The art of the desk setup (2021)(arun.is)
arun.is
The art of the desk setup (2021)
https://arun.is/blog/desk-setup/
119 comments
Discussions and showcases like this always remind me of the business card scene from American Psycho, "subtle off-white" etc., more so than a tradesman selecting their tools - or even better, showing their tools after years of usage.
It's all so ephemeral. The Macbook du jour. The thinnest screen you can get. Designer mice. Trying to get some kind of individuality with allusions of ergonomics with a more specific mechanical keyboard.
That's "creativity flowing in the air"?
It's all so ephemeral. The Macbook du jour. The thinnest screen you can get. Designer mice. Trying to get some kind of individuality with allusions of ergonomics with a more specific mechanical keyboard.
That's "creativity flowing in the air"?
Well he also has a houseplant.
Another thing I notice is that all these desk setups look unnaturally tidy and uninhabited.
Show me your desk setup after an 8-hour workday with two overlapping deadlines, then we’ll talk.
My desk has to stay tidy because my mind does not. Clutter (in the physical realm) will distract me and spill into my brain.
Exactly, where’s the dirty bowl of mostly eaten oatmeal, the three empty cups of tea and the plate with sandwich crumbs. Add to that two cell phones, three laptops (one for each of your clients) and cables everywhere because the only tidy ones are your KVM cables for your personal PC and your employers laptop.
Sterile design is a problem in general. I feel like these kinds of designs serve to be photographed than used.
Mine looks exactly the same because I clean it. I work paperfree anyway, since I can do engineering on the PC. I ruthlessly move everything out of my visual periphery and in a storage or a cabinet away from my eyeline.
Whether that makes me a deadened robot, or even marginally more effective than the next guy, is of course not entirely clear. It's just a compulsion. But the point is that people who are fastidiously tidy with their workdesks aren't mythical unicorns, but everyday people.
Whether that makes me a deadened robot, or even marginally more effective than the next guy, is of course not entirely clear. It's just a compulsion. But the point is that people who are fastidiously tidy with their workdesks aren't mythical unicorns, but everyday people.
You didn’t say your computer desktop was tidy! I think there’s a place for in-person documents. Perhaps I’ll have a nice tablet at some point, but I haven’t yet replace pencil and paper for creative doodling.
For sure. I love writing, and it's less screen time, plus cognitively better. I have an armchair for reading research papers etc. But I just clean up afterwards. I think Tablets are an unnecessary environmental cost. I bought a 32" 4k display and optimized my PDF reader with shortcuts for margin notes, highlighting etc. to not need to print paper out. But when I do, I'd rather do a paper print-out than stare at another portal of distraction. Even a Remarkable tablet or something sounds excessive to me.
I keep a clean desk so that I can handle those stupid days when everything goes wrong. My desk on those days looks like some of my workmates after they clean it.
Being paperless, having a nearby bin, using regular cups (as opposed to disposables), and storage for things like extra usb cables, batteries, usb keys, stylus, etc; isn't hard to achieve (paperless being role dependent of course) and makes a huge difference
Being paperless, having a nearby bin, using regular cups (as opposed to disposables), and storage for things like extra usb cables, batteries, usb keys, stylus, etc; isn't hard to achieve (paperless being role dependent of course) and makes a huge difference
Article kinda reminds me of 'airspace' : https://www.theverge.com/2016/8/3/12325104/airbnb-aesthetic-... . Theres something too minimal and clean about it all.
FWIW, I used to have a nice remote office setup and still found myself wanting to run away from it (to a library or coffee shop) to meet a form of Marchetti's constant ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marchetti's_constant ), and started going down the rabbit hole of https://reddit.com/r/ergomobilecomputers
FWIW, I used to have a nice remote office setup and still found myself wanting to run away from it (to a library or coffee shop) to meet a form of Marchetti's constant ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marchetti's_constant ), and started going down the rabbit hole of https://reddit.com/r/ergomobilecomputers
I feel like this person is simply in a bubble that isn't a reflection of the real world, or in some cases just making asinine statements. High speed internet being homogeneous is not a bad thing. If you actually want to disconnect, ditch your devices and go out into the wilderness instead of booking your next AirBnb and going to the same trendy coffee shops. It's supremely easy to find spaces that are not designed with these sensibilities all over the world.
