Offices are slowly opening up, and people are returning to their everyday work routines. Though the world may be returning to normalcy, it’s still important to take the necessary precautions and always be careful! And you may need a few products to help you with that. So, we’ve put together a collection of product designs to help you prepare for your return to the office while taking into consideration that there is a whole new normal now. From sanitizing devices to air-sealed work pods, and even quirky office stationeries, this range of office gear will help you rehabilitate into your work environment as effortlessly and safely as possible!
Just like working from home brought to light issues we didn’t have, working in the office during or after a pandemic will have its own set of new issues and that is what designers are aiming to solve with concepts with Qworkntine. The non-essential companies have to open up at some point to keep the economy (and our income) running. Qworkntine is an air-tight pod system that wants to make working in offices safe while we figure out long-term solutions. It protects the employees and can make it easy to monitor how many employees are in per square meter of the space – it also makes contact tracing convenient in larger offices. Its hexagonal shape lets companies arrange it in any format to suit their physical office – it is like assembling a beehive to keep all the bees healthy and happy! It can be customized to fit right-angled corners and can be elongated as per the needs.
We’ve featured external SSDs on this website before, but the Cléxi is something completely new. Perhaps one of the first SSDs to take encryption and security incredibly seriously, Cléxi uses a 2-factor authentication system to grant you access to the drive’s data. Once enabled, the security measures require two steps to let you access your files. First, you need to tap your phone on the Cléxi, which then sends a prompt to your phone to scan your face. Once the Cléxi knows it’s you accessing your files, it automatically unlocks for you, protecting your data from being accessed or copied by anyone… and that’s just the first step in Cléxi’s multi-pronged approach to protect your files.
Meet the Hygiene Hand, a Captain Hook-inspired piece of EDC that lets you interact with the world without, well, physically interacting with it. Machined from a brass billet, which is known to possess anti-microbial properties, the Hygiene Hand acts as a keychain that you can use to push, pull, and generally maneuver objects without actually touching them. Designed by a retired New York paramedic, the Hygiene Hand is what you get when Everyday Carry meets Personal Protective Equipment.
Ukrainian product designer Julia Kononenko created the ‘Eco Pot’, an intriguing little product that organizes your desk and adds a pop of green to it! The multipurpose desk accessory is basically a flower pot with an integrated pen holder. Divided into two sections, the smaller square-shaped section has been reserved to store your pens and pencils. Whereas the elevated larger section functions as a planter. Add a succulent or two and watch your desk bloom! Crafted from elmwood, Eco Pot is also lined with glass vessels, to ensure that neither the water nor soil damage the wood structure. The glass cover also helps to keep your desk dust-free even if the plants haven’t been planted.
You may remember Wool & Oak from their past Kickstarter campaigns, including the wildly successful 6-in-1 Duffle that introduced modularity to travel cases. Their latest campaign, The ALL DAY BAG, brings that very same level of problem-solving and pragmatism to a product that’s clearly plagued with problems. By redesigning the core UX of the woman’s handbag, The ALL DAY BAG gives women the ability to do more and carry more, with the freedom of being able to wear their handbag the way they see fit. The ALL DAY BAG is essentially a well-designed backpack in the avatar of a woman’s handbag. It functions as a tote, backpack, and office purse!
It’s a wireless charger, but it’s better than a wireless charger. Cell by Ampere works as a dock as well as a UV sterilization chamber for your belongings. It’s a weirdly relevant combination of features but believe me, Cell does a great job of being multifunctional but still being sensible. Every feature and use-case is well thought out, making it just the most conveniently handy accessory to have on you. Here, let me explain. Cell by Ampere comes with a collapsible design that houses 2 wireless charging coils on the top, and UV-C LEDs on the base. Place your phone on top, and it fast-charges without wires, however, collapse the silicon rim around the sides and the base becomes a UV chamber, allowing you to sterilize your phone, watch, earphones, keys, or any EDC in mere minutes.
The Memo Roll is shaped like a teardrop, and to understand its functionality, I guess it’s best to compare it to a tape dispenser. It’s basically a tape dispenser…for Post-It or memo notes! You simply tug out a note as needed, scrawl down whatever you need to remember, and stick it onto your desk or bulletin board. No more scrounging around for your memo notepad, while you struggle to jot down crucial details. You can place your Memo Roll conveniently onto your work desk, providing you with easy access to the notes. You surely won’t miss its cute quirky form.
Relying on a process that turns regular tap water into Electrolysed (EO) water, the IOON spray gives you an instant, effective, non-toxic sanitizer that you can spray on everything from your hands to door-handles, and from elevator buttons to cutlery (and even food!) When electrolyzed or ionized, water breaks down into a solution of hypochlorous acid and sodium hydroxide, which acts as a remarkable detergent and disinfectant, instantly killing bacteria, cleansing off harmful chemicals from food, purifying the air, as well as busting odors. The technology, which has existed for over 4 decades, creates an all-purpose cleaning solution that replaces the need for carpet-cleaners, floor-cleaners, room-fresheners, car-fresheners, fruit and vegetable purifiers, and general disinfectants. Needless to say, the electrolyzed water is food-safe, child-safe, and eliminates the need to clean your house with chemicals that aren’t healthy… and the IOON, a small, portable spraying device, can electrolyze and spray the water directly from within its hand-held, wireless form factor.
The N30 is a literal trip down memory lane, taking inspiration from the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) controller. Designed as a juxtaposition between classic and modern, this mouse, created by Daniel Jansson for 8BitDo transforms a hallmark of console gaming into a neat, functional mouse that’s a sheer tactile joyride! The mouse originated as a concept created by Janssen in 2009, only becoming a reality this year after 8BitDo really saw promise in it. The wireless mouse comes with clear-cut lines that you’d imagine wouldn’t be comfortable, but actually do feel familiar. It features classic NES controller-style red left and right-click buttons, resting on a black platform which is, in fact, a touch-sensitive scroller. To complete this whacky/adorable mouse’s design, Janssen incorporated a D-Pad on the side, that can be controlled via your thumb.
Busy workdays sometimes mean compromise for our meals. Instead of sitting down to fully enjoy a meal and our full lunch hour, we’re three-quarters of the way through a sandwich the size of our face five minutes after closing time. As relaxing and recalibrating as sitting down to eat a proper meal can be, work always seems to come first. SOC is a lunch box created by designers at Midea who hope to bring back the ceremony of enjoying a meal, even during the busier workdays. SOC Lunch Box is a three-tier lunch container packaged inside a magnetic carrying case that doubles as a tablecloth. The three levels of SOC provide space for the user’s different food items to be separated and neatly arranged, with enough room inside for utensils and a metal cover that keeps the food steamed throughout the day. With three enclosed compartments, each meal taken from SOC will taste as fresh as when it was made
