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Exercise - IDEO shopping cart storyboard

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Exercise - IDEO shopping cart storyboard

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Louise-Exercise - IDEO shopping cart storyboard

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Project 1: Design Process Topic: Designing the home office/classroom experience (evidence based design)

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Project 1: Design Process Topic: Designing the home office/classroom experience (evidence based design)

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1. Introduction

Due to the COVIN-19, all industries have to consider how to work and study in a specific environment. As a designer, from the beginning to the end of a project, there are many links in the middle. Most of the time, the client can only see the result of a design work and does not know the process. In this design process, I will show any situation that will occur in each step, including my work environment, time allocation and work pain points.

2. Project challenge: make me more comfortable in the home office.

In fact, in this special period, everyone is trying a new mode of communication, just like a project I am currently working on — home office. I have never tried before. When a person continues to work and study in a specific environment, most of the time, I don’t even need to speak. Therefore, in this special period when we cannot change the status quo, the first step in doing is full of challenges and excitement.

3. Learning objective

When I completing this project, I think I should become a more rigorous person. When I write down the design ideas step by step, my design works will become more comprehensive. I think this will become a template for my future work. These steps can help me better clarify my design ideas and build a good communication bridge with clients.

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Step 1. Research/understanding (gathering information) 

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Step 1. Research/understanding (gathering information) 

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Questionnaire

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1. Classroom space

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Research (primary) - Photo/visual survey
1. Classroom space
2. Desk space

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online research

HOW TO SET UP A HOME OFFICE

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Even before the pandemic hit, more and more employers were allowing staff to work from home, at least occasionally. Working remotely can allow greater flexibility to set your own schedule, reduce commute time, and focus on work with minimal distractions. But don't get too comfortable - working at home shouldn't entail balancing your laptop while you relax on the couch. Instead, you'll want to set up a home office designed to enable you to work comfortably, effectively, and with minimal distractions. Here are a few ways to make sure you can be productive at home.

Create a Designated Space
Claim a specific space in your house as your home office. It doesn't have to be an entire room, just a place that's separate from other activities such as cooking and sleeping. If you have a dedicated desk, that's great, but it's not a requirement. You just need your space to communicate to you (and visitors) that while you're there, you are working. Having this space will help define the line between work and home, and it will make it easier to get into the "work" mindset each day.

Make Sure You Have What You Need
Once you've identified your home office space, think about what you need to make it most functional for you. Do you need natural light? An adjustable desk lamp? What about a laptop, printer, scanner, or other hardware? Make a list of what you need in your home office to work efficiently, and gather those items so you don't get derailed or sidetracked mid-task. Preparing the space ahead of time will also help you feel more comfortable because you'll be in a space where you know you are equipped to be productive.

Limit Distractions
Working from home can mean it's easier than ever to get distracted, especially if you have family or friends who are around while you're working. Limit distractions as much as possible. This may mean working in a space with no windows, in a room without a TV, or even in a large closet. Distractions may also come in the form of noise - from your own space or from outside. Reducing distractions will help you to work more efficiently, with fewer interruptions.

Keep Track of Time
When you're working from home, you lose the ability to walk down the hall to chat with a coworker, visit the office kitchen to make a cup of coffee, or just take a five-minute stroll through your building. These small breaks provide a bit of mental rest and keep you moving throughout the day. Working from home can create an environment where you sit for longer stretches and work longer days. Instead of falling into this rut, keep track of time on your phone or laptop. Set reminders to take five- or 10-minute breaks a few times throughout the day. Get up, stretch, walk around, and then return to your work. Taking short breaks will give you - and your mind - a much needed respite. Tracking your time will also ensure that you keep more regular hours, similar to what you would work if you were actually in the office. It also will help you maintain a reasonable work-life balance.

Working from home can be a great benefit for many employees. If it's an option for you, make the most of it. Ensure that you set up a space that suits you and the type of work you do, helps you separate your professional and personal lives, and allows you to work with few distractions. Create a home office where you can comfortably focus no matter what's going on so you can continue to be a productive employee, wherever your work takes you.

