How Office Privacy Pods Transform Open Workspaces

An open workspace or an open office plan is the type of office layout where all the employees are working side by side in the same space instead of separate cabins or rooms. An open space setup is the most common and conventional type of office design and is beneficial in many ways. Though the pros of an open workspace are many, so are the shortcomings that can make certain employees or some work requirements tough to meet in an open workspace plan. So, what could be the solution? After all, you cannot modify the entire layout of your office or rebuild the space all over again!

Enter the office privacy pod, emerging from the rise of backyard offices or a home office shed; an office privacy booth gives you the right seclusion right in the middle of a noisy and crowded workspace. A private office pod is great at creating a boundary between you and the rest of the office without you having to leave the floor or go too far from the team. These private work sheds have transformed the way open offices work and all for the better.

In this article, we will explain how an office privacy pod is the best alternative for upgrading your office.

What is an Office Pod?

Phone booths, dens, and office pods are ideal for any company trying to create the most immersive work environment. These walk-in, acoustically insulated furniture pieces offer quiet environments by absorbing outside noise with acoustic panels while you work. They come in various material options and designs.

Some pods are transparent so you can monitor what's happening around you, but they are also soundproof, so you don't have to fret about the office noise disturbing you. These pods come in different shapes and sizes, and they can be flexible for one individual or even team pods, also known as meeting pods.

How Office Pods Transform Workspaces?

The concept of pod emerged from the idea of different working styles for different individuals. As some people are fond of working in private, quiet spaces while having enough proximity to collaborate with the team when needed, a pod is a great solution in such scenarios. Also, rather than spending investment and building separate rooms in a 'temporary' office, a pod can be a great alternative to divide a workspace into orders. Here are some ways in which pods transform and open office setup.

Cut Out Distractions

Imagine your client plans to call and take a follow-up at an unexpected hour. You find the conference room to be engaged, and the office chatter is too loud for you to talk. In such cases, you wouldn't want to ruin the impression on the client by having a broken chat, right? A studio office pod, in such cases, is a wonderful and quick solution. With an office pod, you can quickly sneak in and take up the call without any noise interrupting you. And as the pod is located right in the middle of the office there is no need to keep the client waiting either.

Better Privacy

With recent modifications and importance given to employee health and wellness, it is discovered that any typical office setup will have neurodiversity. This means a workplace has all types of people with some who prefer to work with chatter around as well as those who would prefer a quiet surrounding space. Many people with neurological disabilities need quiet spaces to focus. In public spaces, conditions including autism, ADHD, and dyslexia usually lead to extreme anxiety. Office pod selection may improve workers' neurologically impaired well-being. Providing employees with a peaceful space to focus and gather ideas will boost output.

Visual Privacy

A busy office space involves all types of work duties and plans. While some work duties require full secrecy it is not always practical to build a separate room for many of the private job roles. Hence, an office pod delivers visual privacy, which is a great solution to protect critical information from being exposed while also allowing the employee to work freely without being seen.

Great Impression on Clients

An office pod can work as a quiet work booth as well as a noise-free meeting space. If more than one client visits your office at the same time, you don't need to keep them waiting until the common meeting room is free. And as they have a chat with you in the pod, they can also take a view of how your professional space works on a regular day.

Offers Personalization

Having a pod in your office gives you the same feel as owning a prefab office shed. Hence, you can enjoy the benefit of personalizing your space according to your tick factor. Personalizing space also helps with greater productivity.

Freedom to Modify Office Design

Refitting or building a new workplace can be quite costly, particularly if structural changes are required. Using a conference booth or pod, you may make a self-contained workspace within the bigger office with much less work and price.

Is an Office Pod Always a Good Idea?

An office pod or a tiny studio shed has emerged as a revolutionary design intended to create more inclusive and smarter work dynamics. These pods are comfortable, easy to use, and right in the middle of an open office, giving you the benefit of proximity. But is there only a golden side to having a work pod, or can you find some cons of a work pod, too? Below are some downsides of opting for a pod in the middle of a workspace. 

• A pod might save you money on the whole office renovation, but it still is an added expense. To make a pod fully functional, you would need to purchase ergonomic seats, standing desks, projectors, monitors, and all other accessories.
• It can be harder to monitor everything inside the pod, and some employees might take advantage of this freedom and privacy, too.
• Phone booth office pods can make some employees feel claustrophobic, which can lead to anxiety and stress.

Why are Office Pods Important?

Though we cannot say teamwork belongs in the 90s, we can say that 21st-century workplaces operate differently. Especially ever since COVID, and working from your private backyard office shed, facing no distraction, the way an employee's productivity meter ticks has severely shifted. Hence, the possibility that some of your employees can indeed perform better in a private, noise-free zone should be taken seriously.

Another factor is that we neglected to consider workers who might be sensitive to noise or who would perform better in relaxed situations while designing open workspaces. Introverts, in particular, could be more easily distracted and would rather work alone. It's not just introverts, either.