Still baffled by the amount of people rocking a 60% keyboard. The F-keys are still widely used people and make sense to be their own key.
I mean its tiny and cool at all, but unless you're actively moving from place to place with it you're sacrificing a lot of typing convenience for nothing (other than aesthetics I guess).
You want to go tkl and pull out your number pad when/if you need it more power to you, but anything smaller than that and your working against yourself in my eyes.
I mean its tiny and cool at all, but unless you're actively moving from place to place with it you're sacrificing a lot of typing convenience for nothing (other than aesthetics I guess).
You want to go tkl and pull out your number pad when/if you need it more power to you, but anything smaller than that and your working against yourself in my eyes.
> You want to go tkl and pull out your number pad when/if you need it more power to you, but anything smaller than that and your working against yourself in my eyes.
I'd put it the other way: if you have a keyboard where all your thumb can do is press the spacebar, you're much more limited compared to if each thumb can hit 2-3 keys.
With keyboards with 2-3 thumb keys each, suddenly it's possible to use layers to bring many keys to within easy reach of the hand. -- On a standard keyboard, you'd either have to reach or move your hand to hit the ` key; whereas with layers, no hand movement/stretching is required.
Layering trades-off hand movement / stretching, at the cost of being more complicated to use. (Not having to stretch your fingers is an increase in comfort).
The only real downside to small-keyboards-with-thumbkeys I've experienced is for one-hand-on-keyboard usage; e.g. FPS games pretty much need to have a number row. Though, I could do CAD okay without a number row (e.g. by using a numpad layer).
I'd put it the other way: if you have a keyboard where all your thumb can do is press the spacebar, you're much more limited compared to if each thumb can hit 2-3 keys.
With keyboards with 2-3 thumb keys each, suddenly it's possible to use layers to bring many keys to within easy reach of the hand. -- On a standard keyboard, you'd either have to reach or move your hand to hit the ` key; whereas with layers, no hand movement/stretching is required.
Layering trades-off hand movement / stretching, at the cost of being more complicated to use. (Not having to stretch your fingers is an increase in comfort).
The only real downside to small-keyboards-with-thumbkeys I've experienced is for one-hand-on-keyboard usage; e.g. FPS games pretty much need to have a number row. Though, I could do CAD okay without a number row (e.g. by using a numpad layer).
I wouldn't give up number row and Fkeys for more chording for two reasons. One, I already have muscle memory for existing keyboard bindings to F keys and the existing locations. Two, I have multiple devices, and I can't drop new spacebar replacements onto the mobile ones.
Why optimize for just the desk? I like to move around to change things up sometimes.
(I do take advantage of things when I'm at the desk by having a mechanical keyboard... but it's a kinesis with more keys than a laptop, not fewer.)
Why optimize for just the desk? I like to move around to change things up sometimes.
(I do take advantage of things when I'm at the desk by having a mechanical keyboard... but it's a kinesis with more keys than a laptop, not fewer.)
> I wouldn't give up number row and Fkeys for more chording for two reasons.
Here's a third reason, based on personal experience (n=1): chording actually creates more strain on your hand/wrists than single keystrokes
Here's a third reason, based on personal experience (n=1): chording actually creates more strain on your hand/wrists than single keystrokes
QMK’s One Shot Keys/Layers is a solution [0].
[0] https://docs.qmk.fm/#/one_shot_keys
[0] https://docs.qmk.fm/#/one_shot_keys
> Why optimize for just the desk? I like to move around to change things up sometimes.
Probably because most people spend a significant part of their day at the desk so it makes sense to optimize your workflow for that. Adapting to using two different keyboard layouts is awkward but not that difficult if you do both enough. If you don't do both enough for it to become easy then you're not using one of them enough for it to matter that it's awkward to swap. Making your primary workflow significantly less efficient for the sake of the edge case doesn't make sense.