On Topic
Caleb Dunlap, Ojibwe, is a technical recruiter at Amazon, and the founder and past co-leader of Indigenous@Amazon, Amazon's employee network for Native and Indigenous employees worldwide. Dunlap, who hails from the Fond du Lac Reservation of northern Minnesota, believes that there aren't enough Native and Indigenous people in the technology sector, and he wants to ensure that changes. With more than 10 years of experience in talent acquisition, coordination, and project management, he is responsible for building the technical talent for Amazon's Kindle Content organization. Dunlap has been involved with AISES since his college days at UCLA. He has helped to create a healthy partnership between Amazon and AISES and continues to take part in the AISES Corporate Advisory Council.
Why might someone consider setting up an office for working from home?
I've worked from home (WFH) a number of days per week for the past few years, and in my opinion, there's nothing worse than working from your bed, couch, or kitchen table. Instead, set up an ergonomic home office that reflects professionalism and promotes productivity. During this COVID-19 crisis, with no known end to most Americans' virtual work mode, creating a designated at-home workspace for yourself is a wise investment of time - and it doesn't need to be costly.

What are the top five things to consider when designing a home office?
Place your desk or work space in front of a window. My space faces a window, which has been key to my success and my mood while working.

Find a quiet space. Unless you're able to invest in noise-canceling headphones, find the quietest space in your home for your office.

Ensure you have strong internet connectivity. Consider investing in more bandwidth during your WFH period. It's never good when a call or meeting ends because your connection fails.

Download a service to make phone calls from your computer desk. This allows you to make business calls without using your personal phone number. It also provides a hands-free method of making and answering calls, so you can multitask.

Make sure you have a healthy-sized desk or workspace. I like a bit of elbow room when working at my desk, so I've made sure that its dimensions suit my size. A generous workspace also allows room to add pictures, art, a calendar, a water bottle, an extra monitor, or whatever makes the space pleasant and efficient for you.

When should you call on a professional to help set up your home office?
I would recommend calling a professional when you are experiencing IT or connectivity issues. Let them help you troubleshoot.

What are the home office must-haves?
A combination of these will make great additions to an at-home workspace: a comfortable chair; a wireless mouse; a desk light; a headset for listening to music while working, as well as making calls and participating in virtual meetings; comfortable slippers or moccasins; and good music. I also keep traditional medicines nearby in case I need a good smudge.

What should be left out?
A bad attitude. Only kidding, but I do recommend leaving gaming devices and television out of your workspace. I also suggest that you not eat in your workspace. By eating elsewhere, you're forced to get up and take breaks - something often forgotten when working from home.

Why is it important to establish clear boundaries with family and friends when shifting to a WFH schedule?
You need to create boundaries not only with family and friends, but also with yourself. Establishing boundaries will help clearly define for yourself and for those around you that work occurs during a specified time period each day. For the sanity and health of yourself and others, it's key to define when you start work, when you will take breaks, and when you will end work each day.

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Even before the pandemic hit, more and more employers were allowing staff to work from home, at least occasionally. Working remotely can allow greater flexibility to set your own schedule, reduce commute time, and focus on work with minimal distractions. But don't get too comfortable - working at home shouldn't entail balancing your laptop while you relax on the couch.

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Help you to set your routine at home

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Starting around March 2020, more people than ever before began working from home, and quite suddenly. Organizations and individuals didn't have time to prepare for remote work or think about the best ways to transition teams, processes, and culture to an online-only environment. No one knew (or yet knows) how long the COVID-19 pandemic and thus mandatory remote work would last.

If you're new to the work-from-home lifestyle, whether due to the coronavirus or because you've managed to find a remote-based job, you may have found that you need to change your habits and routines to make working from home a success.

I've worked 100 percent remotely for more than six years, long before the COVID-19 pandemic started. Several of my friends and colleagues have done it, too. We each face unique challenges, not only because of our different personalities, but also due to our various lifestyles and the type of work we do. Still, many of the core issues we face as remote workers are the same.

Everyone who works remotely has to figure out when to work, where to work, and how to create boundaries between work and personal life. What about office equipment, career development, training opportunities, and building relationships with colleagues?

Working remotely, especially when working from home most of the time, means figuring out these issues and others. Here are 20 tips for leading a better and more productive remote-work life, based on my experience and what I've learned from others.

