Benefits of Screens: Multiple monitors boost productivity by up to 35.5%

Less is not always more. For many tasks, multiple monitors offer definite advantages over a single screen.

According to research, multiple screens can dramatically boost productivity. Read our blog about how multiple screens could boost your organisation's productivity by up to 35%.

A study in 2017 by Fujitsu Siemens Computers analysed whether multiple monitors boosted productivity. The company found that two monitors increased productivity by 25 percent compared to single-monitor setups. Workspaces equipped with three displays can increase productivity by 35.5%

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This study was further backed up by scientists from the University of Utah have shown with their studies on the subject

There are several benefits of multiple monitors that can boost business productivity.  A study at the University of Utah found that productivity among people working on editing tasks was higher with two monitors than with one.  Other research indicates that the addition of a third monitor can also offer further increases in productivity.

The major area where time is saved and productivity boosted are in toggling between screens. 

“It takes about 1.5 seconds to move your mouse and click to switch between documents. After double-clicking, the average delay time for the next document to open is 0.5 seconds, totally in about 2 seconds. If you need five numbers from each source document for your report, a second monitor would save you 66 seconds each time you compile your weekly report. Over the course of a year, a second monitor would save you about an hour on this one task.”

In the simplest of terms, when it comes to desktop real estate, more space means greater productivity until the point is reached where screen size and task requirements intersect.  From that point on, the increasing screen size may have no effect or even a negative effect on productivity.  For the best cost-benefit ratio, screen size and configuration should be matched with the task requirements of the typical work to be done.

In situations where the typical work requires multiple windows to be opened, the standard 17-inch monitor would appear to be a considerably less productive choice.  In this study, the 20-inch standard format monitor returned a 31 percent increase in performance scores over the 18-inch standard format monitor and performed slightly better than even dual 18-inch monitors, which themselves were substantially more productive than a single 18-inch monitor.

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Uses of multiple monitors or screens

  • Panel overflow. Keep most of the programs in the middle and let the panels all flow off to the left and right. More undistracted space in front of the user, more room for all the mess off to the sides. This is probably the strongest advantage.

  • Coders who want to view their code on one display with the other display reserved for documentation. They can just glance over at the documentation and look back at their primary workspace.

  • Anyone who needs to view something while working. Viewing a web page while writing an email, viewing another document while writing something, or working with two large spreadsheets and having both visible at once.

  • People who need to keep an eye on information, whether it’s email or up-to-date statistics while working.

Disadvantages of Having Multiple Screens

  • More Potential for Distractions. Probably the biggest disadvantage of having more than one screen is the added risk of distractions. Having more windows in your eyeliner opens up the opportunity of having many more distractions.

  • Lack of Desk Space. Obviously enough the more screens you have the more space that is going to be taken up. Luckily more modern monitors only take up a fraction of the space compared to those of a few years previous.

  • Cost. Every extra monitor you add is going to come at a cost.

Conclusion

Most designers have some type of workflow that involves using multiple programs at any given time.

Maybe you’re flipping back and forth between Indesign and Photoshop, or maybe it’s an HTML editor, Internet explorer, and FTP application.

Whatever the case may be, it’s very unlikely that a designer would only have one program open and would not be moving around at least periodically. Since using multiple programs is such a frequent occurrence for designers, having a second screen can make this juggling act much less painful and more productive.

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