For someone like you that likes to move around a lot, you're optimizing with different criteria in mind.
Probably because most people spend a significant part of their day at the desk so it makes sense to optimize your workflow for that. Adapting to using two different keyboard layouts is awkward but not that difficult if you do both enough. If you don't do both enough for it to become easy then you're not using one of them enough for it to matter that it's awkward to swap. Making your primary workflow significantly less efficient for the sake of the edge case doesn't make sense.
For someone like you that likes to move around a lot, you're optimizing with different criteria in mind.
> I have multiple devices, and I can't drop new spacebar replacements onto the mobile ones. ... Why optimize for just the desk? I like to move around to change things up sometimes.
:o) This is less of a disadvantage for small keyboards. It's easier to move a small keyboard around than a big keyboard.
I don't like laying a keyboard directly over the keys, but I was able to get away with lasercutting a plate with some bumpons; and a cable to accommodate seating the keyboard closer to the screen: https://rgoulter.com/blog/posts/programming/2022-08-24-trave...
:o) This is less of a disadvantage for small keyboards. It's easier to move a small keyboard around than a big keyboard.
I don't like laying a keyboard directly over the keys, but I was able to get away with lasercutting a plate with some bumpons; and a cable to accommodate seating the keyboard closer to the screen: https://rgoulter.com/blog/posts/programming/2022-08-24-trave...
My thumb also presses command and option.
> The F-keys are still widely used people and make sense to be their own key for a LOT
That varies quite a bit between individuals. Doing native mobile dev work under macOS, I can count the number of times I need an F-key in an entire month on a single hand. They don't get used anywhere near enough to need their own row.
That said the presence of an F-row doesn't bother me — it's not as if they're hurting anything by being there — but there are no keyboards with both an F-row and my preferred layout (the HHKB/Tsangan variant of 60%) so few of my keyboards have F-rows.
That varies quite a bit between individuals. Doing native mobile dev work under macOS, I can count the number of times I need an F-key in an entire month on a single hand. They don't get used anywhere near enough to need their own row.
That said the presence of an F-row doesn't bother me — it's not as if they're hurting anything by being there — but there are no keyboards with both an F-row and my preferred layout (the HHKB/Tsangan variant of 60%) so few of my keyboards have F-rows.
How do you debug? Do you entirely use the mouse to step through code?
I'm not frequently stepping through code, so yes. Pause/Continue/Continue to Current Line have more maclike mnemonic key shortcuts and if I start using the others more, they can be remapped to more maclike shortcuts pretty easily.
For me, it's less about the function keys and more about separating Escape from the ~/` key. I tried a 65% board once and having to use a modifier key to access those symbols drove me nuts.
This is one of the reasons why I like the HHKB/Tsangan variant of ANSI 60/65% in particular: it has a dedicated ~/` key[0].
[0]: https://hhkb.io/layout/
[0]: https://hhkb.io/layout/
With a keyboard firmware like QMK, you just put everything to layers, and don't move your wrists. It's actually faster than reaching to a distant separate F-key and then.back to the home row, properly aligned.
My main issue with 60% are the lack of arrow keys.
I haven't used F-keys for years (I do use the media keys on the F-row every once in a while) but my muscle memory needs dedicated arrow keys.
On my 60% keyboard I have set caps lock as a fn key where holding that down and any of the WASD keys gives me arrow keys.
I use my pinky to hold down the caps lock key and the others to navigate the arrow keys and I can do all of it with my left hand.
Similarly I have media keys mapped on the same function layer.
Similarly I have media keys mapped on the same function layer.
Would be nice to have an easy interface experience to set the F keys as radio buttons or dockbar icons, one of the F keys will allow ambidextrous arrow keys, on the left-hand "wasd" and on the right-hand "hjkl". I want to blend emacs/vi muscle memory.
I don’t need _all_ the arrow keys. Just a few.
F5 for refresh. F10/F11 for step debugging. F12 for goto definition.
