With FocusFlag, Adam Yormark Has Solved the Problem of Workplace Distractions

For remote workers in a home office or employees in a modern workplace, constant interruptions can prevent them from completing high-quality work. Even worse, distractions can become time-consuming and frustrating, leading to a tense, sometimes hostile work environment. For years, company leaders and employees have searched for the right solution to workplace interruptions – a solution that allows someone the privacy to engage in deep work but the freedom to connect with their colleagues and managers.

With FocusFlag, the solution has finally arrived.

Created by Adam Yormark, FocusFlag is the simple yet effective solution to workplace distractions, delivering an instantly recognizable signal that transforms co-working spaces, open work areas, and even home offices into havens for productivity. Yormark developed FocusFlag after the global pandemic forced him into a remote work environment – along with five other people in the same house.

“We tried to avoid interrupting each other but still wanted to talk to each other, and it was just impossible,” Yormark says. “We ended up interrupting each other left and right or just ignoring each other throughout the day, and it created this tense environment.”

With a background in 3D modeling and a 3D printer in the house, Yormark began prototyping his design. After multiple iterations and adjustments, he created the FocusFlag – a plastic flag that connects directly to the back of a laptop or computer monitor. Designed to look like a mailbox flag, the FocusFlag immediately signals to other colleagues or family members when you are available to talk – and when you need to be left alone.

“Once we reached basic functionality, the interruptions just stopped,” Yormark says.

The design is incredibly simple: When someone requires privacy and space to engage in high-quality, deep work, they simply raise the flag on their computer. This signifies that they are busy, similar to closing a door in a private office. When the flag is down, the person is available to talk and collaborate.

For Yormark, it was important to create a tool that not only eliminates interruptions and increases productivity, but one also one that encourages collaboration and connection – an essential quality in open office environments.

“You might be worried that the flag is going to kill conversations, but in fact it does the exact opposite,” Yormark says. “What it does is clarify availability, which streamlines conversation. Now, you know when you can talk to someone and when you should not.”

FocusFlag is poised to revolutionize the modern work environment. With an increasing number of organizations opting for remote work and open floor plans, the need for privacy and focus is greater than ever before. When the flag is raised on your computer, Yormark says, it is like placing a “force field of productivity” around your desk. As a result, deep work is possible, productivity increases, and employee engagement improves.

FocusFlag has already enhanced work environments on college campuses, in coworking spaces, and in large corporations. But for Yormark, that is just the beginning. Because of the simplicity, affordability, and effectiveness of FocusFlag, Yormark anticipates seeing his design in every workplace and home office around the world. 

“Once you start using FocusFlag, you realize how effective it is, and how it helps with your workflow,” Yormark says. “It becomes a necessity and an indispensable tool.”

To learn more about FocusFlag, visit www.focusflag.com.