New retractable banner keeps cube neighbors away

The new guy down the hall drops by your “open plan” office cubicle for a chat and chew, followed by the guy who tells off-color jokes, the woman complaining about her boyfriend and a whole co-worker barnyard horsing around. How are you supposed to get work done? The Cubicle Message Barrier, a 2.6-inch-wide retractable banner, clearly signals your intention to work uninterrupted.

CubeGuard Inc., Santa Clara, Calif., developed the banners to stretch across an office pod opening of up to 50 inches, with messages that range from informative (“Out to lunch” or “Working from home”) to downright forbidding (“Please do not disturb” or “Get out, please”). The color-printed polyester banner, with either standard or custom messaging, comes in an interchangeable cartridge shipped with mounting hardware for $20-$30 dollars, to fence the talking heads out.