Small signals, big impact in open offices

[Forrest McPadden]

Lately I’ve been thinking about visual status indicators in open offices. In my last job, our team sat close together, and interruptions were constant. One day a colleague started using a small LED light on his desk to show when he needed focus time. At first it felt odd, but people actually respected it. Do these kinds of signals really improve communication, or do they just add another thing to notice?

[CarlFirst]

Even without devices, people already use headphones, posture, or timing to show availability. Visual indicators just make those signals clearer. Whether they work probably depends on team culture and how willing people are to respect subtle boundaries while still staying approachable.

[Toby Mag]

I’ve seen something similar on my team, and the effect was more noticeable than I expected. We used to interrupt each other with quick questions that never felt “quick” in the end. When a few people started using visual indicators, it created a quiet agreement about timing. No rules, no awkward talks, just a simple signal. If you’re curious, you can see how busy lights are used to set these boundaries in a practical way. From my experience, it didn’t reduce communication, it reshaped it. People started batching questions, sending messages instead of tapping shoulders, and meetings became more intentional. It also helped new teammates understand the team rhythm faster. It’s not perfect, but in an open office, small visual cues can reduce friction without making things feel rigid or formal.

[Author]

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