More than just something to sit at, your office desk is a reflection of your personality and, yes, your status. Whether it’s book-end matched mahogany with brass inlay or cast acrylic with stainless steel legs, your desk has an important role to fill.

The average office worker spends more than 2000 hours a year at work. So, it makes sense that, if you’re going to be spending that amount of time in one place, it should work for you. 

More and more modern businesses are investing in creating a work-life balance for their staff—flexible working hours; remote working; job sharing and the like. But equally important is the physical work environment and a large part of that is the office desk or workstation you sit at.

How to choose the best deck to optimise productivity

Obviously, the best fit for you will be a mix of personal preference coupled with the requirements of the job, but there are myriad options for creating the optimum set up.

Studies have shown that sitting for prolonged periods is detrimental to our physical health, so standing desks—also known as stand-up desks—have become popular in recent times. They are, however, not a new concept as some famous historical figures including Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill and Ernest Hemingway all wrote while standing.

Height-adjustable desks, or sit-stand desks, are a contemporary progression of standing desks and transition between sitting and standing height, making them an ideal solution in co-working or hot-desking environments.

Office desks for the modern office

The increase in ‘knowledge work’ roles since the middle of the 20th century led to a related increase in open-plan offices. Traditionally, this meant rows of desks in a very linear design, however, this itself has transitioned to include a mix of cubicles, open workstations, private offices and group workstations. 

Survey the typical office fit-out of today and you’ll likely find a combination of pod desks, corner or L-shaped desks, desk with screens or partitions and even communal trestle-style desks.

Regardless of the layout, at the heart of good office design lies ergonomics—the process of designing or arranging workplaces, products and systems so that they fit the people who use them. Ergonomics aims to improve workspaces and environments to minimise the risk of injury or harm. Research conducted by Safe Work Australia estimated the cost of work-related injuries and illnesses to be $60b. 

Desks and workstations that have been ergonomically designed can greatly reduce this number and provide for a much more pleasant working environment.