get the most out of a home office space?

AR: For most people, working from home means that the boundaries of private and professional life no longer exist. This creates an atmosphere surrounded by visual cues and reminders of tasks that don’t usually exist in the office environment.
A good thinking environment is crucial in order to get the most out of a home office space. It's important to set up a space, whether permanent or temporary, that provides enough comfort for uninterrupted thinking time.

iF: What's your ultimate productivity tip for the home office?

AR: With such small boundaries between professional and private, resist the temptation and do not multitask! Our brains are simply not able to perform two conscious tasks at the same time. Avoid frustration and exhaustion by planning your day doing one task at a time.

Addressing the stress associated with working from home is what lots of iF award-winning products have in common. Creative home office solutions like the "WEAR SPACE" headset block out noise and visual distractions. The smart notebook "RoWrite2" digitally captures your thoughts. The gold awarded "Philips B1D5000" combines a monitor and E-Ink display. The all-in-one meeting space of the "Huawei CLOUD Meeting" makes it easy for you to get things directly with a single click. Another all-in-one solution offers the intelligent infrared remote control "SPOT Mini". The smart TV terminal "A1 Pro" has an integrated AI with which makes it possible to video call. The touch screen hand control "Handset JCHT35M6" responds to the question of how to adjust the height of your adjustable desk by just rotation.