“Privacy” is not the word that comes to mind when you think about office work. Open offices, in particular, can be less than optimal working environments, especially for employees who need privacy to focus and get things done.
Some people try to fight office distractions with noise-canceling headphones or work from home instead. However, there are better and more efficient ways to combat office noise and other threats to focused, productive knowledge work.
Many companies have adopted privacy booths designed specifically for important calls, face-to-face interaction, and video meetings.
Key highlights
- A privacy booth is a small, soundproof space that provides a quiet, distraction-free environment for focused work, important calls, and video meetings.
- Privacy booths help employees maintain focus and productivity by reducing noise and distractions. They provide a secure space for confidential matters, enhancing overall well-being and job satisfaction in open office settings.
- Privacy booths are a flexible and cost-effective alternative to large conference rooms. They are equipped with advanced features, such as sound masking systems, to block external noise and improve speech privacy throughout the office.
What are privacy booths for the office?
As the name suggests, office privacy booths are small spaces designed to offer a quiet and private place in the office. Office privacy booths should be soundproofed with high-quality materials that absorb external noise and provide a truly distraction-free environment in a noisy workplace.
In addition to blocking unwanted external sounds, the booth should have superior acoustics inside. Furthermore, the booth should provide visual privacy if its walls are made of glass or some other transparent material.
Many companies worldwide rely on Framery’s private office phone booths, such as the Framery Four, to bring peace and privacy amidst their bustling offices. With Framery, office workers have a place for solitary, focused work.
Framery booths are also great alternatives to larger conference rooms for small teams. Replacing fixed meeting and conference rooms with Framery pods is a cost-effective and flexible solution to futureproof the office.
Explore all Framery pods
Office noise reduction promotes privacy and productivity
Even with fewer walls in an open office, privacy is just as important as in a closed or home office. Flimsy office dividers, however, are not enough to provide truly private spaces in an office environment.
Although dividers may act as barriers to hide behind and block the loudest noise spikes, as long as distracting sounds are audible enough to be heard, they are still a distraction. This is why soundproof office pods better mitigate the harmful effects of noise on focus and well-being at work.
Certain Framery smart pods are equipped with our Framery Office Sound Masking System™, which produces a subtle background noise to reduce speech intelligibility and mask distracting sounds outside the pods. The Framery Office Sound Masking System™ improves focus by reducing speech intelligibility throughout the office, not just inside the pods.
Explore Framery Office Sound Masking System™
Why is private space important in an office setting?
Private and distraction-free spaces in the office empower employees to thrive in their work. Not only do noisy open office spaces lower employees’ work satisfaction and overall well-being, but they also make workers less productive. This is why all businesses with offices, both big and small, should invest in providing their workers with private, distraction-free spaces.
- A private space in an office allows people to manage confidential matters without fear of being overheard. Such confidential subjects can include business-sensitive and personal information. A personal phone call should be held in a secure personal space, such as a soundproof office phone booth. Besides, taking phone calls in a small soundproof pod or booth reduces distractions in the entire office.
- Once in a while, every office worker needs a moment of silence to escape office noise and other distractions. A study found that working in a Framery office pod reduces stress and facilitates recovery during a workday.
- Many employees have grown accustomed to remote work from the privacy of their own homes so that a bustling open office space can feel overwhelming. Private spaces at the workplace are a perk that motivates many knowledge workers to return to the office.
- A privacy pod or booth helps employees work free from distractions. Numerous studies have shown that distractions hinder office workers’ productivity, creativity, and satisfaction. Once a distraction pulls you out of the task, regaining focus can take up to 20 minutes. No wonder many office workers find it difficult to get things done in an open office that lacks quiet spaces for focus.
The lack of privacy can be a great source of stress, especially in cognitively demanding knowledge work. Deep-focused work and flow can facilitate creativity and satisfaction, not to mention improvements to productivity. Sadly, a noisy and stressful office environment is a common source of work dissatisfaction. Therefore, companies should find ways to avoid disruptive stress at all costs.
Smart pods improve speech privacy in the entire office
Office pods and booths are effective at more than just reducing distractions. They excel at improving the speech privacy of the office environment, both inside and outside of the pods. A high level of speech privacy in an office means that employees can discuss confidential and private matters without being overheard. This is crucial for avoiding information leaks or exposure to information you were not supposed to hear.
Office acoustics, including soundproof office phone booths, play a role in speech privacy. Smart technology, such as sound masking, helps companies strengthen the speech privacy of their offices.
Furthermore, companies can use smart office technology to collect analytics and optimize the use of limited office space. The Framery Connect™ and Framery Connect Sensor™ provide actionable, real-time data on which areas of the office are used and when.
Framery Connect™
A soundproof office phone booth creates quiet in the office
The sound insulation of Framery pods has been designed to let in as little outside noise and acoustic pollution as possible. As a result, the person inside the pod has greater privacy, while others are not distracted by loud conversations, private phone calls, or meetings in the open.
A study by the Turku University of Applied Sciences showed that Framery office pods excelled in sound insulation with a speech level reduction of 30,3 dB according to the ISO 23351-1 standard.
A small, single-person privacy booth, such as the Framery One, is a place for private, focused work. A larger soundproof office booth, such as the Framery Six, can accommodate up to six people for collaboration and video conferencing.
The glass of a Framery privacy pod can be covered partially or entirely with an additional cling for visual privacy. This enables working with confidential materials or simply shutting out the outside world for a moment. The adjustable lighting and ventilation inside the pod ensure that working inside the pod remains pleasant and productive.
FAQ about privacy booths
How do soundproof office phone booths improve privacy?
Office phone booths improve privacy by providing soundproofing and physical barriers that reduce noise distractions and ensure that conversations remain confidential. They feature controlled acoustics for clear communication, enhancing both auditory and visual privacy. These booths offer a dedicated, enclosed space for phone calls and focused work, minimizing distractions in open office environments and fostering a sense of security for sensitive discussions.
How do office booths differ from traditional meeting rooms?
Unlike a traditional, fixed meeting or conference room, a soundproof office phone booth can offer a quiet space for just one person at a time. Therefore, companies can optimize their use of office space when single-person meetings do not occupy larger meeting rooms built to accommodate multiple participants. Office booths come in different sizes when there is a need for small yet flexible meeting rooms.
How can companies improve the speech privacy of their open-plan offices?
Open floor plans can be effective for getting the most out of limited square footage. Yet, they run the risk of exposing office workers to unwanted noise, distractions and lack of privacy. In addition to providing enough office phone booths and pods, a company can divide their open-plan office into different zones for areas dedicated to quiet work, spaces to conduct meetings, and less formal spaces for casual communication. Additionally, companies can improve speech privacy with sound masking technology to enhance speech privacy.
Get started today
Design your own
Customize your pod and make it your own with our pod configurator.
Get a quote
Find your nearest representative to hear about pricing and get a quote for your project.
Try a pod
Visit one of our global showrooms to try any of our Framery pods for yourself.