Our world is run by electronics, and even in this increasingly “wireless” age, the majority of our electronics have wires sticking out of them.
The average desktop can easily have at least 11 separate wires – computer power, monitor power, monitor connector, keyboard wire, mouse wire, ethernet cable, printer power, printer connector, speaker power, speaker-to-computer connector, and speaker-to-speaker connector. The typical desktop can also have phone chargers, webcam power and connectors, and USB wires for thousands of possible devices and gadgets.
Having that many wires in one place can cause four distinct problems. First, it can really eat up the real estate of your desk, making it hard to find room for your coffee cup, let alone an important document or report. Second, it can be an eyesore, making your working hours less productive as you bemoan the state of your affairs. Third, it can be downright dangerous, as a trip hazard or even a fire hazard, depending on how twisted together your cables become. And fourth, it can make any kind of equipment repair or replacement a nightmare as you search for the right cable to unplug.
Wire management is vital on several levels – literally. If you can manage your cables every step of the way, from the wall to behind your desk to your desktop to your gadget, you’ll easily remove clutter, tangles, and hazards, and make your daily grind a little less of a grind.
Colored zip ties are a great way to keep track of what goes where. Some zip ties even have tags with enough space to label the cable itself, to take the guesswork out of cable tracing. Cable trays and flexible conduits can tidy up the behind-the-desk area and keep all your cables contained and safe.
And once your cables reach your desktop, a desk grommet can help localize and even distribute them. Desk grommets are plastic inserts for desk openings that act as a guiding port for exiting cables and wires. Some desk grommets have a swiveling interior section, so you can direct the cables towards any point on the compass. And some even have recessed notches to further stabilize cables as they emerge from within the desk.
Multiple desk grommets can be used to discretely and conveniently connect two devices on the same desk – for example, a USB printer cable from the back of your computer can disappear into a nearby grommet and reappear from another nearer to the printer itself, hiding the intervening length of cable.
A cleaner desktop helps your productivity, keeps you safe, and enhances your overall mood (staring at a mess can be a drain on your day). Keep your cables in check, and have a better day at the office.