1. Maintain Regular Hours

Set a schedule and stick to it...most of the time. Having clear guidelines for when to work and when to call it a day helps many remote workers maintain work-life balance.

That said, one of the best benefits of remote work is flexibility, when the job allows for it. Sometimes you need to extend your day or start early to accommodate someone else's time zone. When you do, be sure to wrap up earlier than usual or sleep in a bit the next morning to make up for it.

Automatic time-tracking apps, such as RescueTime, let you check in on whether you're sticking to your schedule. They can also help you figure out what times of day you're most productive versus when you slack off. You can use that information to your advantage by protecting the hours when you're most likely to get difficult work done. For example, if you tend to have high productivity between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m., don't schedule meetings during that time.

2. Create a Morning Routine

Deciding you'll sit down at your desk and start work at a certain time is one thing. Creating a routine that guides you into the chair is another.

A routine can be more powerful than a clock at helping you get started each day. What in your morning routine indicates you're about to start work? It might be making a cup of coffee before you tackle your to-do list. It might be returning home after a jog or getting dressed. (Wearing pajamas is a work-from-home perk for some, but a bad strategy for others.) Look for an existing habit that you have, like brushing your teeth or coming in from a dog walk, to act as your signal. That way, you can tack on the new habit of kicking off your workday.

I say "morning routine," but not everyone who works from home follows a nine-to-five schedule. Yours might be a "getting started" routine at another time of day. Nevertheless, look for an existing habit you have and try to start your work day after it.

3. Set Ground Rules With the People in Your Space

Set ground rules with other people in your home or who share your space when you work.

For example, if you have children who are learning at home or who come home from school while you're still working, they need clear rules about what they can and cannot do during that time. If you share a space with another adult who's working from home, you may have to negotiate quiet times, meeting times, and any shared equipment, like desks and chairs.

Additionally, just because you're home and can let service people into the house or take care of pets doesn't mean other family members should assume you always will. If that's how you choose to divide up the domestic labor, that's fine, but if you simply take it all on by default because you're home, you may feel taken advantage of, and your productivity may suffer.

4. Schedule Breaks

If you work for an organization, know the policy on break times and take them. If you're self-employed, give yourself adequate time during the day to walk away from the computer screen and phone. A lunch hour and two 15-minute breaks seem to be the standard for full-time US employees. For computer-based work and other sedentary work, it's important to stand up and move to get your blood circulating every so often, at least once an hour. It also helps to move your eyes off screen regularly, even if it's a micro-break of 10-20 seconds.

5. Take Breaks in Their Entirety

Don't short-change yourself during breaks, especially your lunch hour or meal break.

There are apps, such as TimeOut for Mac and Smart Break for Windows, that let you set a schedule for when you'll lock yourself out of your computer. RescueTime also has a pause feature that lets you time 15-minute and one-hour breaks. Don't need any more apps in your life? Set an alarm or timer on your phone, or mind the time with a standard clock. No matter how you track your breaks, make sure to take them in their entirety. For example, if you plan for an hour break and return to your desk after only 40 minutes, walk away for another 20.

For more on breaks, see: How to Take Better Breaks to Boost Your Productivity.

6. Leave Home

To the extent that it's allowed and safe during the pandemic, get out of the house and move your body. Your body needs movement and blood circulation. Plus, the fresh air and natural light will do you good. Ideally, step outside for at least a short while before, during, and after your working hours.

This same advice applies to people who work in traditional office settings, too. Leave the building at least once a day during working hours.

In non-pandemic times, remote workers can also go to cafes, libraries, and co-working spaces to break up the monotony of being at home. That's great, too, but the really important part is to leave your home, get some air and natural light, and move.

You don't have to go to crowded public spaces to get away from your solo workspace (and you probably shouldn't right now, either). Take a walk. Weed the garden. Sit on the stoop. You get the picture.

7. Don't Hesitate to Ask for What You Need

If you're employed by a company or organization that supports your work-from-home setup, request the equipment you need as soon as you start working from home, or within a few days of realizing you need something new.

