The first thing a new client, guest or prospective employee sees when they enter your office is your reception area.  It's where they get their first, lasting impression of your business.  Make it work for you by creating a space that's inviting and also reflects your company's business style and culture - whether it's contemporary or traditional, relaxed or more formal.

Make it relaxing. Choose chairs that provide comfortable seating.  Make sure lighting feels warm and natural.  Plants and soft music can be calming and enjoyable, as well.  If guests will likely be waiting for a few minutes, offer them coffee, bottled water or a soft drink while they wait.  If a restroom isn't visible from the waiting area post a sign with directional arrows, so guests don't have to ask.

Tell your story. Provide reading materials for visitors that are related to your company and it's business.  Display our corporate newsletters, annual report, brochures and catalogs in magazine racks or on tables, so that your guests can learn a little about what you do while they wait.  You can also run corporate videos or photo collages on a monitor set on "endless loop", but provide headphones or mute the sound , so it doesn't compete wit conversations or background music.

Make the space functional for people who prefer to work while they're waiting. Provide tables they can use for a laptop.  Make sure power outlets are in sight and easy to access, so visitors can charge a phone or plug in a laptop without having to move furniture or look under chairs.  If your company offers WiFi for guests, either post the password in the waiting area or make sure your receptionist offers it to those who may need it.

Looking to update your reception area?  Our furniture specialists can create the welcome you are looking for.  

Classrooms with rigid seats recall an era when teachers held court in front of rows of submissive students. Obedience took precedence over comprehension—as long as a student was sitting up straight, it didn’t necessarily matter if he or she was learning the lesson being taught.

And it wasn’t unheard of for a posture-­makes­-perfect teacher to help bring about an upright sitting position by putting a yardstick down the back of a student’s shirt. 

​This era may still exist in some classrooms and schoolhouses, but most modern educators have come to realize that students learn in many different ways. They recognize that fidgeting and restlessness is a feature, not a bug, in the makeup of most young students.
Some students may do fine sitting passively in a straight­back chair for hours at a time, but plenty of others need a little more variety and movement to stay on task. And as teaching strategies gravitate toward a greater focus on hands­on and interactive student involvement, classrooms benefit from active seating choices that accommodate or even encourage movement.

Many students have come to expect flexible, easily configurable seating arrangements in their classrooms, according to a 2013 study in the Journal of Learning Spaces of seating considerations at Buffalo State, State University of New York.
“Movability and maneuverability of seating is valued by 21st­century students because it facilitates the ability to work in groups or teams, which is becoming more common within the classroom,” say the study’s authors, Eugene Harvey and Melaine Kenyon. “When seating configurations need to be altered within class, students may expect inherently that the classroom environment, especially seating, will be moldable to the task or purpose at hand.”
In evaluating various seating options for classrooms at the university, the study found that students rated fixed, tiered seating and tablet­arm chairs the lowest.
​
“The traditional tablet­arm chairs and fixed, tiered seating seem less than comfortable,” the study says. “The physical sitting space for these seats is limiting for people of above­average heights or girths, and not only is this uncomfortable physically, but also socially as well, resulting in feelings of awkwardness, irritability or embarrassment.”
Schools and universities may supplement or replace traditional desks and chairs with seating that accommodates greater flexibility and comfort. Many of these new furniture pieces are especially beneficial for students with special needs such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or autism, but they also have value for students in general. Some examples:

• Wobble cushions. Also called stability cushions or wiggle cushions, these items can be used on top of a seat or on the floor. The cushions are inflated, but have enough give in them so that students have to change their positions frequently to stay balanced. By enabling students to fidget and wiggle in their seats, the cushions help them burn off their excess energy without disrupting the class and focus on their schoolwork. Some cushions are wedge­shaped so that a student using one sits at an angle that results in better posture and better focus.
• Wobble chairs. These provide benefits similar to cushions, but are attached to legs or bases, so aren’t as mobile as cushions.
• Exercise balls. Used in fitness facilities to strengthen muscles, the balls (also called therapy, yoga or balance balls) have proven to be effective in classrooms. Students are able to move while sitting on exercise balls, and this results in better concentration and performance.
• Beanbag chairs. These provide a comfortable spot for students to read silently, listen to a lesson using headphones or complete other independent activities. They also are lightweight and can be moved easily in a classroom.
• Seating with wheels and swivels. These chairs enable students to move and twist to stay active while remaining seated. The mobility of the chairs also makes it easier for a classroom to accommodate different styles of learning.
• Standing desks. Students can break up the monotony of sitting throughout the school day by using a standing desk. Giving the students an opportunity to stand for at least some of their class time helps combat the sedentary habits of students, keeps them alert, and may improve their academic performance.