F5 for refresh. F10/F11 for step debugging. F12 for goto definition.
Which arrow keys out of four you don't need?
I use 0/4 as I use vim bindings on all my editors, but the numpad and F keys are worth having a full size keyboard for.
Ha. I meant function keys.
It could be a generational thing. I think people like me who started on DOS are more likely to want full keyboards, while the younger people are used to laptops and never became accustomed to using function keys. Also, when GUIs happened the function keys turned into a second class citizen as functionality was brought to the toolbar. Most kids never use F keys now because they never had to.
For these younger people, the numpad and navigation keys are an impediment to reaching the mouse. For me it’s the opposite: the navigation keys is how I normally navigate (outside of vi controls) and the numpad is for numbers. The mouse is the input device of last resort.
For these younger people, the numpad and navigation keys are an impediment to reaching the mouse. For me it’s the opposite: the navigation keys is how I normally navigate (outside of vi controls) and the numpad is for numbers. The mouse is the input device of last resort.
I think the platform one grew up on makes a difference too. People from a Mac background generally won't be as inclined towards F-keys, since Mac OS instead prefers mnemonic shortcuts (e.g. ⌘R instead of F5 for Refresh).
This is the case for me. I grew up with Macs with full keyboards through the 90s and early 00s, but the Fkeys rarely got used and so they don't get much traffic from me now either.
This is the case for me. I grew up with Macs with full keyboards through the 90s and early 00s, but the Fkeys rarely got used and so they don't get much traffic from me now either.
I started on DOS and early Linux. F-keys absolutely make sense. I never incorporated home, end, page up/down into my flows. Essentially anything to the right of the arrow keys has no use in my life except SysRq and delete. The keyboards I liked best had the large backwards east asian mcnugget style enter key. These days I use an ergodox. Ortholinear is meh, but everything else about it is great.
> For these younger people, the numpad and navigation keys are an impediment to reaching the mouse. For me it’s the opposite: the navigation keys is how I normally navigate (outside of vi controls) and the numpad is for numbers. The mouse is the input device of last resort.
The mouse, the navigation cluster, and the number pad all require you to remove your hands from the home keys position in order to use them. Many of these smaller layout keyboards facilitate accessing these and the function keys under layers. I have several of these layer toggles on alpha keys, including the ones on the home row.
The question then is does the chorded key offer more utility than a discrete physical one but requires you to move your arms away from home position? I think in many cases the answer is yes, it does, and it's not simply about aesthetics. It's more efficient keyboarding in most circumstances.
Its weakness of course is in situations where accessing keys is time sensitive. The most obvious case where chording is strictly worse than discrete keys is gaming, where you need to be able to press various buttons quickly and often in very quick succession. In most other standard computing tasks where you're primarily typing, that isn't a meaningful consideration.
The mouse, the navigation cluster, and the number pad all require you to remove your hands from the home keys position in order to use them. Many of these smaller layout keyboards facilitate accessing these and the function keys under layers. I have several of these layer toggles on alpha keys, including the ones on the home row.
The question then is does the chorded key offer more utility than a discrete physical one but requires you to move your arms away from home position? I think in many cases the answer is yes, it does, and it's not simply about aesthetics. It's more efficient keyboarding in most circumstances.
Its weakness of course is in situations where accessing keys is time sensitive. The most obvious case where chording is strictly worse than discrete keys is gaming, where you need to be able to press various buttons quickly and often in very quick succession. In most other standard computing tasks where you're primarily typing, that isn't a meaningful consideration.
Chording requires synchroised keystrokes, and chaining chords can be awkward and error prone. It also puts unnecessary stress on your wrists, and not moving your hands for long periods of time in the name of efficiency is a sure fire way to end up with carpal tunnel syndrome.
In almost 15 years of programming, I can't think of a single time where the marginal theoretical efficiency gains were worth more than being able to one handedly type in a TOTP code on a numpad while drinking coffee with my other hand, or my co workers being able to navigate on my computer for 5-10 minutes to show me something only they understand from 10 years ago that still has a "TODO talk to Jon" comment.
