After the COVID-19 pandemic, the hybrid work/remote work model is still chosen by many technology companies and programmers. Therefore, setting up an optimal home office not only creates focus but also promotes the creativity of programmers. From how to start, how to choose furniture and office accessories all play an important role in setting up an ideal workspace. In this article, Epione will guide IT-ers through the simplest steps to arrange an inspiring work area right at home.
3 reasons to have a home office space
Before you start designing and setting up your workspace, take some time to think about your goals and desires for your workspace. This will help you identify the key elements and create an optimal workspace that is also suitable for you as an individual. Here are the 3 most obvious benefits of having a “dream” workspace at home for programmers:
1. Improve work performance
A well-organized home office creates a focused workspace that can help improve productivity. The comfort of a comfortable chair or the proper arrangement of equipment, computers, and tools make it easy for programmers to access and process work quickly.
Arranging an optimal home workspace helps IT-ers improve work efficiency.
In addition, a space arranged to reflect the owner's personality and preferences can help IT-ers feel more comfortable and energetic every time they enter the office.
2. Flexible and convenient
An ideal home workspace is one that allows programmers to be flexible with their needs, work nature, and working hours.
In addition to working full-time at a company, Developers, Programmers or Coders all have their own projects. Each project of the IT team is not the same but always has separate requirements, so it requires flexibility and the ability to customize elements while handling tasks.
Home office layouts can be adjusted to the needs and working hours of the programmer. You can easily customize the workspace to suit your own projects and requirements to achieve maximum efficiency in work.
3. Promote mental health
When you have your own workspace, you can proactively design your office according to your needs and personal preferences. If you have an open space, lots of natural light and decorated with green plants and a little art, it can create a relaxing feeling and increase interest in somewhat dry IT work.
Obviously, working from your own home, you will not have to care about company culture, regulations or "eyes" around. You can freely eat, rest and relax the way you like. This is probably a "mental medicine" that not every business environment can meet.
In short, setting up a home office for a programmer not only ensures good work performance but also positively affects mental health, creating a balance in daily life. Paying attention to the above factors will help create a home working environment worth experiencing for IT-ers.
4 basic steps to set up a “home office” for programmers
There is no formula or rule that can guarantee that the arrangement of a home office for programmers is 100% effective. Each person will have specific preferences, needs and conditions, which will affect how they build their workspace. If you are still hesitant about where to start, Epione will give 4 basic suggestions for IT-ers to set up a home office.
Step 1: Select and clean up unnecessary items
To set up a desk that is best suited for brain-pounding programming, start by cleaning up your workspace. The clutter of papers, leftover coffee cups, and a thousand other unnamed things can hinder your flexibility at your desk and make you feel uncomfortable.
Start removing any unnecessary items from your desk and keep only the things you need to get your work done. Prioritize the items you actually need. This step includes your laptop, some notebooks, a pen holder, and maybe a picture frame or two.
Cleaning up, removing dust and unnecessary items is the first important step in setting up a new office.
Step 2: Arrange and set up a desk
When creating an efficient work environment, it is important to arrange the desk ergonomically. That is, how should a programmer's desk area be arranged so that he can work comfortably, efficiently, and in the long run, still ensure good health.
A great way to organize your desk optimally is to use trays, shelves, cable boxes, labels, etc. Then, arrange them neatly on/around your desk. This will help keep your desk neat, avoid losing things, and also spend less time searching.
Furthermore, if you own a standing desk, a lift desk, or a simple but spacious enough table, it will help you arrange everything easily and is beneficial for an ergonomic working posture.
Step 3: Choose a good light source
Perhaps most programmers like to blend into the dark to concentrate on work. A perfect working space requires perfect lighting. Good lighting will reduce stress and fatigue for the eyes of IT-ers who have to spend dozens of hours with the computer every day.
Ideally, your home office space should have a combination of natural and artificial lighting. Good lighting helps regulate sleep cycles, improving mood and mental clarity.
You can also buy a quality desk lamp for your desk. Choose lamps that have adjustable light intensity to suit your individual needs.
Step 4: Decorate in your own style
After the basic setup, you can add elements that create your own personality. You can consider the following 3 styles to "decorate" your office.
