I Miss the Office - An office noise generator for lonely remote workers during the pandemic

At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, as millions transitioned to working from home, something unexpected happened: people missed the noise. The quiet of remote work was isolating, and many longed for the ambient bustle of office life – the clatter of keyboards, distant chatter, and the hum of the coffee machine. We responded with a side project that combined empathy, creativity, and code: I Miss the Office – a virtual office noise generator that reintroduced the comforting chaos of shared workspaces.

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Designed with humor and a deep understanding of daily work rituals, the tool lets users populate their virtual office with colleagues like Chair Wheelie, Paper Shuffler, or Loud Typist – all randomized in a subtly dynamic soundscape. As Product Hunt put it: “An office noise generator – providing users with the soothing/irritating tones of modern office life to help people focus and feel normal while working from home.” The project struck a chord. It was widely shared and picked up by global media outlets including BBC, Fast Company, NPR, and The Verge.