How Jaque Filled The Gap In Remote Workspaces

Remote work has become more and more common in recent years. It's a trend that shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

I started working as a freelance tech consultant 8 years ago, before the digital nomad boom. As a freelancer, my job involved working with clients and teams worldwide in different industries.

This led me to discover a gap in the market: There's an increasing number of people who want to work from home but can't because they don't have enough space.

What they did was trying to fit into an ineffective workspace that causes their bodies to assume incorrect postures such as slumped shoulders, hunched back, a forward head, crossed knees or ankles, and more.

People who sat in incorrect postures for long hours tend to experience fatigue, negative moods, headaches, and poor sleep. 

Struggling To Find The Right Workspace

Some of my teammates struggled to fit a clunky and fat electric desk in their tiny apartment. Even if they did manage to, their bank accounts hurt a lot because electric desks could cost around $300 - $600.

The other alternative is a laptop stand or desk converter. The thing is, so many laptop stands in the market are either too stiff that they couldn't reach the perfect height or angle, or they're too heavy to be carried around.

As remote workers are constantly on the road, I realized they need a piece of flexible workspace equipment that enables them to be productive and creative regardless of where they work.

What Remote Workers Actually Need

From hundreds of conversations with remote workers, I noticed a common pattern among their chatters:

• "I used stacks of books to elevate my laptop but still couldn't get the angle I wanted."
• "It would be nice if I can stand while working at the beach cafe…"
• "My laptop stand is too thick and heavy…"

Could you guess what that pattern was?

Remote workers need a laptop stand that is as flexible and mobile as they are. 

The stand has to be lightweight and small enough to fit your backpack. 

No matter where you work from, whether it's at your office desk, cafes, gardens, parks, beaches, couches, even planes, the laptop stand allows you to work comfortably without experiencing any posture pains.

I tried searching for the perfect laptop stand that achieves ALL of the following:

• lightweight; portable
• sturdy and strong
• easily adjustable; flexible enough with multiple angles and heights
• allows me to sit and stand in the correct posture
• great airflow so the laptop won't overheat
• looks modern and sleek (appearances matter too)

I've looked everywhere in the market, more specifically 134 electric desks and laptop stands.

And guess what?

Not a single product in the market fits ALL of my criteria.

I was disappointed, but I wasn't ready to give up.

That's when it hit me -- if the perfect laptop stand doesn't exist in the market yet...

I just need to make one!

Thus, the long journey began with me working with experienced engineers and designers united by a common goal: 

To create the world's most flexible laptop stand. 

With this laptop stand, remote workers can work from their favorite locations without experiencing back, neck, or shoulder pain. 

They can be more productive, focus longer, and produce higher quality work.

But, it's easier said than done.

It was a huge challenge to bring the idea into reality. 

From Imagination To Life

June 2020 - Prototype No. 1

We began our first design in June 2020. 

The first prototype could reach a maximum of 21 inches in height, and it also had a keyboard tray (for external keyboards). It weighed 15.4 lbs. The first version failed because the plates were too heavy. The hinges were not strong enough to hold them.

August 2020 - Prototype No. 2

We experimented with higher quality and strong friction hinges, strong enough to hold the plates.

But changing the hinge required us to redesign the lock mechanics. This was because Jaque has a unique lock mechanism that keeps the hinge in place once you've adjusted the height and angle.

The lock's primary function is to prevent wobbling when users type on the laptop stand. 

September 2020 - Prototype No. 3

Although the hinges could hold the stand now, we felt it was too heavy. A 15.4 lbs laptop stand is as heavy as a vacuum cleaner! No remote worker would want to lug a vacuum cleaner around the airport. 

Thus, we began to eliminate unnecessary things. 

• Keyboard tray
• Smaller dimension
• Thinner plates

After that, Prototype No. 3 weighed 4.8 lbs, nearly 70% lighter!

The best part is? 

While Prototype No. 3 is now fundamentally lighter, its sturdiness and stability remain the same. 

October 2020 - Prototype No. 4

No. 4's goal here was to achieve the lightest weight possible while retaining its toughness and balance. Plus, it has to be easy to use for any remote workers. 

We did a lot of trials with real-life remote workers using Prototype No. 4. The team works closely with these remote workers to collect real-time feedback. 

After 15 to 20 back-and-forth discussions with remote workers, their biggest annoyance was the lock. No. 4 had 3 locks, one on the left side, the other on the right side, and the final one is in the middle. It wasn't user-friendly to lock and unlock 3 different locks whenever they want to fold or unfold the laptop stand.

So, we reduced the number of locks from 3 to 2. But without the middle lock, No. 4 couldn't hold at its maximum height, 21 inches. After researching, most remote workers' ideal height should be 14 inches, around 3 soda cans stacked vertically. 

However, No. 4's current shape (Z-shaped) cannot reach that high. The team brainstormed day and night to solve this problem. In the end, the team came up with an entirely new shape, one that looks like a C. This shape can reach 14 inches high and still be able to balance very well.

Feb 2021 - Prototype No. 5

The plates are much sturdier now, but the lock mechanics were not working smoothly. Sometimes, the laptop stand would collapse and the lock would slip off.

After days of investigation and testing, the team learned that the lock mechanism's material was too smooth and doesn't have enough friction. So, we enhanced the lock mechanism to keep the stand in place.

We also introduce 3D indents on all plates for greater strength.

After countless sleepless nights and experimentation, the team has successfully created a laptop stand that solves remote workers' workspace issues.

Introducing Jaque, the laptop stand that gives every remote worker the flexibility and productivity they love.

Before seeing this article, many remote workers are tired of sitting in front of their laptops all day. 

Their back hurts and they can't get any work done because it's so uncomfortable to sit at a desk for a long time. They tried using a laptop stand before, but it never worked for them.

Imagine having a laptop stand that allows you to experience:

• Swiftly transition between sitting and standing while reducing fatigue and back pain.

• Sit and stand in a correct posture that allows you to work more productively, everywhere.

• Take control of how and where you work without limitations and boundaries of your workspace.

• Change your work scenery and still able to deliver high-quality work to your clients and customers.

• Never hunch over or tilt your head ever again!

• Spend hours focusing non-stop on your project without breaking the train of creative thoughts.

Now, hundreds of remote workers have registered to grab Jaque once it's live. All of them want their workspace to be as flexible and untethered as their lifestyle. 

Do you also want an effective workspace where you can be at your most productive self? Jaque can help you reach that state.

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