Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with workspace

Step into my parlor ...

Allee Katze — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 11:33:31 -0800

Some time back I either read in a magazine or saw on TV an article about a company that provided their employees with small cottages or sheds as their work space. The cottages were in a large hangar/warehouse like area and were arranged in blocks with streets. Each employee was free to decorate their cottage as they liked and they were encouraged to throw "block" parties and such. Pixar does something similar but it doesn't seem to be to the extent that I remember seeing. I would love to see pictures or read more about this. Googling brings up a random picture of the Pixar workspace and not much detail. Thank you!

Need a smallish office chair solution for limited space

taz — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 05:38:45 -0800

I'd like ideas or recommendations for an office chair that doesn't hurt, with special decorating/space/shopping concerns. Complication: in Greece. After five+ years of computing from my kitchen table while sitting in a regular straight-backed wooden kitchen chair, I find the urgent need to move my workspace ... and get a chair that doesn't assault my back and legs. But it's tricky, because space is limited and many of the usual chair recommendations may not be available. Too many pix and way too much info inside. Now that my online time has vastly increased, kitchen table computing just isn't cutting it, mostly because it's beginning to hurt! I do have a perfectly good room that I could turn into a roomy office, but the only view is of the neighbors' houses, the street outside, and the parked cars, and I just can't deal with that... so aside from the kitchen, the only other place with a nook where I can set up shop and still have a view that will keep me sane is in the not terribly spacious bedroom... and the ratty old broke-down office chair we have on hand is a) fugly, and b) too big and awkward for the space it has to occupy there.

Here are very many phone-camera photos of the actual space... that I haven't bothered to adjust or correct. The bed cannot be moved to another position because of closets on the opposite wall.

The specific problem is that the path through the bedroom that leads to our small back terrace (that then leads down to our courtyard) is used all the time. My husband's workroom is just out those doors and to the left (out of view), so this is a really well-travelled space, and bulky chair is bulky, in the way, and ugly.

Ideally, I'd love a chair with a much smaller footprint, that isn't a hulking dark thing, that also doesn't kill my back. We have an Ikea here, though all items may not be available. I've tried to research Athens places for higher end Aeron/Steelcase options that are usually recommended (almost certainly out of my range, but still), but so far have only found the typical If-you-have-to-ask-how-much-it-costs-you-can't-afford-it sort of crappy Flash no-information sites, which make me mad, and are nowhere near me anyway. I definitely do not have a lot of shopping time (or skills, or a car). If I already know that a shop has X item for X price, I can go, try, and maybe buy... but I can't really "window shop."

Craigslist is very limited here, but I can get things from the UK and Europe from eBay, if they will ship to Greece, but haven't found a used high-end chair that's affordable with shipping that way yet (looking mostly at Aeron and Steelcase).

I'm sort of leaning toward just trying this eBay chair that won't wreak havoc on my bank account (and has a ridiculously reasonable shipping rate), and even if it doesn't work out, will not be horribly ugly for some other space in the house. [alt image in case of deep-link fail]

But I'm wondering about other possibilities, maybe not an "office chair" per se? And pretty much any DIY fusion solution is on the table (have you ever "created" your own office chair, Frankenstein-style, from something else? Or what have you tried and liked for a smaller space?).

I'd rather not sit down.

po822000 — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 14:16:01 -0800

I'm looking for an inexpensive standing desk for use in an office where everyone sits. My office unfortunately doesn't have plans for standing desks, and I'm interested in suggestions for standing desk alternatives when you're stuck with a sit-down desk. I like to get up during conference calls, but it's tough taking notes without having to sit back down.

Ideally, all I'd need is a surface big enough for a small laptop or my iPad that is at standing height for me (I'm 6'3"), and can be collapsed or otherwise hidden so as to not be unsightly when not in use.

It can be free-standing, or maybe sitting on top of my sit-down desk, or there is also a 10-12" diameter pole directly behind my desk that I could possibly bungee something to.

Thoughts? Ideally it wouldn't be an incredibly expensive solution, in the off-chance that the higher-ups don't take a shine to my re-working of my workspace, and I have to pitch the idea entirely.