> In most other standard computing tasks where you're primarily typing
The only computing task where I'm primarily typing is when I'm practicing typing. When I'm actively writing code, I'm primarily thinking, planning, and transcribing. When I'm reading code, I'm semantically navigating. When I'm taking notes, writing documentation or responding to communication, again I'm not primarily typing I'm composing. As someone who can touch type to a proficient degree, the improvements I would get from increasing my keystrokes are marginal at best. The real wins are using tools that reduce the mental overhead of those tasks, e.g. when composing an email having automated spell checks fix my most common typos, when writing markdown having a live side by side preview, and when editing code having tools with semantic knowledge so that I can navigate mt code structurally, not as text. Those things give me orders of magnitudes of productivity increases.
In almost 15 years of programming, I can't think of a single time where the marginal theoretical efficiency gains were worth more than being able to one handedly type in a TOTP code on a numpad while drinking coffee with my other hand, or my co workers being able to navigate on my computer for 5-10 minutes to show me something only they understand from 10 years ago that still has a "TODO talk to Jon" comment.
> In most other standard computing tasks where you're primarily typing
The only computing task where I'm primarily typing is when I'm practicing typing. When I'm actively writing code, I'm primarily thinking, planning, and transcribing. When I'm reading code, I'm semantically navigating. When I'm taking notes, writing documentation or responding to communication, again I'm not primarily typing I'm composing. As someone who can touch type to a proficient degree, the improvements I would get from increasing my keystrokes are marginal at best. The real wins are using tools that reduce the mental overhead of those tasks, e.g. when composing an email having automated spell checks fix my most common typos, when writing markdown having a live side by side preview, and when editing code having tools with semantic knowledge so that I can navigate mt code structurally, not as text. Those things give me orders of magnitudes of productivity increases.
> Chording requires synchroised keystrokes, and chaining chords can be awkward and error prone.
Chording itself is not all that difficult if your keyboard is set up for it. I think you'd be shocked at what opens source firmware like ZMK and QMK can accomplish. It does require you to recalibrate your mind. You use the "shift" key all the time. Using layers is doing the same, except you can make that layer key whatever you want and wherever you want. This is not more error prone than moving your hands from home row to press a function key.
> It also puts unnecessary stress on your wrists, and not moving your hands for long periods of time in the name of efficiency is a sure fire way to end up with carpal tunnel syndrome.
It does not add any additional stress on your wrists beyond what normal typing does. No one is suggesting you keep your hands stationary, they're suggesting you keep your keys close enough to you that you don't naturally end up contorting your wrists like you do on a standard layout keyboard. All staggered, nonstandard or otherwise layouts are not ergonomic. They force your fingers and your wrists to contort heavily with use. Whether or not this ends up affecting you depends largely on genetics. There are people twice my age still typing on full sized keyboards and have been their entire life and their hands are perfectly fine. For me personally, using an alternative layout with yes, chorded keys, has made it possible for me to continue typing at all. Also, you're not giving your wrists a break by moving your hand over to the function keys or to the navigation cluster. You do that with actual breaks and stretching.
> The only computing task where I'm primarily typing is when I'm practicing typing. When I'm actively writing code, I'm primarily thinking, planning, and transcribing. When I'm reading code, I'm semantically navigating. When I'm taking notes, writing documentation or responding to communication, again I'm not primarily typing I'm composing. As someone who can touch type to a proficient degree, the improvements I would get from increasing my keystrokes are marginal at best. The real wins are using tools that reduce the mental overhead of those tasks, e.g. when composing an email having automated spell checks fix my most common typos, when writing markdown having a live side by side preview, and when editing code having tools with semantic knowledge so that I can navigate mt code structurally, not as text. Those things give me orders of magnitudes of productivity increases.
