We all know it’s bad for our physical and mental health, but there will always be times when we have to go through the late-night crunch at home. That’s not even considering how some actually have work hours that begin only after the sun has set. Working long hours into the night in the solitude of your home or room can be physically taxing and emotionally draining, which is why there’s now a trend to bring some joy into workspaces through accessories and decorations. This “deskterior” movement tries to energize and even help people remain productive even in the dead of night, and this collection of dark-themed product design concepts injects a little ingenuity and even some attitude to your nighttime quests.
Designers: Jiye Lee, Seoyeong Jang, Junhong Yang, Taeyoon Kim, Jeongeun Kim
There’s no shortage of desk accessories and gadgets that try to boost your productivity at work, but most of them make the presumption that you’re on a regular 8 to 5 clock. Of course, those products would work any time of the day, but there’s something to be said for products designed for a specific purpose or around a certain theme. YAZAK, which is a play on the Korean word for midnight snacks, is a collection of these “deskterior” accessories that help keep you company and stay productive during those late-night shifts, and not just because they have a dark color scheme that better fits that time of the day.
TEMPO, for example, is both a desk lamp and a timer. In addition to the main overhead light, its arm also has a trail of light that decreases as time passes until it’s completely empty, at which point the lamp itself turns off. It’s meant to tell you to take a break and visually inform you of the passing of time.
TEMPO probably works well with DODULE, a modular scheduler that’s made up of a stack of discs. Each disc represents a project and the deadline for that project. A tiny ball that sits on top marks the passage of time, letting you know how long it will take to finish the project that the disc represents.
Still somewhat related to the notion of time, PLOP is a cup coaster that has a simpler mechanism. You simply push the ball down to its lowest point to start the timer. The sphere will slowly rise and give you a signal when it reaches the top. That’s time for another break, this time to reach for a glass of water to keep you hydrated.
BITLE is a bit more sophisticated and abstract, a device that’s meant to let you know if you’re not sitting properly. It uses sensors to detect your body’s posture and move the top plate to symbolize the lack of balance. The concept doesn’t indicate if the ball will fall off unless you sit with the correct posture, though that’s more likely to increase your stress rather than relieve it.
Last but definitely not least, SWIBLE is a side table with a swiveling top, offering extra space to place other things without messing up your desk, including those “Yasik” snacks you might need to keep yourself awake. It also has a hidden compartment under the lid for even more storage, though you probably need to remember to take things off it before opening it up. And when you’re work is finally done, the underside of the table can actually hold a tablet so you can sit back and relax with your favorite shows.
