| Arranging Your Office |
From "Home Office"
episode HOF-101 |
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The location of your desk and other office furnishings within the office space can have a direct impact on the manner and efficiency with which you work. Sally Allen and K. J. McCorry are professional organizing and productivity consultants who specialize in helping individuals set up their offices at home in ways that will help maximize functionality. They also offer advice on how to become and stay organized. According to Allen, of A Place for Everything, with the advancements of technology and communication facilitated by computers and the Internet, many corporations are encouraging their associates to work from home. "This is a great idea not only for the corporation," says Allen, "but for the individual, who then has more flexibility and freedom to create an office that's enjoyable to be in." McCorry, of Officiency, advises not to pick the dullest or most isolated room in the house when selecting an office location. Keep in mind how much time you'll be spending there, and make your decisions based on three main factors: - Family considerations: Consider how the placement of the office will affect family members in the house, taking into account the hours you're likely to be using the office and whether you are likely to need to meet with clients in the home office.
- Equipment needs: Plan for enough space to facilitate your equipment needs such as work-surface, computer, copier, phone, fax, etc. Don't forget to ensure that the number and placement of electrical and phone outlets is sufficient.
- Comfort: Utilize an area that is comfortable and pleasant to be in. Consider whether the space is one in which you'll be willing to spend time nearly every day.
Once the furniture has been purchased and delivered, Allen and McCorry recommend a "test fit" -- trying out several configurations of furniture-placement within the room to determine which arrangement will be most functional. Aesthetics should be a concern also, but follow the adage "form follows function." Remember that this is a working environment. Efficiency in usage should take precedence over appearance; decorative aspects can then be adapted to work within the confines of the most useful arrangement. Consider how the different components within the room will work together in typical use. A credenza was placed behind and slightly to the right of the desk, providing an accessible surface for a fax machine or copier (figure A). A larger credenza was placed on the wall opposite the front of the desk to provide additional working and storage space (figure B). In the office space in our demonstration, after trying out several different configurations -- each with its own advantages and disadvantages -- the consultants arrive at an arrangement in which the desk is placed on the windowed wall opposite the door and positioned perpendicular to the window itself. This allows the occupant of the office to have a pleasing view from the window without having his or her back facing the room's entrance. The set-up shown is called the parallel configuration since there are extra work-surfaces (i.e., the credenzas) parallel to the main work-surface (i.e., the desk). Another configuration is the L-shape, in which a secondary work-surface is attached at a right angle to the main work-surface. A third configuration is the U-shape (a variation on the L-shape), which features two secondary work-surfaces at right angles to the main surface. The L-shape and U-shape are particularly useful when standard paper-and-pen deskwork is to be combined with use of a personal computer. These ergonomic configurations are designed to prevent the user from needing to frequently get up and walk about the room to put things away, retrieve things, use various pieces of equipment, etc. Having to do so is a time-waster and an opportunity for distraction. The objective behind a functional arrangement is to have the most essential items -- such as in/out baskets, computer, printer, phone and fax machine -- within arm's reach once the office is fully furnished (figures C and D).
Capsule review
- Focus on function, space and comfort when selecting a location for your home office.
- If you are not too constrained by the physical limitations of the room and the placement of outlets, try out several configurations with respect to office furniture to determine which will work best.
- Choose a desk and set-up style that functions best for the way that you work.
RESOURCES :
A Place For Everything, LLC
Sally Allen-- A Place for Everything
Golden, CO 80401
Phone: 303-526-5327
Fax: 303-526-4076
Email: sa@sallyallenorganizer .com
Website: www.sallyallenorganizer.com
Officiency
K.J. McCorry, professional organizer
Officiency
4055 Dawn Court
Boulder, CO
Web site: www.officiency.com
homeworking.com
An informational site devoted to people who work from home.
Web site: www.homeworking.com
Working and Living Spaces: Working at Home
Model: 0823058700
Author: Aurora Cuito, editor
Watson-Guptill publications
The Home Team: How Couples Can Make a Life and a Living by Working at Home
Model: 1889438324
Author: Shirley Siluk Gregory
published by Bookhome
Working at Home While the Kids Are There, Too
Model: 1564143058
Author: Loriann Hoff Oberlin, Loriann Hoff Oberlin
published by Career Press
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