“Three years in UI/UX design, and my neck is a mess.”IT-guys reflect on how to organize the workplace and what leads to health problems

Instagram «experts» or what not to do

«Tables with MacBooks, monitor brackets, backlighting and mechanical keyboards. Everything looks as if only experts work at such tables, and every day is maximum productivity,» Vitaliy Dubeyko said about the workplaces he saw on Instagram. And the designer decided to equip a similar place for himself. However, the result turned out to be far from ideal.

«Three years in UI/UX design, and my neck is a mess,» said Vitaliy.

After some time, Vitaliy began to feel pain in his right shoulder. «At first I thought I had just pulled a muscle, but the pain wouldn’t go away and even moved to the other arm. It became so painful that it was hard to sleep,» he recalls.

Later, Vitaliy realized that the problem actually came from his neck. In particular, his monitor was positioned the way he had spied on the «experts» from Instagram, that is, at an angle of 90 degrees. Because of this, he had to constantly raise his head. And sit in this position for 8 hours a day.

Tips for furnishing

Vitaliy said that he eventually changed his approach to organizing his workplace and immediately felt relief. «Now I work comfortably, and my workplace has become healthier. This experience has become a lesson for me: style is important, but health comes first,» he added.

 

 

 

Here are some tips from the designer from his own experience on how to properly adjust your monitor so as not to harm your health:

• Monitor height: the top edge of the screen should be at your eye level or slightly lower (~5-10 cm).
• Distance to the monitor: should be 50-70 cm. If the text is small, zoom in, rather than moving closer to the screen.
• Monitor tilt: Tilt the screen back 10-20° to reduce neck strain. The center of the screen should be slightly below eye level.

What helps other IT people

The designer isn’t the first to experience pain after hours of sitting at a computer. Here’s what helps other professionals stay in shape:

• Angular/NodeJs Developer, Andriy Kapinos: «And daily exercises are also very helpful. While you are in a serious condition, you can’t do it, when the condition is better, it’s better to start with the lightest possible loads, then gradually increase the intensity.»
• UX/UI designer, Natalia Smal: «I’ve been using it for three years now and I also have neck problems. But we shouldn’t forget about physical exercises, so I won’t blame the monitor for everything.»
• UX/UI Designer and Product Designer, Valeriy Yemets: «I don’t even know how people come to put their monitors on stands. I immediately adjusted it so that I can sit more or less relaxed, although in the process of concentrated work you gradually return to the „slouched dog“ position.»

Read the country’s main IT news in our Telegram

On the topic

Read the country’s main IT news in our Telegram

Working in IT negatively affects the health of IT professionals. What specialists complain about and how they stay in shape: a rating of occupational diseases and effective tips for recovery

On the topic

Working in IT negatively affects the health of IT professionals. What specialists complain about and how they stay in shape: a rating of occupational diseases and effective tips for recovery

10 Ukrainian startups in the fields of creative economy, artificial intelligence, mental health and cybersecurity that presented at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023

On the topic

10 Ukrainian startups in the fields of creative economy, artificial intelligence, mental health and cybersecurity that presented at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023

«I want to stay mentally healthy.» The story of a KPI lecturer who is developing an AI startup to analyze viewers’ reactions to video content

On the topic

«I want to stay mentally healthy.» The story of a KPI lecturer who is developing an AI startup to analyze viewers’ reactions to video content