Ergonomics cheat sheet.

Ergonomic design is a significant challenge in areas that everyone in a company uses. After all, these workstations are used by many different people, so furniture constantly needs adjusting to people’s individual physiques. There’s plenty you can plan for, however, like ensuring that there’s plenty of desk space and that the lighting is suitable. Individual adjustments to the immediate workspace are then down to each user. They have to be able to precisely adjust the office chair to their height to facilitate ergonomic working. With constant changes of user, this can become a real time waster over the long term. In addition, many of the configuration options are sometimes not used or not used correctly. Having office chairs with automatic weight detection can help here. The mechanics of the chair react to the user’s weight. The more weight the seat is subjected to, the greater the resistance to the backrest suspension. This eliminates the need for manual adjustments, except for the height of the seat, resulting in an intuitive sitting experience. A desk with electric height adjustment is recommended to enable people to adjust it quickly and easily at the push of a button. It also allows staff to work while standing, which relieves the spine and helps to prevent musculoskeletal issues. A simple plug-and-work setup makes it easy to connect a laptop with an external screen, mouse and keyboard, which can help avoid poor posture.

Whether they’re being used for coordination, brainstorming or a long conference, communication rooms still have to offer an ergonomic environment. An area with a standing desk or height-adjustable conference table encourages movement and allows people to change position. The communication purpose of the space determines the types of desks needed and their arrangement. U-shaped layouts are a great choice for seminars, while a closed shape works well for workshops and meetings. Rows of seating or a school-like setup are best for presentations. If the space is used for several of these purposes throughout the workweek, flexible and mobile desks that are easy to rearrange are the best choice.

When longer meetings and conferences are taking place, the chairs should feature a design that facilitates dynamic sitting. Optimum styles include conference swivel chairs or cantilever designs. Screens need to be positioned so that all participants can see them easily. In larger rooms, you may find dual screens or additional displays useful. The centre of the screen should be at eye-level when seated. The viewing distance should be 1.5–2 times the screen diagonal. For hybrid meetings especially, which combine video conferencing with in-person attendance, a functioning microphone and speaker system is essential. The room camera should be positioned at a height of around 1.2–1.4 metres, preferably below the display, to allow people to hold conversations at eye-level. Avoid having table arrangements that spread too wide or too deeply into the room. Plug-and-meet technology and intuitive operating systems make conferences stress-free with the minimum of technical hassle.

In terms of visual design, communication spaces should feature stimulating, invigorating colours – whereas areas for desk-based working should focus on calming, muted shades. A healthy alternative, especially for small groups, could be a walk-and-talk meeting. Having meetings while walking outside in the fresh air can encourage innovative ideas, as well as improve fitness.