Just like hot desking is changing the way people work, it's also changing the way employees decorate/style their workspaces. Typically when you have your own office, you can keep whatever you want in there and keep it the same for as long as you want — same goes for desks and cubicles.
Unfortunately, this is not the case with hot desking. Whether your space is scheduled by daily, weekly or monthly shifts, adding personal items to the desk might seem a little difficult since you'll have to remove it and set it up every time you come and go. Here are a few simple do's and don'ts so your hot desking workspace will get a much needed dose of personality while still maintaining its efficiency and maximizing your productivity.
DO— Have items that are easily set up and removed
This seems like a no brainer, but it still needs to be said. Because you only have that space for short periods of time, make sure the things you're bringing with you can be easily removed and set up again. Things like picture frames, pen cups, and mousepads are super simple to put on your desk, as well as easily stored or carried home with you. Obviously, if you only have the desk for a 4-6 hour shift, you don't want to spend an hour setting up your personal items.
DON'T— Have a million little things
Along the same lines as the Do, you can't be spending a lot of time setting up and removing your personal items because you have so many. Your desk should really have at most 5 personal items, and even less if the space is small. If you have a bunch of little knick knacks and work items, you're going to be wasting time paying attention to those instead of working. Also, most companies that hot desk provide small lockers for storing items, so you want all of your things to be able to fit in that space.
DO— Have pops of color
Hot desking spaces usually look very plain and uniform, which also usually means there are rows and rows of neutral colors. When selecting items to decorate your space with, choose pieces that are bright and colorful. So even if you have very few personal items, the colors will give your desk a much-needed pick up and set it apart from all of the browns, grays, blacks + whites.
DON'T— Have items that are distracting
Since you only have a certain amount of times or days to use the desk space, you want to get as much work done as possible while you're there. But you might have a hard time doing that if the items you're bringing with you are a little distracting. Things like digital picture frames with a rotating feed will draw your eye away from your work, so pick things that are functional and fun, but can easily be in the background.
DO— Have festive pieces
I'm a firm believer in celebrating every holiday at work, and you shouldn't have to give that up just because you're hot desking. Even having one holiday related item, like a small nutcracker for Christmas, a plush bunny for Easter or an American flag for 4th of July will bring a little festive spirit to your space without having to spend a lot of time decorating.
What are some of the things you've incorporated into your own hot desking?