What Did Digital Professionals Need During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

The digital industry was ahead of the curve when it came to working remotely. For years, freelance web developers 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. They contended with lengthy commutes — but that doesn’t mean the COVID-19 lockdown didn’t present some major operational problems because it did.

Note that I mentioned freelance professionals because almost all workers in digital fields could work remotely, but stubborn employers still demand 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: the need to maintain productivity, for instance, lost its rhetorical power when remote working proved just as productive.

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

As more people choose to make working from home their permanent option, we need to stop viewing it as a temporary 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 homeworking setups maximally effective:

Rock-solid internet access

Web developers and digital professionals (outside of those who work in video editing or 3D modeling) typically don’t need high-speed internet access, which gives them more flexibility regarding location. However, they need stability: a connection that frequently drops out for hours can ruin entire workdays and cause significant productivity problems.

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

Reliable home office equipment

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

Connectivity is essential because configuring a multi-monitor setup is highly 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 on their computers, which can cause significant stress and strain over time. 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 having the right technology in place. It’s also about ensuring that circumstances make work possible. Imagine someone with a finely-honed office setup trying to get things done while car alarms go off outside. Even the slightest 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 that 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 quickly lose track of which person is responsible for what task, and scrambling to determine who should get your latest performance report is a colossal 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 solid and comprehensive so everyone knows what they need to do, including deadlines and expectations. To some extent, this will concern the software systems being used.

At this point, there are so many rich options in the SaaS field, and choosing the right combination of tools (covering communication, project management, social media, etc.) can make all the difference. Every company in the digital industry should urgently prioritize figuring out the best budget options.

Web developers and digital professionals working from home in 2021 was reasonably comfortable, but making it their new standard required them to focus on optimizing their home offices in every way possible and ensuring that their operational processes were transparent at all times.