Kennedy is the staff writer for American School & University.
Source URL: http://beta.asumag.com/furniture­furnishings/creating­some­wiggle­room

Most of us spend a third of our day sitting at our desk.  The right chair can make a huge difference in your productivity, comfort and health.  Are you ready for a new one?  You probably are if...

• Your shoulders and neck are stiff and sore
• You have to stretch to reach your mouse or keyboard
• Your lower back aches
• The seat cushion provides little or no padding
• Your chair does not slide under your desk
• You have eyestrain
• Your chair is too narrow, long or short in the seat
• You're just plain uncomfortable!

Whether you sit at your desk for hours at a time or in spurts throughout the day, it's critical to select a chair that supports your shoulders, arms and back.  Having an ergonomic chair that offers support prevents you from hunching over or overstretching which can lead to chronic muscular problems.  Ergonomic chairs allow you to make several adjustments to the height, back, arms and lumbar region.  This is not a one size fits all, and there are many options form which to choose.

Here are a few tips on selecting an ergonomic chair that works for you.

Consider how you work. Do you spend a lot of time on the phone?  Do you need to quickly access files or other items in desk drawers?  Do you use the keyboard and remain in the same position most of the day?

Try them out.  At Twist, we carry a variety of ergonomic chairs that you can try out.  Don't become concerned if you sit in an ergonomic chair and it feels uncomfortable.  It probably just needs adjusting to your specific body type.  Once you find a comfortable one, consider the following:

Height: You should be able to sit comfortable, feet flat on the floor with your knees at a 90 degree angle. Look for a seat with a pneumatic lever you can raise or lower while seated.

Arms:  Armrests take the pressure off your shoulders and neck which is especially important if you sit at the computer for a significant part of the day.  When typing, your forearms should be just above the armrest, with your elbows resting on it.  Look for armrests that adjust for both height and position to accommodate different activities.

Back:  We all have a natural curve in the lower part of our spine, and it's this area, the lumbar region, that ca cause the most problems if not properly supported.  That's why a good ergonomic chair should include a lumbar support with adjustments for up and down, forwards and backwards to suit the natural angle of your spine.  It should be high enough to support your shoulder and neck, while allowing for movement so you can reach for items when you need them.  Spend a lot of time on the phone?  You may want to check out chair backs that recline to suit your posture.

Seat width and depth:  Look for a chair that gives enough depth in the seat so you have two to four inches betweent he back of your knees and the edge of the seat.  The width should be at least one inch wider that your hips and thighs.

Headrests and footrests:  These features aren't for everyone, but may be right for you.  Headrests provide good support and prevent neck pain when talking on the phone in a more reclined position.  If you want a footrest, select a free-standing one that allows you to rest you feet, keeping you knees at a 90 degree angle.

With so many options available, we can help you find the perfect chair to support your body and prevent muscle aches for years to come.  Give us a call today and our furniture specialist will work with you to find the chair of your dreams.

Republished form BBF_Fits, TheOfficeEvolution.com

In order to get the most out of a home office, here are our 10 suggestions for set up.

