What postures do we adopt at work?

The report identified 9 postures, and found what it called ‘multi-device’ was the most common, using more than one device at a time, with 25 per cent of surveyed workers. 

This was followed by ‘Trance’ – leaning on one arm, and ‘entranced’ by the computer screen – at 20 per cent.

Vice president of global design at Steelcase, James Ludwig, said: “The evidence from the posture study show the multiplicity of postures adopted by workers and how comfortable they are in using a widening array of technology.”

They also found a gendered difference: women tended to prefer the ‘cocoon’ and ‘strunch’ postures.

Any questions? The cocoon is a rolling up of the the legs so that the body forms an N shape, with a mobile device like a tablet. The strunch (etymology undefined), meanwhile, is similar to the trance, but leaning forward toward the computer with a more horizontal spine.

Younger workers tended like women to prefer the cocoon posture and strunch – but mostly the trance, at 27 per cent.

Apart from differences in posture, device preference also varied. Men preferred to work with three or more devices, 64 per cent, while women preferred a maximum of two (47 per cent).

Women also preferred their smartphones, 41 per cent, compared to men’s preference for their laptops, 34 per cent.

The report also found in general workers used their devices up to 6 hours each day for work, including laptops.

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