Make Your Desk Space ‘Instagrammable’
These days everything seems to be online, and increasingly so. It doesn’t look like we’re going away from it, but rather that this is only the beginning. In this sense, we all want many areas of our lives to be as presentable as possible, and whether you’re working from home (as is increasingly common) or striving to impress your colleagues, bosses, and friends, many of us would like to have our computer desks looking as neat and photogenic as possible. Here are a few tips which may help you bring that about.
Whether you’re talking about cable storage, HDMI cables, or your trusty office chair, the most important first question is: How do you deal with cable clutter?
Untangle
If you have a lot of cords around your home or work office, it may be a good time to untangle them and figure what is what. It may be that you have cables which belong to older devices, like an old printer, a previous desktop computer, even an old VCR! You need to be able to detangle every single cord in and around your desk, identifying it and only keeping that which is absolutely essential for the day to day running of your life.
Label
After that first step, things like zip-ties, twist ties and velcro can be useful in terms of now making sure that all your cords are identified, separated, and easy to see. You can bundle cords, for example, desktop leads, by using binder clips. You can cheaply wrap masking tape around each cord, writing what it is, to make it absolutely crystal clear, or can affix colored labeling which looks more striking. In other words, you can behave like you’re about to move house, even though you’re not, with everything neatly organized and labeled for ultra convenience.
Box
The notion of having multiple boxes in and around your desk is an excellent idea. They can be used to store surplus stationery, bundled wires, pens, even your mouse when you are not using it. Color-coded boxes just look cool and can come in all different shapes, sizes, and hues. If you’re looking to create a picture-perfect desk then invest in some aesthetically pleasing boxes, perhaps with a design feature that is coordinated and contrasts strikingly with the drab metallic sheen of your laptop and other electronic devices.
Sleeve
These days you can purchase cable sleeves or cord covers, which are often colorful and aesthetically pleasing. They cover your ugly black wiring and lend an element of originality and flair to an otherwise bland corporate aesthetic.
Cordless
With all the advances that have been made in terms of Bluetooth-enabled devices (printers, keyboards, printers, etc.) there is less and less of a need to have wiring at all, these days. The minimalist approach to desk space can look very chic and well organized, for the purposes of Instagram. The image that you create with a minimalistic and sleek desk is one of precision, purpose, and professionalism. These things may also start to wear off on you so that you become more and more like the things you are trying to convey.
Chair
Your office chair is something you may well be spending as much time as your bed, sometimes more! It is therefore a really good idea to invest in a good one, one that is as orthopedically supportive as it is ergonomically pleasing to eye and lens. Office chairs can have all manner of design features, including footrests, pneumatic levers, headrests, armrests, and can be retro classic or futuristic chrome-tastic. Your chair will say a lot about you because from it you will be conducting some of the most important meetings, decisions, and tasks of your working life.
Chair makeover
If you have an old but beloved chair and don’t want to upgrade it to a sleeker, more modern version, consider covering it in a stylish office chair cover. You can either purchase one or make your own, depending on how adept you are at sewing and knitting, and adding velcro. A high-end paint acrylic spray paint can also change the plastic stem and five-pronged wheel struts into a gleaming white, or pastel blue; whatever you do it’s going to look like another chair, whilst allowing you to retain the benefits of your much loved, older chair.
Overall, you need to create the look that works best for you. If you’re a more creative type then an element of creative chaos might be fine. For most of us, though, coming across as stylish, well organized, coordinated and neat is the impression that will help convey to others what we’re about, and will help convince ourselves that we can achieve more success. The visual, social media trend is not a trend; it’s here to stay, and with more and more meetings and business agendas being conducted online, you will want to create the best impression from afar.