Geographers always want to know where

thewestinggame — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 05:37:32 -0800

Where (in what physical space) should I write my MA thesis? I hope to get the bulk of my thesis writing done in the Fall 2012 semester and have budgeted sufficient time to do so. I'm sorely lacking a good place to write. I need some table/desk space to spread articles out, a place to store some books, an electrical outlet, and maybe internet. I like to write early in the morning, between 4 and 9.

My shared office is noisy, crowded, and the fluorescent lights give me a headache.
There isn't much room in my home although I do like the idea of rolling out of bed and just writing. I have a roommate with dogs (although she does keep largely an opposite schedule from me) and outside of bedrooms, there isn't any non-public space in the house.
The carrels at my university's library won't do because the library hours suck.

Is there an option I'm overlooking? Do you have a hack to modify one of those spaces to make it work?

I saw this question but I need to be in town regularly to teach.

Towards a more perfect union.

michaelh — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:51:53 -0800

Tell me about companies that encouraged or directed employees to form a guild or union from the beginning. What did they do, why did they do it, how was it received and how did it work out? I have never heard of this myself but if it exists, I would like to know about it.

If you can point to something that proves this never happened or something about a company considering it but ultimately declining, that would be very helpful. Otherwise, links or anecdotes pertaining to the question only, please.

Where are all the crafters at?

ocherdraco — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:27:27 -0800

Where in Brooklyn can I go with my crafts projects to hang out with other people who are working on their crafts projects, for free? I'm working on a number of portable crafts projects right now and I'd love to get out of the house and be with other people who are working on their own projects.

Need a cowork or relaxed temporary workspace in Portland, OR

mph — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 08:52:25 -0800

I need to find a Wi-Fi enabled work space in Portland, OR that can accommodate three or four people working together for two or three days. My new supervisor is coming to town next month so we can spend several days working with a Web developer. We're looking for a relaxed space where we can work from laptops over coffee. Somewhere close in would be ideal, Wi-Fi is a must. Best would be a coffee shop that's accommodating (maybe with a small conference room for rent?), but a well situated cowork setup would work, too.

How can I best put together an inexpensive standing workspace?

jsturgill — Mon, 16 May 2011 22:03:19 -0800

Where can I find a relatively inexpensive standing desk? A relatively inexpensive adjustable-height desk? A relatively inexpensive platform designed to rest on top of a regular desk and turn it into a standing desk? I want a standing workspace, but I really, really don't want to spend $800 (or even $500) on a solution if I can help it. That seems really expensive. Solutions? Recommendations?

Help me relieve shoulder and neck pain from torn rotator cuff and computer use.

aorkis — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 19:09:43 -0800

Help me relieve shoulder and neck pain from torn rotator cuff and computer use. I have been diagnosed by an ortho after an MRI of having a complete tear of my left rotator cuff. Unfortunately surgery is not for a month or two out. My job and duties require me to sit at a computer for hours at a time. When doing so I have a lot of pain in the arms, shoulder, and neck area. Sometimes to the point I feel like my body is on fire. Ibuprofen helps some, but temporarily.

I have reviewed other posts and some stretching exercises are possible but very limited because I can not lift my arm over my head or move it in some ways needed to get the complete remedy the stretching exercises seek to give. I am currently stationed in a small town and there are no ergonomic consultants around, my doctor doesn't know any either. I am working on posture but more or less looking for suggestions of what size chair and how high my desk should be.

I am 5'9" and weigh 185, male of average build. I currently use a 23" LCD Monitor the center is eye level (not the top) I read constant conflicting reports on top of the monitor, make sure its tilted, etc.

I have a chair that has no ability to adjust lumbar and I use a foot rest. My chair comes up my back and stops at my shoulders I use a dogbone pillow (found on Amazon) to rest my head back on for some relief. In addition I use some topical products to help allieviate the pain as well.

My desk is this one more or less (height and top are same): http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S89865635 the sides are slightly different. Roughly 28 3/8" high
Chair is 19" from floor to seating area.
I think I need a higher chair or lower desk (Thats mainly the crux of this long winded post).

If anyone also knows of an ergo consultant who can possibly help me by internet/email I have no qualms about paying for the consultants time (within reason).
Thanks in advance!

