My Desk Setup 2022

It's already the end of 2022 and it's been about 2+ years that I spend more time working from home. A lot of things happened while I was working from home, Including my experiments in building workspace or desk setups.

In this post, I will share my journey on how I built the desk setup that works for me, someone who works as a product designer. I will also share most of the items that I use and where I buy them.

The process is not short and often changes along the way, but I will try to tell you what I have achieved by the end of 2022 with some tips and tricks you might consider when are you interested to build your own desk setup.

The humble beginning

These are portraits of my workspace in the early days of the pandemic. You can see all the items that I placed and arranged on my desk, most of them are my children's toys.

This kind of setup has worked and has no problem at all. Until I realized that I spent more than 8 hours at this desk and the lockdown situation made it worst. I can't go anywhere, just sitting in this place, like forever. After some thought, I decided to invest in my workspace because I believe I will get more benefits because of it.

Tools and toys

I will share some of the items in my workspace and some explanations of why I chose those items. As a disclaimer, some items will contain affiliate links, the commission from affiliates is not much, but this means a lot to support my blog.

AdapTABLE

One of the main points in choosing an adjustable desk for me is on how the table height can be very low position. This is important because my height is not that tall and to achieve a better posture sitting position I need to have a table height of about 62-65cm. I am more concerned with how low the table can go down, not how high the table can go up.
AdapTABLE Website

Number two of course is the price. In Singapore, there are many popular electric desk brands such as Omnidesk and Everdesk. At that time, I saw all of them priced at more than 800 SGD. Until I found randomly AdaptTABLE. It is an unpopular brand but in the terms of price, it is still more reasonable. I've got around 500 SGD-ish and for the quality of the frame, motor and tabletop, I think it is quite decent and suit my needs.

Herman Miller Sayl

Back pain is the reason why I bought this chair. Sometimes it gets really hurt and at that time I couldn't take it anymore 😢

I decided to gamble on buying this expensive chair and I was ready to regret it at that moment. But when the chair came and I use it every day, my back pain is gone! Is it really amazing, or maybe that was just a suggestion? It could be, but one thing that I feel real when I use this chair, I feel my body is properly supported by this chair.

The combination of a solid work chair and the right desk height makes my sitting posture correct and comfortable. This chair is the most important part of my workspace and is the best (and most expensive) purchase chair that I ever bought.
Herman Miller Sayl Website

Mac Mini M1

This is my main machine at work. Since switching to an M1 Mac based, everything feels fast, regardless of what app you're using, and how many apps you have opened, still blazingly fast.

I choose the Mac Mini version because I found this is perfect for my needs, I already have a monitor, keyboard, and magic trackpad. So buying a mac mini will be more efficient and save quite a cost.
Mac Mini Product Information Website

Monokei x TGR Tomo

This is one of my main custom mechanical keyboards at the moment. The bottom line is so so good! I really like this keyboard. I will review this in more detail in a different post.
Monokei Tomo Website

Keebmat

It's a mini desk mat or we can call it a keyboard mat. The variant that I have is 65% version but in actual size, this variant can be used for 75% keyboards too. I like its compact size and doesn't take up space on my desk. The material is also quite good, especially the felt version.
Keebmat Website (use coupon: KIBOOROU to get 5% discount)

Leekmods

Custom straight cable from a local Singapore maker. The price is not so cheap but the quality of this cable is very good.
Leekmods Instagram

Display Set

LG 27UL850 4K with USB-C‌‌
I chose this monitor with several considerations. High resolution and color accuracy are almost similar to Macbook's LCD screen. Another reason it's because has USB type-C 60watt with power delivery, so if I use my Macbook, I only need to plug in using a single cable. I was lucky enough that I found this monitor in the aftermarket for a pretty reasonable price. One thing that is lacking from this monitor is that the monitor stand is very ugly, has an odd shape, and takes up space.
LG 27UL850 4K Monitor (Affilitate link)

PRISM+ ARC Stealth Single Monitor VESA Monitor Arm‌‌
Since I don't like the original stand from LG monitor, I decided to change it to monitor arm. This monitor arm brand is very popular in Singapore, I bought the standard type because I needed it to support only one monitor.
PRISM+ Arch Stealth Monitor Arm Website

Yeelight Smart Monitor Screen Bar Pro
‌‌Monitor lightbar which has an ambiance light on the back. I use a lot of Yeelight bulbs in my house so I just wanted one ecosystem to keep things simple. The feature that I like the most and often use is the ambiance light itself which can be controlled via the app.
Yeelight Smart Monitor Screen Bar Pro (Affiliate link)

Sony WH1000XM4 + Walnut Hanger Hook

Despite of weird name, this is one of the best active noise-cancellation headphones on the market today. To save space, I use a hanger hook that I clamp to the left of my desk.
Sony WH1000XM4 Headphone (Affiliate link)

Grovemade Desk Shelf

The pioneer of the wooden desk shelf with an iconic design. The price was very expensive 😥 but I got a discount at that time (although still expensive). This item has its own sentimental value because it is one of my dream desk shelves since maybe 9 years ago. The material I choose was maple, not the walnut one that most people bought. I feel maple would suit my setup which tends to be lighter.
Grovemade Desk Shelf Product Website

Saiji iPhone and iPad stand

A pretty good and solid iPhone or iPad stand. My best friend gave me this as a new year's gift.
Saiji iPhone Stand (Affiliate link)

Honorable mentions

• IKEA Stolpa, the minimalist watch that has accompanied me since I moved to Singapore.
• Random cheap ambient light tube that I found on amazon.
• Megaman you can buy here (affiliate link), Kirby, waddle, and Genggar. They are the ones who crowd my table. I get almost all of them by playing Gachapon at Dondonki or claw machines.
• Popeye Magazines. My favorite magazine for gathering design inspiration.
• Muji grid notepad for quick writing or drawing.

A few things I learned during the process of building my workspace 🤔

Don't rush, be financially responsible and enjoy the journey

This is just a reminder for me and anyone who reads. When we see a cool desk setup, whether it's on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or Pinterest, sometimes we get really excited and want to buy these items directly and simultaneously. Please do not do that! The photos you see on social media are probably the result of a long process too.

Design your desk needs based on needs and functions first, then pay attention to aesthetics. Not all items also have to buy new. Some of the items that I mentioned in this post are items that I have had a long time ago and that I still use (monitors, lamps, clocks, toys, and magazines). Upgrade gradually and adjust to the budget you have, and be financially responsible with what you spend.

Source of light

The light source in your room is very important. I have changed positions 4 times in one year to get a very comfortable feeling for me. And finally, I've found what I want. I think the closer I am to a light source or window, the more comfortable would be. If your room lacks a light source, maybe you can provide light from indirect lamps, such as ambient lamps or floor lamps placed at several points.

Always try to clean up

Let's admit that our table setup will not always be clean and pretty to look at, which is totally fine. Messy is fine but what is not fine is keeping it dirty. Dust will always come to our desks. Always clean our desk regularly maybe at least once every 2 days. A clean table indirectly affects our mentality and feelings.

Thoughts on the current desk setup ☺️

I am satisfied with the progress of the setup that I have so far. I feel lucky to be able to make the things I dream of come true one by one (I'm sure you can too). My desk setup development process will not stop here because over time I realized I needed some adjustments to my work and hobby workflow. But here's my setup for the 2022 wrap-up, see you in 2023.