It’s not exactly a new phenomenon this, arguably common choice, to work from home. As such, one would suppose that seeing an opportunity, residential products, services, design and even homes would have started to adapt to the ever increasing needs of a growing body of possible customers who wish to work from home. These people who are working in an Internet Business through online jobs have a need for an environment that matches their lifestyle and their work needs too.
It’s true, there are a number of products on the market that are made for those people who Work From Home but it’s fair to say that the offer is fragmented and it takes a level of skill in construction, IT and ergonomics to generate a suitable domestic environment from which one could run an internet firm. Most people only manage to offer a small amount of the facilities required to be comfortable and fruitful.
The brief for a home office set up should be basically similar to that of a normal office or corporate workspace. A resident staff member requires power, data and a place to sit and a surface to work on as a bare minimum. Add into that the necessity for social interaction, ad hoc meetings, team work and areas for focussed working and the brief starts to look very similar.
The easy and least productive answer to meeting these needs is to provide a desk, chair, computer, telephone and data connection. On the face of it these items of kit will provide the necessary vehicle in (or on, or through) which people can deliver their output. The real question is how does one provide for the rest of the criteria and how do we use advancements in construction and IT to support the requirements for people who work in Online Jobs?
Firstly, let’s deal with the workplace itself. Does it need to be a desk? In a normal domestic situation would a desk be an appropriate piece of furniture ? Technology gives us laptops and telephone headsets and the capability to work anywhere on any fixtures. Add to that wireless printing and a web cam and really the office, as was, is now built wholly around the person as opposed to a location.
Of course, in these days of corporate responsibility, the idea of using a laptop for long periods of time would give Human Resource and Insurance teams a problem, but the reality is that what we have through technology is a new concept and what we would expect to see is new furniture designs to solve the ergonomic issues.
Secondly, there is the issue of privacy, sound and environmental comfort. A voice conference in a house full of playing children is not conducive to productive work. Will we begin to see new homes provided with isolated space for working? Possibly dealt with as an extension, a loft or even a stand alone unit outside.
Whatever the solutions the market is there already and the design industry has yet to react to it.