Tiny Workspaces - where does it all go?

backseatpilot — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 06:19:24 -0800

Talk to me about small workshops/workspaces. I have a small workspace which is woefully set up (here). It's in the basement of our rented apartment and has a lot of large, immovable objects - empty oil tank in the corner, furnace right smack in the middle of everything. The area shown in the photo is maybe 20' by 10'.

I need to solve a couple of problems. I need a workbench - the little B&D folding model is great to bring outside, but it's too lightweight to do any heavy filing or other work on it. I also need too storage, since everything's just sitting a tool bag and a couple of buckets right now. A pegboard would probably be best, but this being a rental I feel leery about punching holes in the masonry.

So what's the best way to organize this space? Do you have any examples of other small workspaces that I could model this after? There's maybe another 10' of linear space "behind" the photograph where I can move most of the stuff stored against the wall, but finding other space for the bicycles is going to be a problem (and there's a tandem on the way...).

Two monitors, one shoulder; how do I relieve the pain?

[insert clever name here] — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 10:05:25 -0800

How do I survive, ergonomically speaking, with two monitors? I experience pain in my right shoulder, neck and arm (my mousing arm) quite frequently, and after talking to my doctor, she's fairly certain its an issue with the ergonomics of my workspace.

I'm a web designer, at my desk 8+ hours a day. I have a second monitor and I'm fairly certain that is the culprit. I just had an ergonomic consultant at my desk, and the only thing he could find wrong was the extra monitor.

I normally sit with the primary monitor straight ahead from where I am sitting, and the second monitor to my right. The ergonomics expert suggested centering them so basically the split between the two monitors is straight ahead, so to use either I have to turn my head a little bit. Within 20 minutes I could tell it was causing strain on my neck so I put it back the way it was until I come up with something better.

I can't imagine I'm the only one that has experienced this, so I'd love to hear how other people have tackled the problem.

One thing to note - this is an ongoing problem I've had at several workplaces. I've working in the computer industry since the mid 90's. The pain periodically flares up, its not constant, but over the years the flare-ups are more and more frequent, so I'm hoping to finally address it.

How to set up a laptop to pretend to be a desktop sometimes?

ootandaboot — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:46:36 -0800

I spend way too much time slouched on my couch with my laptop propped up on my knees -- not too good for productivity or general health and happiness! I'd like to set up a comfortable and productive desk space in my apartment, using my laptop as a more desktop-like computer. Please give me some advice on how best to make my new space work. I've been trying to look into this on my own but I'm finding my options very confusing. I did find this previous question but I'm concerned that 1) it's from a while ago so my options may have changed and 2) the computer goals seem to be more complicated than mine.

I have a two year old MacBook that I need to be able to keep using as a laptop, and I probaby can't afford to buy a separate desktop computer. But like I said, I'd like to be able to use my laptop as a desktop so I can be more comfortable and productive in a dedicated work space. What are my best bets here: should I just put a stand on top of a desk to raise the height of my laptop, and then connect a keyboard and mouse? Should I get a separate monitor instead, and plug in the laptop? If I have a separate monitor, do I have to keep the laptop open and running? Or maybe I should buy a monitor AND prop up the screen and have one of those fancy two-screen set-ups? If I'm buying peripherals, should they be Apple products for compatibility, or not-Apple products for affordability? Also...what are the benefits of a "laptop dock" (a concept I've just become aware of trying to research this topic)?

My computing demands aren't very complicated (Internet, word processing, etc) and I won't be spending all day at this desk, just evenings mostly. Please help me figure out what I should be considering as I get this set up!

Baby's learning Final Cut

history is a weapon — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 08:45:46 -0800

The second small bedroom was an editing suite/video room, but soon the baby will arrive. Are there good examples of dual use rooms that're half baby/half studio in small spaces? We're ecstatic about the baby, but ceasing with a work space isn't an option for what I do (please do not recommend unless you're sending us a substantial check), so we're looking for good examples of people who've managed to make do with less (pictures and creative ideas are a major plus; doesn't have to be video studio-centric). The second bedroom is small (9 x 7!). We don't have nearly enough money to do something like rent studio space, BUT we can spend a few bucks on getting furniture to make it work.
We know that this is a stop gap at best, and are already thinking about moving in two years, but want this to be as great as possible in the meantime. Thanks mefi.

