A new brand in Sweden is targeting the home office, and I was invited to host the launch. Of course I have some insights.
A majority of my network is talking about the home office. There are upsides and downsides, of course. Personally I have a very sore sholder because I am working from my kitchen table. Swedish brand SwedStyle have been doing adjustable desks for over 30 years. Now they are doing tables with the same function but for a home market, or if you want, a homely feeling at the office. Gone are the days with plain white office desks and bring on other looks and surfaces.
In my talk (digital, of course) I had an opportunity to talk about various aspects of the home offices. For instance – how many are affected by working from home? Sometimes it sounds like everyone is working from their kitchen, but that is not true. Approximately 40% of the work force works from a desk meaning the rest are nurses, pilots, industry workers, craftspeople, teachers, cleaners, dentists, etc, etc, etc.
Speaking of numbers, I have read reports where only 12% of the people actually want to work from home.
Regardless of numbers or the future, I am pretty sure we will see some kind of hybrid office where we work two, three days from the office and two, three days from home.
Another report I read talked about the upsides and downsides of working from home. 4 600 people responded to a survey. On the upside you have bonuses like:
- – a cosier environment
- – no commuting
- – fewer long meetings
- – easier to concentrate
- – a feeling not to be constantly monitored
On the other hand, there are of course things that are on the downside:
- – social isolation
- – the feeling of being tied down tot he computer
- – ergonomics
- – being interupted (by family members)
- – unclear purpose
SwedStyle launched twelve desks in various shapes and sizes. Here a larger version with rounder aesthetics. Could double as a dining table, or why not as a joint table at a coffee shop.
I personally liked this desk with industrial, oxidized legs. Makes me think of Empire State Building.