1. Technology integration
IT-er’s office is often equipped with many technological devices, such as large computer screens, mobile keyboards and mice, quality headphones and modern technical equipment. The main colors that can be used are black - purple, black - white, blue - black…
The blue-black working corner receives a lot of "favor" from the IT-er community.
2. Add personal details
Decorate with favorite pictures, paintings, technical books or items with personal meaning to create a unique and comfortable feeling in the workspace.
3. Green tree arrangement
Green plants help create oxygen and absorb pollutants in the air, improving air quality in the workspace. They are especially recommended in a workspace full of computers and electronic devices of IT-ers.
In addition, looking at green plants can help reduce stress and tension. The green and natural look of plants can create a sense of relaxation and tranquility in the working environment.
Top 5 “must have” furniture and office accessories for Programmers
Among the countless options for office furniture and accessories, if you are confused and do not know where to start, let's find out and put the following 5 furniture and accessories on your "checklist":
1. Ergonomic chair
Programming work requires programmers to sit for hours, even tens of hours, in front of a computer screen. Sitting for long periods of time and in the wrong posture can easily cause injuries to the spine, neck, shoulders, and lower back.
Ergonomic chairs were born to solve the above “pains”. There are many types of ergonomic chairs on the market today, but they all have the common goal of maintaining the correct sitting posture, reducing the risk of back and neck pain…
Maintaining a correct posture on an ergonomic chair helps programmers avoid back, neck and shoulder pain.
At Epione, for just over 3 million, you can own a basic ergonomic chair. When the body is not tired and not in pain, programmers can focus better on their work and increase work efficiency. Therefore, ergonomic chairs are very suitable for IT-ers with high work intensity.
2. Lifting table
Epione SmartDesk Pro 2.0 Lifting Desk
If sitting continuously for long periods of time can cause many health problems such as back pain, neck pain and cardiovascular diseases, why don't you stand?
Yes, you can stand to work. Standing to work can overcome the above conditions. So if you equip yourself with a standing desk, it will help you to some extent to improve your blood circulation, provide more energy, and increase your concentration and creativity.
However, buying a fixed standing desk and a regular sitting desk is both expensive, takes up a lot of space and is not flexible when working?
The solution to having both is a desk that lifts . A desk that lifts allows you to easily switch between standing and sitting, giving you flexibility in how you work and changing your posture when needed.
Nowadays, in Vietnam, lifting tables are no longer strange to office workers, especially those who love technology. Some lifting tables have the ability to remember the lifting and lowering levels through user settings, load capacity up to 160kg and do not make noise when lifting and lowering.
3. Large screen or multiple screens
Large monitors or multiple monitors can help increase programmer productivity. Often, programmers work with multiple windows, documents, and source code at the same time. Having a large monitor or more than two monitors gives you enough space to display long, complex code or detailed documents for easy reading without having to zoom out or constantly switch tabs.
Large screens also help reduce eye strain and fatigue, especially the eyes, because text and charts can be displayed larger, making it easier for the eyes to follow and focus. The screen size that many IT-ers love is from 24 to 30 inches.
4. Monitor mount
Epione EssentialsArm Monitor Lift
If you own two or more monitors, you should buy yourself a monitor mount (monitor lift). Monitor mounts help save working space by hanging the monitor on the wall or attaching it to the table, thereby giving you more usable space on your desk.
The monitor mount also allows you to adjust the height and viewing angle of the monitor to create the best working position for your eyes and neck, creating the most ergonomic posture possible. This function can help programmers reduce fatigue and stress when working for long periods of time.
5. Ergonomic mouse, good quality keyboard
A mouse and keyboard are almost a must-have accessory for programmers. Ergonomic mice and high-quality keyboards often come with customizable features and shortcuts that help users perform tasks more quickly and efficiently.
Ergonomic mouse with a design that fits the palm of the hand, the main function is to reduce pressure on the wrist and help maintain a correct working posture. A good keyboard helps typing faster and more durable. The appearance of a good keyboard is also a big plus because they are beautifully designed and can be customized in color to suit personal needs.
So, setting up a useful home workspace for programmers is not just about rearranging the desk, but also how to choose the optimal items to promote creativity and increase productivity. By focusing on factors such as layout, technology equipment, comfort, you have created a workspace that not only meets the needs of work but also reflects the personality and style of an IT-er. Hopefully, the article has helped you confidently start "renewing" your workspace right at home.