I need a new office chair. Any recommendations?

decrescendo — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 14:09:24 -0800

I need a new office chair. Any recommendations? I just threw out my 5+ year old office chair and I'm looking to buy one. I most definitely want one with a high back since I'm 6'4". The only real requirement is that the chair have arms.

Anyone have any recommendations? I'd appreciate it.

So far, all I've looked at were these 2 from Ikea:

Allak
Markus
A fellow Ikea shopper told me not to get the Allak since it falls apart and tears very easily. Also, the Markus chair was just a lot of money so I wanted to look elsewhere first.

OneLessDesk-like desk... for less?

xmutex — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 11:19:01 -0800

I really love the look and idea of OneLessDesk but the price ($750 with shipping) kills it. Anyone have any recommendations on similar desk ideas?

Help me shop for built-in desks for a small office

pants — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:57:48 -0800

Looking for built-in desks (is that the right search term?). Have an inspirational photo to start from! My employer is moving to a new office and we are hoping to find some built-in desks that have this look - clean, modern. Basically have a work surface somehow mounted to the wall, with a "dip" for a seat cushion as shown in the photo. How the desk is attached isn't important - we wouldn't need the in-set that appears below the work surface in the photo.

I've contacted the web site where that photo came from for help, but I'm having a tough time knowing what to call this look - searching for "built-in desks" gives me lots on building your own desks or hiring a contractor to build one for you.

I've also tried searching for things like "modular modern office furniture" but that gives me some horrifyingly ugly results. We're also a very small office, so we're not looking for a huge corporate cubicle solution - we just have one or two walls where we're thinking this look will be right. But my Google-fu is failing... Crossing my fingers for the Hive Mind to come through!

I can't work in the same room as "the little drummer boy!"

Bergamot — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:00:09 -0800

Help! What are some quiet study spaces that are open to the public during the holidays? Public and University libraries around here are closed between Christmas and New Year's, aargh!
I'm in Southwestern Ontario to visit family for the holidays, but I have to get some work done before Jan. 1st, and trying to work here is driving me absolutely insane! Even if my family could be quiet, their house is dark and uncomfortable and entirely terrible to work in.
Libraries in the area are closed for the holidays, and most cafes are both very busy and wouldn't be thrilled with me sitting with a laptop for hours on end. Any ideas of student-friendly workspaces that aren't wrecked by holiday hours would save my sanity in a big way!

Give My New Computer An Uncluttered Home

Xurando — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:50:02 -0800

I'm getting a 27" iMac soon. I have a corner hutch/desk and it is full of much necessary equipment (2 printers, fax). Help me unclutter and redesign my working space for the new computer. I don't want to block the light coming in the window.

Innovative office design: What works and what doesn't?

degrees_of_freedom — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:15:03 -0800

Innovative Workspaces: What works and what doesn't? I work for a big and quite old company, in a department that does financial and operational analysis. We're all holed off in offices on the edges and 6 ft cubes in the middle. It's grey and taupe. One executive called our floor "the morgue" because of the lifeless atmosphere.

So the boss got a budget to liven up the space.

Three others and I were put on a somewhat secret committee to redesign the office. Here are the parameters as I understand them.

- Encourage more interaction and creative problem solving.
- Create a money-is-no-object concept and design. No constraints except the outline of the floor.
- Create an ultra-frugal version.
- Create as many versions as we want.
- It may amount to nothing. There's already a folder - that we can't see - with ideas (from the boss? a pro designer?).

I'm no designer, but I've been researching innovative office spaces. It looks like design trends have moved towards reduced barriers, sofas instead of conference tables, lots of shared space and privacy/quiet rooms on the sides.

A few questions:

- Have you worked in this more communal, innovative style? What made you happy and effective, and what are the empty gimmicks?

- Have you converted from a conservative, cubicle world to something more forward-thinking? What changed?

- More generally: suggestions welcome. Concepts that work/didn't work for you, colors, furniture, wall dividers, floor plans, blogs, books, experts, photos of your awesome workspace, anything.

I'm having so much fun just being a part of this project, and I'd like to hear your point of view.

