Author: Mano Parmar, Channel Sales Manager Philips & AOC International at MMD Monitors & Displays, 03/07/2020

There are a lot of desks in this world

When I think about the offices I’ve visited in my lifetime, the smiles, the warm welcomes and the different backdrops, I’m always struck by how people like to leave those little clues of home. The indicators that people with lives and families have chosen to share with anyone who cares to glance in the direction of a photo on a desk, a postcard from 30 years ago, something wobbly with pink hair on the end of a pencil.

The desk environment has been changing for quite some time. In fact, the desk environment has been in constant change from the moment the PC made its way from its own dedicated desk in the corner of the office to each and every desk. Initially, they were so big, they seemed to take up most of the desk space. However, as the years have passed and technology has become smaller and more networked the large PC unit has completely disappeared, no longer battling with your shins for under-desk dominancy. Even our screens are becoming wafer thin and the desk is re-emerging from a world of clutter and cables.

Posture and harmony

Having things “just so” is a very human thing to do. That’s why we stamp our mark, territorialise and personalise. It all relaxes us and puts us at ease. It is hardly surprising that ergonomics and well-being are now interchangeable. Does your back feel better on a good day than it does on a bad day?

The world of the desk was becoming a defined environment in its own right. A place where you spend many hours of a busy life you also bring with you to the workplace. Comfort and harmony are the goals we all strive for our bodies and our workplace minds. You can certainly sense that in any office from the moment you walk in.

And then, the offices were suddenly closed and something changed.

Multiple workspaces

That desk environment is now indistinguishable from the home environment. The office (your office) is now your inner sanctum. It is a place where you try to gain some clear headspace in what is often a full house. How many of us have sat on conference calls recently wondering what that picture is in someone’s background? How many of us have seen the different ways in which people are trying to make a typically poorly ergonomic set up work; a couch, a picnic chair, a south-facing window, a tiny desk in a box room?

Offices are set to change and the good news is that pace of change was already well underway. Myself and the team have been touring the UK for some time now, introducing Philips next generation smart tech whose simplicity stands out. We love the smiles we get when we show how a safe, secure and uber-comfortable workspace creates an instant sense of well being. Our devices are designed to de-clutter your environment and your head. Why experience the nagging doubt as to whether you left your webcam on? You’re probably already worrying whether you left the iron on at home.

A permanent change?

Employers across the globe are adapting their offices right now ready to welcome workers back. At the same time, people will be working from home far more. And, as your back is almost certainly already telling you, your home workspace needs some TLC… and some thought. With that, employers are also now beginning to assist with better home working environments, which is an exciting time for us. It is so wonderful being part of a system of change that genuinely brings smiles to people’s faces. We are so affected by how we sit, how we think and how we feel that alignment of mind, body, soul and spreadsheets resonates with each and every one of us. How will your workspace need to change?