Social distancing: a designer’s guide
Let’s get the term clear:
Social distancing is deliberately increasing the physical space between people to avoid spreading illness — Johns Hopkins Medicine
My understanding: it’s a set of measures and recommendations to fight the spread of a contagious disease. And something most of us can contribute to, by simply staying at home.
I’d like to share my tips for establishing home office wellbeing.
Work
Routine is power.
“Now I can sleep in” approach does not work. Working from home is about discipline. Try experimenting with my morning techniques, adjusting them to the home office environment.
Work hours. I try to save my 10–6 work schedule, as I have no distractions during the day. If you need to shift your hours, try 4-hour focused work chunks, at least one of which you’ll be able to connect with the team.
Dedicated space.
Insta-worthy work station or a kitchen table, does not matter, as long as you don’t spend your days on a couch. A set of drawers or a windowsill can make for a decent standing desk too.
Over-communicating.
When people shift to working from home, communication issues get to the surface. It’s not only about the amount of communication, but also it’s quality. Every member of the team has his reasons to not share, be harsh or indifferent. Finding these reasons seems to be a good way to start improving communication.
Active listening is a good skill to practice while establishing remote collaboration.
Document decisions.
We like to discover, analyze, learn…and move on hoping someone else will deliver our ideas. In a remote environment, try to share the knowledge, sell your features & be involved at all stages. Take meeting notes, document decisions, and action items, share them with the larger audience.
If change inspires you as much as it inspires me, try to share it and empower your colleagues!
Plan for a long ride.
When I work from home for 2 days, I often wait to discuss important topics face to face. When circumstances are unpredictable, make today your greatest day! Make those decisions, conduct those workshops and enjoy yourself in it.
Grow.
There’s a bunch of design courses and certifications, that are available online at any time. Or maybe, you wanted to learn a new discipline? No matter how tough it may be at first, you’ll come out stronger, with a new set of skills and insights.
The very least you can learn during this time is whether you like working from home. Maybe you’ll be spending your next spring in Italy, enjoying remote work and pizza.
Home
Get food.
Today’s my second day working from home. I am almost done with a 300g Milka chocolate bar and I am loving every bite of it. But when it’s over, my healthy snacks will be back, I promise. Local stores might have shortages, but nuts and seeds are not so popular. Snacking is a distraction. Have healthy snacks on hand.
Also, dedicated time for breakfast, lunch, dinner (or whatever you’re used to). If you love to cook, build your menu for the week and enjoy mindful grocery shopping.
Snack hack: parmesan cookies. Delicious, yet strong taste, so you can only eat like 2 at a time.
Get air.
If government guidance allows, if you are well and follow recommendations, get outside. Our brain needs fresh air, our bodies get stronger when exercising.
Get air flowing and monitor humidity levels at home if possible.
Clean up.
Almost too much info on how and when to clean. Fortunately, official institutions are good at documentation. Here are recommendations once again, just in case. If cleaning makes you feel safe, so be it.
If being on “team brave” brings you anxiety, buy that toilet paper (online?).
Find inspiration in product design.
I’m sure your home is filled with beautiful things. Do you know anything about that wine glass of yours? So many things to discover, if you think that there is a story and a team behind each product.
You-Care
Check-in.
Easy practice, that can be done in a variety of ways. Ask your friend or partner about their feeling, share your fears and concerns. “How do you feel?”, “Are you anxious?”, “What would make you feel safe” are some of the questions.
Alternatives: mobile apps (Calm is the one I use), journaling. Whichever way you choose, be consistent.
Information hygiene.
What is the value of your news feed, if it’s filled with toilet paper debate and scary store photos?
Be mindful of what you read, check the origin of the information (copy/paste to google search helps). Select a few proven reliable sources, local and global, and stick to those. Those precious memes will be shared with you anyways 🙂
Cybercriminals take advantage of turbulent times. Critical thinking is the way.
Use your superpowers.
Creative professionals can contribute to the community in so many ways: create an info poster for your building, make an infographic, cheer up sticker pack for your chat… Doing a side project like that will be both helpful and fun.
You might not feel creative, but you’re still a part of the community. Check what’s going on in your neighborhood, your help might be needed.
Give yourself a break.
Everyone’s experience is unique. Whatever you are feeling, it’s probably ok. Your productivity levels will grow when you adjust, the storm of uncertainty will pass. There will be highs and lows in this journey for sure.
Now you have the time to take care of yourself even better than you did before.
Are you doing anything special at these times? Is shifting to the home office going well? Reach out and share your tips! 😷❤️
