What Digital Professionals Need For Home Working

The digital industry, in general, was somewhat ahead of the curve when it came to working remotely. For years, freelance web developers, marketers, and professionals from related fields have carted their laptops to coffee shops and coworking spaces. At the same time, other workers toiled in stuffy offices and contended with lengthy commutes — but that doesn’t mean the COVID-19 lockdown didn’t present some major operational problems because it did.

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Note that I mentioned freelance professionals. The fact that almost all workers in digital fields could work remotely never stopped stubborn employers from demanding that they stick with the classic office system. One positive to take from the mess of COVID-19 is that it swept past some of the key excuses for enforcing the status quo. Thus, the need to maintain productivity, for instance, lost its rhetorical power when remote working proved just as productive.

The digital industry is in an interesting position now. Lockdown measures are being lifted, and offices are starting to reopen, but any company worth working for has accepted that there’s no compelling reason to keep its employees in the office. That means that 2020 signals a major change, and homeworking is now a global standard.

With more and more people set to make working from home their permanent choice, we need to stop viewing it as a stopgap solution and start thinking about how to make it work in the long run. Here’s what web developers and digital professionals should be investing in to make their home-working setups maximally effective:

Rock-solid internet access

Web developers and digital professionals (outside of those who work in video editing or 3D modeling) don’t typically need high-speed internet access, which gives them much flexibility regarding location. They do, however, need stability. A connection that frequently drops out for hours can ruin entire work days and cause massive productivity problems.

That said, it is possible to effectively supplement a conventional connection with a mobile Wi-Fi system, particularly since data rates have decreased markedly in recent years. Most people can manage this by using their phones as mobile hotspots (or tethering them directly). This also allows them to work outside more easily when the weather is nice.

Reliable home office equipment

With a good internet connection in place, the next thing to do is cover the bases regarding equipment. Just as most digital professionals don’t need gigabit internet connections, they also don’t need monstrously powerful computers. Hence, they should be fine with modern laptops with decent battery life, performance, and great connectivity. If the OS doesn’t matter, a good option is to pick up some refurbished MacBooks (they’re widely available). They hold up well, so you can save a fair bit of money without compromising quality.

Connectivity is important because configuring a multi-monitor setup can be very valuable. Developers, in particular, can benefit significantly from having additional screens in a vertical orientation. The current standard for connecting several displays (along with peripherals) is Thunderbolt 3, so a decent laptop dock seems like an obvious inclusion.

Equipment doesn’t stop at technology, though. There’s also the matter of comfort. Digital workers will spend a lot of time working at their computers, which can cause great stress and strain over the months. Accordingly, it makes sense to invest in ergonomics by getting comfortable seats, mice, and keyboards. Avoiding RSI is a key priority.

Distraction-free surroundings

Having a great home office is about more than getting the right technology in place; it’s also about ensuring that circumstances make it possible to get work done. Imagine someone with a finely honed office setup trying to get things done while car alarms go off outside: even the smallest distraction can make things incredibly difficult.

Noise-canceling headphones can help significantly, but they can’t outright eliminate distractions. The best thing to do is to choose the office area very carefully. For instance, instead of setting up in their kitchen, someone could board up their loft (assuming they had one) and turn that into an office space. This would allow them to concentrate properly.

Clear lines of communication

Supposing everything we’ve looked at here has been handled, digital professionals need clear lines of communication in their daily workloads. When you’re not working in an office, you can easily lose track of which person is responsible for what task, and scrambling to determine who should get your latest performance report is a huge waste of time.

Accordingly, employers need to get this right when they allow their employees to work remotely. They need to ensure that their internal systems are strong and comprehensive so everyone always knows what they need to do and what the deadlines and expectations are. To some extent, this will concern the software systems being used.

There are so many rich options in the SaaS field at this point, and choosing the right combination of tools (covering communication, project management, social media, etc.) can make all the difference. Putting in the time to figure out the best options for its budget should be an urgent priority for every company in the digital industry.

Digital Professionals

Web developers and digital professionals working from home in 2020 should be comfortable with it now. However, making it their new standard will require them to optimize their home offices in all possible ways and ensure that their operational processes are always clear.