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Making Modifications to Your Computer Workspace?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the nesting-instinct dept.

Anonymouse Cowherd asks: "I've got an ancient engineer's desk at work, and the thing is seriously not very comfortable for long-term computer usage, so I'm trying to think of things I can do to it to make it more livable. Has anyone had to live with this situation and been forced to hack their own office furniture, or wished that they had? If you did, what modifications did you make to improve your space?"

4 of 136 comments (clear)

  1. Perhaps the most important thing of all... by Ruff_ilb · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The chair. Seriously. If you're going to be sitting in a chair for hours on end, it's worth it to buy a good one, or at least put some padding down on the one you already have. The other great thing about this is that, unlike a new keyboard, mouse, mousepad, or other ergonomic upgrade, a well-made chair won't wear out, break down, or become obsolete with the next version of windows (I'm using an immensely comfortable office chair from the 1920's).

    I would definitely consider looking at upgrading your chair before you worry about the actual desk itself.

    --
    http://www.TheGamerNation.com/Forums
  2. Sit-stand desk by mls · · Score: 2, Interesting

    If I were to do something about my office situation, I would probably get/make a sit-stand desk.

    An article from the other day about geek health problems brings up the issue of low back pain, an ergonomic sit-stand desk might be a great choice for long hours of computer work. If you don't want to shell out for the high-cost adjustable desks, you can sometimes make do with a workbench type desk that you can stand at and type, and a tall chair to go with it for the times you want to sit.

    --
    -mls
  3. darker wall by fak3r · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I don't think most are thing of it, but paint the wall behind your monitor a darker color, I use a dark grey. The difference in contrast really helps your eyes, you won't have the eye fatigue that you'd have otherwise. Next up is the chair, spend money on a chair, after that get a desk that's the right height, and go from there...

    --
    fak3r.com
  4. Non-destructive office hacks, kthx. by dsandler · · Score: 2, Interesting
    This [link to reciprocating saw] can fix anything.

    Unfortunately, it can't fix the damage you did to your office equipment (from the perspective of your employer). Companies are often irrationally resistant to non-destructive, 100% reversible alterations to office equipment, but they are 100% rationally resistant to destructive, irreversible alterations to office equipment.

    The trick is to work within the system you're given, adding things you can remove, and removing things you can put back later. Other commenters have suggested basic upgrades along these lines, like keyboard trays, shelving, etc., and these are great ideas. A few more simple thoughts from my personal experience:

    1. Ergonomic keyboard. Cheaper than an ergonomic chair, but almost as useful. Forcing your hands into a more reasonable position for typing marathons can have (positive) ripple effects throughout your posture and musculature. Some swear by the Kinesis keyboards (my advisor has the "keys-in-a-bowl" version), but these will set you back almost as much as a chair, so I settle for the venerable MS Natural Keyboard (mine is an OEM version of the Pro, resold at Fry's for about $15).
    2. Move your desk. If you can't change anything else about your desk, hopefully you can position it so that it's not backed up to a wall. This gives your eyes a different distance at which to focus when you glance away from your monitor (assuming your boss allows you to do this).
    3. Hack your furniture. Not applicable if you really just have a big lab-bench-style desk, but for those who are living in Hermann Miller Hell® (a.k.a. a cubicle farm), there are lots of ways you can reconfigure your space, given the right hex driver. Half-walls, shelving, whiteboards--there are cube modules for all of these. Even if your employer didn't spring for all these fancy parts (the office furniture equivalent of purchasing exclusively the "boring" LEGO sets containing only 2x4 bricks (tall)), there are still hacks to be had. At a previous job we connected desks to wall sections out-of-phase, so we could have half-width wall sections cut open between cubicles (for a little bit of collaboration without reverting to an open bullpen layout, or to suspend other improvised half-height divider panels).
    4. Use spare moving boxes to create dynamic and interesting office furnishings. OK, this one's a joke (mostly).