It's extremely important to set a precedent early that you will ask for what you need to get your job done comfortably. These items might include the right monitor, keyboard, mouse, chair, desk, printer, software, and so forth. Organizations that are accustomed to remote employees often have a budget for home office equipment. Ask what it is and how often it's renewed. It also doesn't hurt to ask whether there's a loan agreement or who will pay for return shipping or disposal of outdated equipment. Some remote organizations allow employees to bring in a consultant to make sure their workspaces are set up to be ergonomic.

If you're working from home short-term and are expected to return to an office when it's safe, ask for what you need, but be willing to make acceptable compromises. Ordering a new office chair and desk might be off the table. Instead, a mouse, keyboard, laptop riser, and a back-supporting cushion go a long way and all together can cost less than $200. There are other cheap and easy ways to improve your home office, too.
Image from Sonic Electronix
8. Keep a Dedicated Office Space

In an ideal world, remote employees would have not only a dedicated office, but also two computers, one for work and one for personal use. It's more secure for the employer, and it lets you do all your NSFW activities in private.

But not everyone has a spare room to use as an office in their home, and keeping two machines isn't always realistic. Instead, dedicate a desk or table space and some peripherals that will be used only for work. For example, when your laptop is hooked up to the monitor and external keyboard, it's work time. When it's on your lap, that's personal time. You may want to go as far as partitioning your hard drive and creating a separate user account for work. Making even small points of differentiation between work time and personal time helps your brain know when you're off the clock, and that contributes to better work-life balance.

For more tips on creating a great workspace, see our story on cheap and easy ways to level up your home office. We also have tips for how to can maintain focus and productivity with our guide to keeping your desk tidy.

9. Maintain a Separate Phone Number

Set up a phone number that you only use for calls with colleagues and clients. It doesn't have to be a landline or a second mobile phone, or even require a SIM card. It can be a VoIP service, such as Google Voice or Skype.

Similar to some of the other tips, having a separate phone number helps you manage your work-life balance.

10. Use a VPN

Use a VPN whenever you're connected to a network that you don't control. That includes Wi-Fi at co-working spaces, cafes, libraries, airports, hotels, and so forth. Organizations often have their own VPNs that off-site employees need to access certain servers or websites that store information meant only for internal use. In those cases, you'll also need to use a VPN at home. It's a good idea to get into the habit of leaving your VPN connected as often as possible because it's always safer to have it on than not.

One more point about VPNs: When you're connected to a company VPN, your organization could conceivably see what you're doing. So, don't view porn via a corporate VPN.

11. Socialize With Colleagues

Loneliness, disconnect, and isolation are common problems in remote work life, especially for extroverts. Companies with a remote work culture usually offer ways to socialize. For example, they might have channels in a team messaging app, like Slack, for talking about common interests or organizing meetups for people in the same region.

Figure out how much interaction you need to feel connected and included. Even if you're highly introverted and don't like socializing, give a few interactive experiences a try so that you're familiar with them if you ever decide you want them. If you're not at a company with a strong remote culture, you may need to be more proactive about nurturing relationships.

As much as team messaging apps are excellent venues for socializing, they tend to create distractions, too; check out these tips on how not to get overwhelmed by Slack.

12. "Show Up" to Meetings and Be Heard

Certainly, you'll take part in video conferences and conference calls while working remotely, but it's a good idea to attend optional meetings sometimes, too. Be sure to speak up during meetings so everyone knows you're on the call. A simple, "Thanks, everyone. Bye!" at the close goes a long way toward making your presence known.

If your company uses Zoom Meetings for its video conferencing, you can quickly master its ins and outs with our story: Top Zoom Tips for a Locked-Down World.

13. Get Face Time

If your employer is lax about getting you in a room with other employees, ask to have an annual or semi-annual trip in your contract. It could be for annual planning, training, or team building. Or, tack it onto some other business event, such as a yearly fiscal meeting, nearby conference, or office holiday party. Don't wait around for someone to invite you to the office or an event. Be proactive.

For those unexpectedly working from home who are also trying to reduce face-to-face contact, set up a video call with your colleagues or manager once a week to check in. Don't be afraid to let check-in meetings be as short as they need to be. Sometimes a five-minute conversation is all it takes to stay connected.

14. Take Sick Days

When you're not well, take time off. If sick days are part of your compensation package, take the time off that you need. Not taking it is like throwing away money!

