Virtually Human: Co-Working Just Got More Friendly 

By Jan Iverson

Working with friends can provide a sense of shared accountability and motivation, as you are all working towards similar goals and can support each other to stay on track.

Isolation can be a major drawback of remote work. Creating collaborative workspaces at home with friends can be a great way to foster creativity, productivity, and community to give a well-needed boost to working in quiet solitude. As a result, some remote workers have gravitated towards working alongside others.  

Setting up co-working sessions at home is on the rise with data that shows the benefits of working outside of a traditional office set-up. Its biggest advantages, according to a 2021 Gallup survey of 9,000 full-time US workers, include flexibility to intersperse personal and work commitments (cited by 37% of respondents), improved well-being (44%), and avoiding a commute (52%). 

If you and your friends are considering creating a collaborative workspace, there are a few key things to keep in mind. First, you should have a clear understanding of your goals and objectives, both as individuals and as a group. What do you hope to achieve by working together? What are your strengths and weaknesses, and how can you leverage them to support each other? 

Co-working from home with friends can have many advantages over working alone, including: 

1. Increased motivation and accountability: Working with friends can provide a sense of shared accountability and motivation, as you are all working towards similar goals and can support each other to stay on track. 

2. Increased creativity and innovation: Collaborating with others can provide fresh perspectives and new ideas that you may not have considered on your own. Working with friends can also help you break out of your comfort zone and try new approaches to problem-solving. 

3. Social connection and community: Working from home alone can be isolating and lonely, while working with friends can provide a sense of community and support. Collaborating with others can also lead to new friendships and professional connections. 

4. Sharing resources and knowledge: Co-working with friends allows you to share resources, knowledge, and expertise. You can learn from each other and leverage each other's strengths to improve the quality of your work. 

5. Reduced stress and burnout: Working alone can be stressful and overwhelming while co-working with friends can provide a sense of support and reduce the risk of burnout.  

Overall, co-working from home with friends can provide many benefits, including increased motivation, creativity and social connection. It can also help you share resources and knowledge and reduce stress and burnout.  

Jan Iverson is the Creative Director at FS Studio and an award-winning product leader with over 20-years of extensive experience in digital media and marketing, with a specialization in the design and development of AR, VR and 3D activations: mobile apps, games, LBE, sales tools, digital twins; with XR cross-platform content development, and a track record of success in leading award-winning digital creative teams. Virtually Human is her bi-weekly series.