Your Open Office Is Too Loud—Here’s How to Escape and Work Anywhere

It’s your workspace in a backpack: How to pack everything you need to get your work done anywhere

Your office is no longer confined within cubicle walls. It's in coffee shops and airports, coworking spaces and open-plan bullpens. WSJ's David Pierce explains everything you need to work from anywhere—and how to fit your entire office in your bag. Photo/Video: Emily Prapuolenis/The Wall Street Journal

Workers had offices not too long ago—fabric-box cubicles for most, maybe a door if you were important enough. The décor might have been drab, and the walls might have felt like they were closing in on you, but at least they shielded you from the hell that is other people.

Today, you might be stuck sitting on a bench with a sliver of workspace—the “open office.” Your computer screen is in any peeper’s eye line, and you might as well put your calls on speaker.

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