Why good acoustics at your workplace are indispensable
The ingredients for a great workplace: a laptop, a desk, an office chair and a blazing-fast wifi connection. That's all you need, many employers think. But the most important condition for a successful workday is something else entirely: good acoustics. An environment and its accompanying sounds can make or break your day. How exactly does that work, and how do you easily improve acoustics?
Busy open-plan offices
Offices with small, enclosed workspaces are increasingly rare. We no longer grind away independently of each other, but sit with the whole team in a spacious open-plan office. People walk past desks, hold online meetings and consult with one another. We also work from home more often — at the kitchen table while your partner works across from you, or in a self-made home office with the neighbours' children playing in the background.
Phone calls and chatter are part of the deal, but they can have a big impact. In a space with poor acoustics, everything simply comes through much more intensely. That can have several effects.
● You feel tired more quickly because concentrating takes extra effort
● You're constantly distracted by ambient sounds or movement in your field of vision
● Your productivity drops because you keep getting pulled out of your concentration
● You get sick more often due to increased stress and higher blood pressure
● You make mistakes more quickly because you're constantly distracted
Quick and easy good acoustics at your workplace
No matter how much phoning, chatting and typing goes on, it's ultimately your space that determines how much your employees are bothered by it. Some materials reflect sound, while others absorb it. So you understand: this is how you can create that calm workspace yourself — at the office, but also at home. Work with a desk partition, for example, or install acoustic desk screens.
Add a divider panel to your desk
A freestanding partition at your desk easily gives you more calm and privacy — provided you choose an acoustic version, that is. A freestanding acoustic partition like this not only creates a separated workspace, but also immediately absorbs ambient sound. That way, you're a little less bothered by the buzz of the rest of the office.
Also handy: a freestanding desk partition like this can also be used as a room divider. Place a few partitions side by side and you create a separate space where you can work in complete peace.
Want to improve your acoustics with a partition at your desk too? We've collected the best ones for you. We have classic room dividers with an acoustic effect, but also partitions shaped like a planter. Find your desk partition.
Choose acoustic desk screens for the office
A smaller, but at least as effective, solution? Acoustic desk screens at the office. With a screen like this around your desk, you easily create a quiet workspace where you can power through undisturbed. Phone calls and other sounds disappear, while you yourself become easier to understand during a video call.
The great thing about an acoustic screen around your desk is that it doesn't take up space and is easy to move. With a foldable desk screen, you can even turn a dining table into a temporary workspace.
Does an acoustic desk screen like this sound like something for you? We have them in an endless range of colours and sizes — more permanent, or foldable in just a few seconds.