Depending on the kind of work that goes on there, open plan offices can be very noisy. Simply put, the lack of barriers between you and everybody else makes it difficult to dull the cumulative sounds created by multiple conversations, ringing phones, and noisy machines. Not to mention the occasional screams and loud laughter that pop up from somewhere once every hour (yes, the loud laughter is probably me). Domo is a sound-absorbing screen system designed to help with that.
A collaboration between designer Stefan Borselius and office accessory company Abstracta, it’s a series of sound-absorbing panels that are meant to be as aesthetically pleasing as they are effective at quieting noise. Looking at these panels, in fact, you’d think they’re nothing more than decorative pieces to give offices a little character – a definite plus for those concerned about keeping their workplaces as presentable as it can be.
Domo comes in three forms: table screens, floor screens, and wall panels. Aside from absorbing noise both in and out of a work area, the the table screens and floor screens also serve to give open desks a pseudo-cubicle that endows it with a small amount of privacy. The wall panels, on the other hand, are intended to absorb much of the noise that goes on around the vicinity, hopefully, dulling some of that loud laughter from six feet away before it manages to reach you at an inopportune time. The panels are offered with both rounded and straight corners, as well as a variety of color options (including different colors for each side of a panel).
It takes little work to set up, too. Since each panel uses magnets to connect to each other, you only need to mount one wall panel using brackets to start creating a big sound-sucking structure. Table and floor screens, on the other hand, can be mounted using integrated clamps, so you don’t need to drill anything on the furniture during installation.
Pricing isn’t listed on the product sheet. Given that this is an acoustic solution aimed at offices, with an aesthetic that’s totally high-end, however, it probably costs somewhere along the edges of… uhm… difficult to afford.