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154 WORKING FROM HOME
designing your home studio
Computer setup Your laptop is a portal to the world of working adults. Even if you spend most of your day in bed, try to sit in an actual chair during meetings.
Camera height Photographers recom- mend aligning the camera near the top
of your head to avoid emphasizing your nostrils and extra chins (if the camera is too low) or your bald spot and fading hair dye (if the camera is too high). Angling
the camera a bit downward also helps to create a flattering view. Looking slightly up at a camera makes your eyes seem more open and alert. If necessary, elevate your laptop on a box or stack of books.
Lighting Set up a task light behind your computer shining toward your face at
a 45-degree angle. (You can also use a circular light created for this purpose.) Avoid any kind of backlight, which will put your face in shadow, as well as strong side lighting. Lower window blinds as needed.
Eye contact, sort of To sustain the illusion of eye-to-eye human connection, look at the camera rather than at your own apall- ing face. If possible, drag the little talking- head windows up near your camera, or tape a picture of a pet or loved one to the back of your computer to attract your eye. It’s hard to stay focused on a nearly invisi- ble, deliberately camouflaged camera lens.
Quiet, please Speaking of adorable, your yappy dog is super-annoying. Either lock him in the closet with your pet skeleton or mute your microphone.
Fidget alert Twirling your hair or tugging your ear lobes will distract colleagues from your message. If fidgeting keeps you sane, try fondling a stress ball or other intriguing toy out of sight in your lap.
Simple background Obviously, no one wants to see your socks, your porn, or your rumpled bed. Clean up! You are at work!
SOURCES Beatriz Colomina, “The 24/7 Bed,” Work, Body, Leisure, ed. Marina Otero Verzier and Nick Axel (Berlin: Hatje Cantz, 2017); Anne Quito, “Working from Your Bed Is Better than Slumping at the Kitchen Table,” Quartz, Mar 18, 2020 >qz.com/work/1820072/steelcase-ergonomics-expert-on- how-to-work-from-home-comfortably/; Anne Quito, “We’re All Distracted by How Terrible We Look on Video Calls. Here’s How to Fix It,” Quartz, Aug 22, 2016 >qz.com/637860/video- call-tips-for-skype-and-facetime-steelcase-researchers- are-solving-your-appearance-barrier-on-video-calls.