October 4, 2004

BY PAIGE WISER Staff Reporter

In the office world, cubicles are here to stay for one simple reason: They're cheaper than walls.

So a sort of cubicle-cottage industry has sprung up, with novelties to personalize your work environment: shelves, Dilbert dolls, even an adaptable version of magnetic poetry.

And now: doors.

Creators Bob Schmidt and David Vaughan prefer that their CubeDoors be called "productivity tools," since they're all about getting work done. The transparent screens are basically window shades turned sideways, with the word "Busy" emblazoned on them. The idea is that fewer untimely interruptions will translate into more projects completed.

"I don't know if people are lonely or bored, but they want to come talk to you," says Vaughan, who met Schmidt in a maze of cubicles at a technology company. "We needed some polite way to tell them to bug off."

The partners founded the Fort Worth, Texas-based CubeSmart in 2001. The mesh CubeDoor costs $29.95 at www.CubeDoor.com. Other products include the CubeBanner ($21.95), a smaller, opaque version of the CubeDoor, and QuietLight ($9.95), which hangs outside your cubicle and says "Quiet," "Napping" or "Busy."

"We've sold the heck out of the 'Busies,'" says Schmidt, but they still have plenty of inventory for "Napping."

He estimates that there are 20 million cubicles in the United States, which means that there are 20 million workers who would rather be in an office. But there are perks to having a CubeDoor.

"The beauty of it is, even though you can see through the CubeDoor, it does blur what's on your screen, so people can't read your e-mail behind your back," Schmidt says.

One warning: "They can tell if it's Anna Kournikova on your screen," he says.