Is there anything worse than someone looking over your shoulder without you realizing it? As someone who hates when people peering uninvited while I'm working, I've got an affinity for Mathieu Servais' Efi privacy system which not only isolates the user from others, but also intruding digital diversions...

Efi is the result of an important user study, where I became conscious of today's troubles that employees are dealing with in "open space" offices. It consists of a connected space divider which enables office employees to isolate themselves when they need to focus. Lowering down the ring enables them to isolate from physical noise (visual and phonic) but also from digital noise by filtering data receipt (e-mails, phone calls, instant messages...). Efi's system is made up of two elements : an online service where the employee will define his data filtering parameters and an adjustable space divider which works as a tangible interface with the online service.

[via Yanko Design]