If you're freelance or self-employed without paid sick time, it can be tempting to power through illnesses and keep working. Remember that for your long-term wellness and productivity, it's best to rest and get better so that you can get back to work at full capacity.

15. Look for Training and Learning Opportunities

When you're not in an office with your fellow employees, you might miss out on training and skills development courses that are taught in person. Your company might even forget to add you to its online training courses. It can be tempting to regard this as a dodged bullet, but you might be missing out on an opportunity to learn something useful. Speak up and make sure you're included.

In addition to top-down training, you can request online or in-person courses, training, and coaching if you need it. There are also plenty of online learning sites that teach business soft skills, programming, software skills, and other courses. Remote companies often have a budget for learning and skills training. If your organization doesn't, ask if they might add it.

In non-pandemic times, people who work 100 percent remotely might seek out learning opportunities that are taught at the organization's headquarters or nearby. That way, you get training and face time with colleagues in one go.

16. Overcommunicate

Working remotely requires that everyone overcommunicate.

Tell everyone who needs to know about your schedule and availability often. Don't assume they'll remember. When you finish a project or important task, say so. Overcommunicating doesn't necessarily mean you have to write a five-paragraph essay to explain your every move, but it does mean repeating yourself. Joke about how you must have mentioned your upcoming vacation six times already, then mention it again.

17. Be Positive

Reading tone in written messages is really difficult in all-remote settings. The less face time you have with people, the more an intentionally concise message can come off as terse and short-tempered.

In remote work settings, everyone must be positive, to the point where it may feel like you're being overly positive, gushy even. Otherwise, you risk sounding like a jerk. It's unfortunate, but true. So embrace the exclamation point! Find your favorite emoji. You're going to need them :D

18. Take Advantage of Your Perks

For two years, I baked a loaf of bread nearly every week. Why? Because I was home and I could. I love baking bread, but you need to be home to tend to it once an hour or so to punch down the dough, shape the loaf, and let it bake. It doesn't take a lot of hands-on time, but you need to be there. When I worked in an office full-time, I struggled to find half a day when I was home to bake.

Working remotely comes with unique perks. Take advantage of them. You deserve it.
Image by Vicky Ng on Unsplash
19. Don't Be Too Hard on Yourself or Others

Successful remote employees have a reputation for being extremely disciplined. After all, it takes serious focus to do any full-time job from an unconventional space.

That said, everyone lets their attention drift sometimes. If you find yourself working one minute and researching vacation house rentals the next, don't reprimand yourself too harshly. Instead, ask yourself whether people in an office setting do the same thing. If the answer is yes, cut yourself some slack, then get back to work. Above all, remember, you need to balance productivity with self-care; otherwise, you risk burning out.

During the COVID-19 pandemic-but really all the time-we need to extend this same kindness and forgiving attitude to our co-workers, clients, and bosses. There is an extraordinary amount of stress and anxiety during a global pandemic. Keep in mind that you may not know what another person is going through not only in life, but also in their home work environment. Cut them some slack.

20. End Your Day With a Routine

Just as you should start your day with a routine, create a habit that signals the close of the workday. It might be a sign-off on a business messaging app, an evening dog walk, or an at-home yoga class. Something as simple as shutting down your computer and turning on a favorite podcast will do. Whatever you choose, do it consistently to mark the end of working hours.

Make It Personal

Above all else, figure out what works best for you. Sometimes the answer is apparent, but other times you might need some inspiration from other remote workers who are in the same boat. A supportive community does exist, whether you find them in your organization's Slack channel or online through blogs or Twitter. Consider, too, that you might need to shake up your routine once in a while, lest it gets too...routine.

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More people than ever are working from home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether you're new to working remotely or just looking to level up, these tips from a remote work pro can help you stay productive and maintain balance.

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Work efficiently at home

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Constantine Johnny/Getty Images

More people are foregoing a lengthy commute and working from home. Whether you are a full-time freelancer or the occasional telecommuter, working outside an office can be a challenge. What are the best ways to set yourself up for success? How do you stay focused and productive? And how do you keep your work life separate from your home life?

