The working year is officially in full swing and what better way to kick it off than by refreshing your desk space. Given the increase in remote working opportunities spurred on by the pandemic, this may mean making the shift from working in an office outside of the home, to setting up a workspace within the home.
Whether you’re lucky enough to already have a dedicated study, or have had to set up shop in your bedroom or living area, its key that the quality of lighting around you is optimal, to ensure your workspace is both productive and comfortable. In some instances, a work-from-home desk for parents doubles as a homework space for their children, so finding the right balance of lighting will benefit the entire family.
Lighting for computer work and writing
The overhead lighting found in most rooms of the home is great for giving your dedicated workspace a general level of illumination, but it won’t suffice for computer work, writing, or school projects. Whether it be a flush mount or pendant, chances are that it will likely be positioned behind you when you’re seated at your desk, casting shadows on your work area. If it’s a suspended design then it may even cause a glare or reflection on your computer or laptop screen - the last thing you need when you’re doing hours of work at a time.
The easiest way to combat this is by adding a task light to your workspace. While an office-style lamp is ideal, a trusty bedside lamp will also do the trick. The important thing is the size and placement of the lamp. A small lamp on a large desk may not provide sufficient illumination to reach exactly where you need it, creating pools of darkness. On the other hand, a lamp that is too large for the space will simply overwhelm your desk.
In terms of placement, you want to prevent shadows from streaking across your work. If you’re left-handed then place the lamp to your right and if you’re right-handed place the lamp to your left. Short on desk space? A clip-on desk lamp will save on space as will a floor lamp or wall fixture with adjustable neck or swing arm.
Lighting for video calls
Zoom meetings have become the norm now and are sometimes favoured in place of in-person meetings. A bad lighting setup is not only unpleasant for you to work in, but also impacts how you’re perceived during meetings. To communicate effectively and professionally during video calls, you need to get the balance of your lighting layers just right.
Start with ensuring there is no window, door, or light source directly behind you as this contrast of light does not translate well on camera. You want the room to be illuminated by a general soft ambient light, so your pre-existing overhead fixture should have you covered here.
Next, avoid having your face illuminated from above or below as this causes unflattering shadows. The best lighting effect comes from placing a light source on either side of your screen. You can use two different styles of fixtures for this (for example a table lamp on one side and clip-on lamp on the other) but it’s important that the colour temperature of the bulbs are the same. Typically, a temperature range of 2700K to 4500K will be most comfortable.
Equally important is the Colour Rendering Index (CRI) of the bulbs. The CRI measures how true-to-life colours look beneath a given light source, so if you appear slightly washed out in your video calls, this may be the culprit. An LED light source with a CRI rating between 85 and 100 is best. This CRI also promotes good eye health, because it gives you the ability to see contrast when reading and writing.