Windowless Workspace

u2604ab — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:23:08 -0800

Tips for making a windowless workspace a pleasant place to work long hours? I will move with the rest of my research group to a nicely renovated 3rd floor interior lab in just a few days. The lab, being in the center of the building, has no interior windows. Our desks are next to our benches, so I will soon be working all day without routine exposure to natural sunlight.

For those who have worked in similar situations: How does it affect you? How do you make a windowless workspace habitable? Houseplants? What kind? Supplemental lighting in addition to the overhead fluorescents? Artwork on walls? Other ideas? What works/worked for you?

SF Filter: How much do you think my bonus room is worth?

paddingtonb — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:35:42 -0800

SF Filter: How much do you think my bonus room is worth? My boyfriend of 5 years and I just broke up. We share a great apartment in the Mission in San Francisco (a couple blocks from the 24th and Mission BART and a bunch of bus lines) that's a one bedroom + bonus room, and I'm trying to figure out whether to move out or not.

I would love to keep the apartment if I can, but I can't swing the whole rent on my own. Based on some previous MeFi questions about making money off a spare room, I've been thinking about renting the bonus room out as a workspace for freelancers/artists or maybe even as a practice room for a musician. (I know I could rent it as a small bedroom, but I'd ideally rather have the apartment to myself when I'm home from work.)

The room is small (8x6) but with great natural light and hardwood floors and a nice view of the painted ladies across the street. Rent would include wifi and I'm thinking of offering the lucky tenant lunches (sandwich/salad making supplies) and coffee/tea to sweeten the deal. I searched around Craigslist but didn't see many people offering a workspace rental, so I don't have much to compare prices with.

Think I could find an interested taker? How much do you think this set-up is worth?

Where can I find a modern white desk?

hazyspring — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:40:55 -0800

Where can I find a modern white desk? I want a white desk. I've been contemplating the Ikea Galant Corner Desk because it's white and L shaped, but ideally I would want something that looked slightly more upscale.

Any ideas? I wouldn't be opposed to buying something unfinished and painting it in white lacquer. So far I've looked at all of the usual places, Pottery Barn, CB2, Crate & Barrel, and West Elm and haven't found anything I liked.

Where the devil am I going to saw some wood?

phearlez — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 08:05:51 -0800

For my woodshop, is there an alternative to a house with a basement? Trying to find rentals in the DC area with unfinished basements I can use as a workshop is challenging. Finding affordable properties to purchase even more so. What else can I do? My darling girlfriend and I are finally looking at taking the plunge so we're looking at places to co-habitate. For reasons that are none of your business but probably glean-able from my past answers here on credit experience, I can't be on a mortgage or deed for a few more years, putting several property purchases beyond our ability at the moment.

Consequently we're looking around at places to rent and are not thrilled with the options. The big stickler in the requirement is a place to put the woodshop. It's not just a nice-to-have: deciding to do without one would close off one of the big parts of our life that you can see linked in my profile. Few rental properties have unfinished basements, or at least they're not explicit in their advertisements.

My question to you all is: is there an alternative solution I am overlooking? Could we find a perfectly fine place without the basement and have my woodshop in some shared workspace somewhere? If such things exist with any frequency, how do you find them? Hell, do you know of one in the DC area?

Any and all suggestions are welcome here - I'm sort of at the end of my brainstorming on this and would welcome other suggestions.

Trying to find a cheap, private workspace in New York

kingfisher, his musclebound cat — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 09:39:18 -0800

Where can I find a small, private workspace in New York (Lower Manhattan or Brooklyn)? I do not need it to be fancy, but would need something like a tiny fortress of solitude . . . I would, in fact, prefer a less fancy space. Nothing for meet-n-greet business types, but more for people who are hidden away trying to make something. Concrete or wood floors, plywood walls, etc. All fine with me and perhaps more appropriate. Oh, cheap, too. I mean relatively cheap.

Prefab Workspaces

gravelshoes — Thu, 04 Nov 2004 05:43:25 -0800

I'm researching architecturally designed garden workspaces which don't usually require planning permission along similar lines to this. I know I've seen some really nicely designed examples on the web in the past but I can't seem track them down. Preferably based in the UK, but international examples would be useful for reference as well. Do you know of any good examples, or had experience of putting one up?