What the Experts Say
The days when working from home conjured an image of a slacker in pajamas are rapidly disappearing. Technological advances and employers looking to lower costs have resulted in more people working outside an office than ever before. By one estimate, telecommuting increased in the U.S. by 80% between 2005 and 2012. "The obvious benefits for workers include flexibility, autonomy, and the comfort of working in your own space," says Ned Hallowell, author of the forthcoming Driven to Distraction at Work. And done well, working from home can mean a marked increase in output. A Stanford University study last year found that the productivity of employees who worked from home was 13% higher than their office-bound colleagues. People often feel they make more progress when working from home, says Steven Kramer, a psychologist and author of The Progress Principle, and "of all the things that can boost people's work life, the single most important is simply making progress on meaningful work." Here's how to work from home effectively.

Maintain a regular schedule
"Without supervision, even the most conscientious of us can slack off," says Hallowell. Setting a schedule not only provides structure to the day, it also helps you stay motivated. Start the day as you would if you worked in an office: Get up early, get dressed, and try to avoid online distractions once you sit down to work. Whether you just started working at home or you've been doing it for months or years, take a few weeks to determine the best rhythm for your day. Then set realistic expectations for what you can accomplish on a daily basis. "Make a schedule and stick to it," says Kramer. Make sure you give yourself permission to have downtime. If you have to work extra hours on a project, give yourself some extra free time later on to compensate.

Set clear boundaries
When you work at home, it's easy to let your work life blur into your home life. "Unless you are careful to maintain boundaries, you may start to feel you're always at work and lose a place to come home to," Hallowell says. That's why it's important to keep the two distinct. One way to do that is to set aside a separate space in your home for work. You also want to make sure your friends and loved ones understand that even though you are at home, you are off limits during your scheduled work hours. "If the doorbell rings, unless I'm really expecting something, I'll ignore it," says Kramer. That not only helps you stay focused, but makes it easier to get out of work mode at the end of the day. "Schedule your time with your family, and with yourself," says Kramer. "Put those on your daily calendar as seriously as you would your work." And don't worry about stopping for the day if you're on a roll with a project. Pausing in the middle of something will make it easier to jump into the task the next day - a tip that is valid for everyone, but especially those working from home. "Ernest Hemingway would try to leave in the middle of a paragraph at the end of the day," says Kramer, "so when he sat down again, getting started wasn't hard because he knew where it was going."

Take regular breaks
It may be tempting to work flat out, especially if you're trying to prove that you're productive at home. But it's vital to "take regular 'brain breaks,'" says Hallowell. How often is best? Researchers at a social media company recently tracked the habits of their most productive employees. They discovered that the best workers typically worked intently for around 52 minutes and then took a 17-minute break. And these restorative breaks needn't take any particular form. "It can be as simple as staring out the window or reading the newspaper," says Hallowell, anything to give your brain an opportunity to briefly recuperate. "The brain is like any other muscle. It needs to rest," says Kramer. "Go for a walk, get some exercise, stretch. Then get back to work."

Stay connected
Prolonged isolation can lead to weakened productivity and motivation. So if you don't have a job that requires face-time with others on a daily basis, you need to put in the extra effort to stay connected. Make a point of scheduling regular coffees and meetings with colleagues, clients, and work peers. Get involved with professional organizations. And use online networking sites like LinkedIn to maintain connections with far-flung contacts. Since visibility can be an important factor in who gets promoted (or scapegoated) back at the office, check in as often as you can with colleagues and superiors. "Tell people what you're doing," says Kramer. Share some of the tasks you've accomplished that day. "It's critically important not just for your career, but for your psychological well-being," he says.

