A Virtual Tour: My Workspace

I recently wrote an article about how we are big fans of remote working at We Are Sweet. One of the biggest benefits of this is that you are able to tailor your environment to your own personal preferences. We believe that people do their best work when they are comfortable and have access to high-quality tools. Join me on a tour of how and why I have my workspace set up as it currently stands.

The Space

There are some fundamentals to creating a suitable working space. For me, these are light and space. I have a large custom-made desk that fits perfectly in the room and is able to accommodate all of my equipment with space to move and spread out.

I can draw the blinds to prevent any glare on the monitors or illuminate an array of ceiling lights, desk lights or backlights to suit the mood and keep everything bright and clear in the room. There’s plenty of space around me to spin on the chair and not feel suffocated. You really could swing a cat here.

Tidy Desk, Tidy Mind

My desk includes a large cavity at the rear to hide the many wires and plugs that keep everything working. Speaker stands and wall-mounted monitors allow me to make the most of the space available on top of the desk, whether that's for printed documents, coffee or scribbles. 

While the vast majority of our business is digital, we still have physical hardware and files that need a place to live. Sufficient storage, shelving and cabinets house all of these bits and pieces to maintain a tidy environment. 

The Power Plant

My desktop computer is the workhorse of my setup. It's a powerful machine capable of handling the most demanding graphics and video. I constantly update, upgrade and maintain this heart of my office. I also ensure its kept clean, free of dust and has sufficient cooling space to breathe too. I work on a custom-built PC running Windows. This is the platform that I know best and the one I’m most productive using.

All cabling is organised and hidden as well as possible. Not only does this create a clean, minimalist workspace free of clutter and distraction, it also means I can’t trip over wires or accidentally unplug anything. This is very much a permanent workspace and I recommend anyone with a dedicated working area to properly install their equipment in a similar way.

Screen & Sound

It’s hard to ignore the triple monitors and big speakers that occupy so much space on my desk. The large desk space lets me lay out everything I need in the physical world and three large monitors let me do exactly the same in the digital world. If you still work on one single monitor, go out and buy another one right now! It will take an entire article to properly cover why more monitors are better but trust me, using three monitors makes me much more productive.

I specifically choose to use high-end monitors that allow for accurate colour reproduction to help my graphics work. I’m a big music fan and I have invested in a pair of studio-quality speakers to maintain the quality of the video and sound work carried out by We Are Sweet. The stands that support these speakers don’t only offer more room on the desk but help to create a more neutral resonance and therefore an accurate reproduction for mixing.

Creature Comforts

I spend a lot of time in this space so I include things to make it a more pleasant and comfortable environment. I bought a chair that I feel comfortable sitting in for long periods of time. I’m not quite ready for a standing desk but I completely understand the importance of not only being comfortable but also being supported. I typically try to walk around with regular breaks.

The room is airy, there’s lots of windows and light pouring in. Of course, it’s a comfortable temperature but for days where it’s particularly hot or cold, I have a small heater/cooler on my desk. This is London, after all.

I’ve gone slightly plant-mad. This makes everything a lot more green and much nicer to sit amongst. The plant pots fill up the areas of the desk that I can’t really utilise for work. They help obscure some of the monitor cabling and make the air more oxygen-rich for all the intense thinking that happens here. 

Peripheral Preferences

There are literally thousands of different mouse and keyboard combinations to choose from. I opted for reliable, compact Logitech equipment years ago and muscle memory has made every shortcut and button an extended part of my arms. Like most individual setups, this choice is down to personal preference. Choose equipment that you feel comfortable with that offers you all the functionality you need.

As a designer, I also use a large Wacom tablet. This is a true time-saver when it comes to cutting out images or video rotoscoping. The speed and accuracy of a graphics tablet are incomparable to a mouse for these specialist jobs. It’s great for freehand drawing and generally giving your wrist a break from a traditional mouse.

Caffeine, Calls & Doodles

I can’t cover my workspace without discussing a cup of coffee, my phone and a notepad. I recently made the jump from a real coffee machine to a Nespresso, a controversial decision  I know. I don’t want to start any barista wars, but it makes good coffee, it's incredibly fast, easy and leaves next to no mess.

Like most of us, my phone comes everywhere with me. All our integrated operational systems mean it constantly lights up with notifications and reminders for me. It’s the main way I take and make business calls and it even gets some occasional use for mobile testing. Enough said.

We’ve all heard ‘do you have a pen handy’ while on the phone. Well, indeed I do! I use a pen and paper to sketch out ideas, take down notes or just to scribble on. I’ve doodled my way through life since school days and it’s part of my process. I do make an extra effort to ensure that anything important from my notepad quickly makes it to the appropriate digital counterpart.

Where in the World

You don’t necessarily get to choose your exact location or the office views but you should do everything you can to put yourself somewhere you are happy to be. I’m lucky enough to have a fantastic view overlooking London. It’s a beautiful city and it really does invoke inspiration staring out over the skyline. The perspective from this viewpoint is recreated in our company marketing which regularly features a 3D stylised version of London’s most iconic architecture.

I am based on the edge of the Olympic Park which is home to lots of tech, media and startup businesses as well as offering its own stunning views, environment and cafes to take a break. This location means it’s really easy to travel around London for business and it's also great for quickly getting on the road for out of town meetings.

Conclusion

Invest in your desk and invest in the space around it. I work here and I live here, so creating an environment where I’m happy is crucial to producing good work. It’s also a big contributor to my health and wellbeing.

I’m not chained to the desk and our Distributed Office article explains how I can and have worked from all sorts of places. However, the stark reality is that more than 90% of my work happens right here in this spot. I’ve spent time and money arranging a space that works for me and I will continue to invest in it.

How do you have your workspace set up?