A Few Notes on Paper

When it comes to taking down notes throughout the work day, are you a single-notebook type, who prefers everything in one place? Are you a user of scrap-paper lists or post-it notes or reminders quickly inked on the back of your hand? Are you a doodler or a sketcher (for fun or for profit) — or have you eschewed paper completely and prefer to simply take it all down digitally? Tell us what works for you and why in the comments section below, then take note of what we found in a few of the offices we’ve featured here on Lifework. Read more

Setting Up Office Outdoors: The Art of Less

With all this extra daylight and our now-official “spring season” status, we are admittedly spending more of our time in the office wishing we were outside instead of in. So we had an idea: this year, let’s really make it happen and brave a few workdays in the Great Outdoors.

We started, therefore, where we always do: with a checklist. The goal was to create a comprehensive listing of everything needed to make an outside “office” as suitable as an indoor one. It began, of course, with the obvious (mobile or home Wi-Fi, laptop, notebook/pen combo). But a few hours and a hundred Google searches later, the list got long—and out of control (noise-reducing headphones! Anti-glare filters! Laptop cooling pads! Paperweights!). Overwhelmed and suddenly intimidated by the idea of our laptop being subjected for even a mere moment to the springtime sunshine, we turned to Joey Roth for a reality check. The industrial designer knows a thing or two about taking work outside, spending a lot of his time designing projects in the bamboo-lined backyard of his Los Angeles home. Read more

Unplggd: Speakers get Arty

“Last year, Joey Roth brought the world a set of speakers made of pure ceramic. It was a memorable, minimalistic set that everyone at Unplggd thoroughly enjoyed listening to and taking photos of. With its huge success, Joey decided to invite nine of his favorite artists to come over and modify his speakers as they see fit. The result? Some of the zaniest designs we’ve ever seen…You can check out the entire project over at Joey Roth’s site, Sounds Like, over here.

[Via MocoLoco]

Yves Behar’s Gift Guide

We asked Yves Behar, who designed the Leaf and Ardea lights for Herman Miller, to think about gifts that would sit beautifully in anyone’s home office. Here are his recommendations.

1. Remember to drink water and stay hydrated with the tranSglass® Lidded Carafe - a collaboration with Guatemalan craftsmen and Tord Boontje’s combines old-world craftsmanship and sophisticated design, each vessel is a unique, one-of-a-kind piece. Just add a stick of carbon to purify the water, and enjoy.

2. Working and speaking to people on the phone while having hands-free is a must (to take notes, draw cartoons, surf the web to plan the evening during that longish conference call). I designed the Jawbone Prime Earcandy headset in everyone’s favorite colors. It’s a nice way to be able to do two things a once.

3. Something inspiring and spiritual on a desk is important, like some flowers.  I would pick Arik Levy’s Ceremony. They are flower sticks made for the Turkish brand Gaia and Gino.  Choose clear, silver or bronze.

4. And enjoy your own music, without having to ask cubicle neighbors! These Semi-Audiophile Ceramic Speakers for Ipod or Computer by Joey Roth are bespoke and affordable (under 500$). The ceramic speakers are made from porcelain, cork, and baltic birch. each material is minimally finished, left to add its natural beauty to the design.

5. And take a break once a day for some body stretches and light exercise: an eco friendly yoga mat made of PER (Polymer Environmental Resin), which is a unique material that is more sensitive to the environment and your health is a good place to start.