1. Location, Location, Location!- Don’t “make do” with a spot at the kitchen table or living room couch. Designate a room or area of the house where you can truly concentrate, communicate and efficiently manage your tasks. We strongly urge you to separate yourself from the everyday distractions of home life and plan for a quiet, remote area where you can maintain an professional setting and state of mind.
2. Furniture- Choose furniture and a layout that will suit your needs. Allow for enough work surface to hold all desktop equipment, paperwork, supplies materials, etc… Think about storage, in order to maintain organization. You will want sufficient storage and perhaps even lockable features or the opportunity to add pieces later on. Select furniture that is long lasting and safe. Also, take a few moments to read about ergonomics in the office space and investigate chair and accessory options.
3. Electrical Outlets- We are operating in a wireless world, but you will require some access to power for computer, phone, fax, etc… Make sure you think through placement of your equipment in relation to outlets in the space. Be careful not to overpower any electrical outlet, spread it around and make sure it’s not all on the same circuit breaker. Your home office area may require additional outlets which is a safer bet than too many extension cords.
4. Organize those cords and wires- Just because you have a lot of office equipment doesn’t mean your work space has to look like a rattlesnake den. Plan your office design to put as much of your wires and cables as out of sight as possible. If you have long lengths of cable running from room to room (or down a hallway), consider drilling holes and lifting baseboards as necessary to get them out of sight. If you can’t put cables and/or wires out of harm’s way, make sure you tape or staple them down as necessary and close to walls so people aren’t in danger of tripping over them. Consider furniture with wire management features.
5. Security -Minimize the risk of equipment theft with doors, windows, drawers and cabinets that are lockable and in good working order. Secure  your computer after work. Ensure computers and other devices are passcode protected. Keep all software, especially anti-virus and anti-spyware up to date and make sure there is have a firewall installed. Create and maintain a back-up schedule.
6. Lighting- Proper lighting is very important and should not be overlooked.  Create layers and angles of light ideally with a combination of natural light and desk top, ambient or lamp lighting around the work area. Glare, dim light or too-bright light, can put strain on your eyes and leave you feeling exhausted. You may want to consider your schedule too, are you a night owl who stays up until 2am working on a project or an early bird that sits down with coffee in hand ready to begin the day at 5am?
7. Ventilation- Many people overlook the importance of ventilation in office design however, both you and your office equipment need it. First, the more office equipment you have operating, the more heat will be generated and excessive heat can damage office equipment such as PCs. Secondly, if your home office space isn’t adequately ventilated, working there can be extremely uncomfortable for you.  In basement offices especially, you may want to have an air quality test done prior to setting up your space. Be sure there are operational smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
8. Noise – Productivity requires concentration – avoid working in areas that promote distraction. Consider kids, televisions and appliances, household traffic, road noise and pets when setting up a home office. Put the workspace in an isolated area, preferably with a closed door to reduce sound. If necessary, use headphones to help eliminate outside noise.
9. Fire hazards- Keep combustible materials to a minimum. Have a functioning smoke detector and fire extinguisher in the work area. Keep portable heaters (with a tip over switch) away from combustible materials.
10. Clear the paths and the clutter- Because you may be situated in a room that was originally designed for other uses, some home offices resemble obstacle courses. Just because that bed or plant stand has always been there, doesn’t mean it has to stay there. You need to be able to get up from your desk and walk around without banging your shins.And don’t forget to check the floor- for instance, make sure all area rugs are securely tacked down.  Get rid of all unnecessary furniture and clutter in your home office space. To reduce clutter, separate personal from professional paperwork. Employ the “touch it once” rule: once you touch a piece of paper, either act on it, file it, or throw it away.

For more information on Telework programs or working from home: http://www.twistop.com/work--home.html

Republished from BBf-Fits The Office Evolution.

The office is evolving.  Work today is being done in new ways and in new places. No longer is the corporate facility the only place where successful, thriving companies are getting things done.  In fact, many of them have found and embraced this office evolution and have deposited their results squarely on the bottom line.  Perhaps you’ve heard a lot about telework. You may strongly believe that sending people home or to “hotelling” locations to do work normally performed in the office may be the right thing to save money, create a better work-life balance or help reduce your corporate carbon footprint. These are all valid reasons. But is your company ready for telework? Here are some things to consider before you begin the process:

• How much does your core business model revolve around internal collaboration or face-to-face interactions with customers, vendors, and visitors?
• Does your company have the ability continue to function during inclement weather, declared emergencies or natural disasters?
• Does your state have legislation or a statute for implementing telework options or a traffic reduction plan?
• Can your corporate culture support and foster alternative off-site work arrangements?
• Will management support the development of an external workforce?
• Are a number of company jobs technology- based or computer driven?
• Do you have the proper IT resources to devise and support a remote working program?
• Can your HR group develop the policies, processes and procedures necessary to sustain the unique aspects teleworking?
• Is broadband technology available to all employee residential locations?
• Are you losing the competitive edge in attracting and recruiting new employees?
• Are current employees seemingly unhappy, unproductive and unlikely to stay?
• Are commuting times and distances as well as increasing traffic and pollution of concern to your company?

The way in which you are able to respond to these questions will help you more adequately determine if telework is right for your business.

On the upside, studies have shown that there are enormous positives for the thoughtful implementation of a structured telework program. Consider this. Telework will:

• Dramatically reduce real estate costs and usage are while optimizing facilities and furnishings
• Increase employee productivity by up to 40%
• Improve talent attraction as well as increase the geographic diversification of the talent pool
• Noticeably  reduce turnover and absenteeism rates
• Improve access to employment  for disabled people, retired persons and single parents
• Allow implementation  a business continuity plan
• Further your corporate image and environmental consciousness

For more information on starting a Telework program, call Twist today - we can help.


Read more about the financial benefits of Telework from Logicalis in this white paper “Telework – the Windfall Hidden in Plain Sight” Telework-Feature-Oct2013

http://www.theofficeevolution.com/