Remote work is taking over the world, and the biggest obstacle remote teams face is emulating the natural communication that happens at the office. In this article, Obed Parlapiano shares his advice and tips on how to improve your team’s communication and productivity by creating habits and processes focused on improving collaboration.
Read more…
How to stay creative, focused, and organized when working remotely? We’ve collected some useful tools and resources that we use daily — to help you get most out of your remote work.
Read more…
With the right apps, working from home is a blessing for those with a disability. Working from home allows you to attend to your medical needs in ways that might be disruptive in an office, like running a nebulizer or using an IV. Or you may avoid the hassle of navigating a building that’s not truly accessible. In this article, Claudio Luis Vera explains what to keep in mind when choosing between video conferencing tools to benefit everyone on your team — including those with disabilities.
Read more…
A desk is an essential piece of equipment for a web designer. Without it, you’d end up working from wobbly tables at cafes or staring down at your lap all day — uncomfortable options, to say the least. Then again, your desk could also cause you discomfort if you sit in it the wrong way or for too long. Rather than feeling like your desk is a torture device, Suzanne Scacca shares some pointers for enjoying the time you spend there.
Read more…
In this episode of the Smashing Podcast, we’re talking about shaping our physical spaces when working from home. What can you do to take a step up from working at your kitchen table? Drew McLellan talks to workspace geek Ben Frain to find out.
Read more…
How much thought have you put into your primary input device? Ever considered how much better your interface with your computer might be? For decades, keyboards have been the primary mechanisms by which we interact with our computers. In this article, Ben Frain is going to dive into the possibilities of mechanical keyboards. The different layouts, switch types and even keycap material. Strap yourself in — this will be a deep dive!
Read more…
How do we know if we are truly impactful as a design team? Are we seen as a vehicle to deliver a solution that moves a needle? The business value of design has been proven at scale by the McKinsey Design Index. and the study shows the best design performers increased their revenues and shareholder returns at nearly twice the rate of their industry counterparts. It’s time to empower our design teams and give them one voice to show how and when design really adds value.
Read more…
Task switching is a design killer. Find out why switching and interruptions are even more serious than you think and how biology makes it difficult to resist the temptation to just check your email every few minutes. In this article, Eric Olive will show you how to slay the distraction dragon with five practical tips for increasing focus as you tackle challenging design problems.
Read more…
The distributed team structure is known to offer many benefits for a company and its employees; however, this sort of work model also comes with its own unique set of obstacles. In 2018, Owl Labs found that 56% of the participating companies in their study adopted or allowed for some form of remote arrangement for its employees. While this organizational approach has revolutionized the way we perform our job functions, it’s also paved the way for new patterns to emerge in the way we interact with each other across the distance. In this article, Randy Tolentino will review how “remote soft-skills” can help with the challenge of building authentic connections with your distributed co-workers.
Read more…
How do you get the most out of both your career and your personal life? The most important thing to note when thinking about work-life balance is that it is different for everyone. While there may a perfect solution for an individual in any given time, place and work situation, it is almost certain to be different for another individual – by a degree that can be tiny or enormous. Ricky Onsman asked the community to share their tips and advice on achieving a healthy work-life balance, and this is what they had to say.
Read more…