Celebrate your wins
When you're working on your own at home, staying motivated can be difficult, especially when distractions - Facebook, that pile of laundry, the closet that needs organizing - abound. One smart way to maintain momentum is to spend a moment or two acknowledging what you have been able to accomplish that day, rather than fixating on what you still need to do. "Take some time at the end of the day to attend to the things that you got done instead of the things you didn't get done," says Kramer. You might also keep a journal in which you reflect on that day's events and note what you were able to check off your to-do list. The daily reminder of what you were able to finish will help create a virtuous cycle going forward.
Principles to Remember: Do:

Make a schedule and stick to it

Focus on what you've accomplished at the end of each day to keep yourself motivated

Create a dedicated workspace and let your family know that you are unavailable during work hours

Don't:

Try to work all day without regular breaks - your productivity and motivation will suffer

Isolate yourself - go the extra mile to meet up with colleagues and peers to talk shop

Neglect to check in regularly with colleagues and bosses - it's important to make yourself 'visible' even if you aren't in the office

Case study #1: Stay organized and adjust
Freelancing from home for Heather Spohr, a writer and copywriter based in Los Angeles, wasn't her choice. After 10 years in the corporate world, she was laid off from a six-figure sales job in 2008, but "I had a baby at home, so I just sort of shifted my focus," Heather says. Today, she writes articles for everyone from parenting and banking sites to "car companies, drug companies, beauty companies, you name it," she says.

Despite wanting to keep regular working hours, Heather often finds that the pressures of finding new writing jobs in addition to executing the ones she's already landed often push her into overtime. "It can be very hard maintaining a schedule because freelancing is so feast or famine," she says.

To give more structure to her working life, she sits down each Sunday evening after her kids have gone to bed and maps out of the following week. "I'm huge on lists," she says. "I make daily schedules and prioritize tasks. Then everyday I revise that schedule because things come up." She also makes it a habit to include an hour of flex time into her daily schedule. That way, "if my sitter's going to be an hour late, it's not going to wreck my day," she says. "Once I started doing that, my stress level dropped considerably."

She insists on taking regular breaks, setting a timer that goes off every 45 minutes. "Then I give myself 5 to 10 minutes to get up, get a snack, look at Twitter, play Candy Crush, whatever," she says. "At first I felt guilty for doing it, but I would remind myself that when I worked in an office, I'd get interrupted so much more than that. Even with these breaks, I'm still getting more done."

What Heather finds most challenging is the isolation. "I'm very social and extroverted, and I love being surrounded by people," she says. To combat loneliness, she schedules time with fellow writers and friends for face time. She has also found a thriving network of other work-at-home writers in various online discussion groups. "There are lots of people I've clicked with through Citigroup's Women & Co. group and LinkedIn, and there will be chat rooms I'll pop into to say hello and connect," she says.

Case study #2: Maintain work-life boundaries
When Catherine Campbell launched her own branding and strategy business in Asheville, North Carolina, earlier this year, she already had some experience working from home. Her last job, as marketing director for a copywriting agency, was a virtual one, but she knew that launching her own company would require more discipline. "Managing my time and not overworking was going to be the biggest challenge," she says.

From the start, Catherine set strict rules for keeping her work life distinct from her home life. "It's all about boundaries and mindset," she says. She never uploaded work emails to her phone, so that she wouldn't be tempted to check messages at all hours of the day. She is only available on Skype by appointment and explicitly states in her email signature that her working hours are 9am to 5pm EST. "When you leave a traditional office, you're often done for the day," she says. "You have to approach it the same way when maintaining a home office."

She also tries to block out the first hour of each day to check email, do her own promotion and marketing, and make a list of daily goals. "Allowing what I call a quiet hour for myself just to get focused and to knock out some of the smaller tasks allows me to really jump into the larger client work for the rest of the day," she says. She also makes it a point to leave the house everyday, rain or shine, at 5pm. "I go for a walk, pick up my son, go to a networking group, grab that last item for dinner, or meet with a friend or colleague to talk shop," she says.

She also doesn't sweat the times when she has to work late on a project because she gives that time back to herself later on. "It's what I would call 'smart scheduling,'" Catherine says. "You say to yourself, OK, I have this extra client this week or this project emergency so I'm going to work these two nights. But then I'm going to cut back on Friday and get out of the office at 2 pm."

"Working from home is always a fine line," she says. "You have to learn how to give and take with yourself so that your business doesn't take over who you are."

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5 Ways to Work from Home More Effectively

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More people are foregoing a lengthy commute and working from home. Whether you are a full-time freelancer or the occasional telecommuter, working outside an office can be a challenge. What are the best ways to set yourself up for success? How do you stay focused and productive?

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AEIOU worksheets

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Journey mapping

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Ideation worksheets (preliminary thumbnails)

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