Your argument boils down to you don't think your keyboard matters, in which case you arguing for keeping your full sized standard layout keyboard with a navigation cluster, function row, and number pad is completely moot. This is not the first time I've heard this argument; it's almost always the same one and it's always from obstinate people who've never actually tried anything else, because they're overly confident in their own opinion that their keyboard, the instrument they primarily use to interact with their computer, cannot be improved upon. It's almost zealous.
If you are so certain that your keyboard plays such a minor role in your computing, then use something else. Use an on-screen keyboard that you have to click each key with a mouse, that is available on all major operating systems. It is, after all, such a minor and unimportant part of what you do on the computer, after all!
Chording itself is not all that difficult if your keyboard is set up for it. I think you'd be shocked at what opens source firmware like ZMK and QMK can accomplish. It does require you to recalibrate your mind. You use the "shift" key all the time. Using layers is doing the same, except you can make that layer key whatever you want and wherever you want. This is not more error prone than moving your hands from home row to press a function key.
> It also puts unnecessary stress on your wrists, and not moving your hands for long periods of time in the name of efficiency is a sure fire way to end up with carpal tunnel syndrome.
It does not add any additional stress on your wrists beyond what normal typing does. No one is suggesting you keep your hands stationary, they're suggesting you keep your keys close enough to you that you don't naturally end up contorting your wrists like you do on a standard layout keyboard. All staggered, nonstandard or otherwise layouts are not ergonomic. They force your fingers and your wrists to contort heavily with use. Whether or not this ends up affecting you depends largely on genetics. There are people twice my age still typing on full sized keyboards and have been their entire life and their hands are perfectly fine. For me personally, using an alternative layout with yes, chorded keys, has made it possible for me to continue typing at all. Also, you're not giving your wrists a break by moving your hand over to the function keys or to the navigation cluster. You do that with actual breaks and stretching.
> The only computing task where I'm primarily typing is when I'm practicing typing. When I'm actively writing code, I'm primarily thinking, planning, and transcribing. When I'm reading code, I'm semantically navigating. When I'm taking notes, writing documentation or responding to communication, again I'm not primarily typing I'm composing. As someone who can touch type to a proficient degree, the improvements I would get from increasing my keystrokes are marginal at best. The real wins are using tools that reduce the mental overhead of those tasks, e.g. when composing an email having automated spell checks fix my most common typos, when writing markdown having a live side by side preview, and when editing code having tools with semantic knowledge so that I can navigate mt code structurally, not as text. Those things give me orders of magnitudes of productivity increases.
Your argument boils down to you don't think your keyboard matters, in which case you arguing for keeping your full sized standard layout keyboard with a navigation cluster, function row, and number pad is completely moot. This is not the first time I've heard this argument; it's almost always the same one and it's always from obstinate people who've never actually tried anything else, because they're overly confident in their own opinion that their keyboard, the instrument they primarily use to interact with their computer, cannot be improved upon. It's almost zealous.
If you are so certain that your keyboard plays such a minor role in your computing, then use something else. Use an on-screen keyboard that you have to click each key with a mouse, that is available on all major operating systems. It is, after all, such a minor and unimportant part of what you do on the computer, after all!
I’ve always found chords difficult. Doing lots of chords starts to strain after a while. I much prefer modal solutions and sensible use of navigation keys when the right hand isn’t doing much typing (my work is not just typing/programming, and I do a tremendous amount of number entry, so both the navigation cluster and numpad see a lot of use). I am a vim user after all.
I’ve never liked chords as long as I can remember, so it seems more of a natural preference than a result of efficiency. I often get the various key combinations, but linear workflows are easy for me (e.g. :line number). In a sense, moving my hand to the navigation keys becomes ‘navigation mode’ and moving my hand to the numpad becomes ‘accounting mode’. I think I am also more sensitive to strain as I prefer trackballs over mice and trackpads. Laptops are particular rough for me. I can’t imagine sitting on a couch with just a Macbook Pro all day. Many of my colleagues are fine with that!
I’ve never liked chords as long as I can remember, so it seems more of a natural preference than a result of efficiency. I often get the various key combinations, but linear workflows are easy for me (e.g. :line number). In a sense, moving my hand to the navigation keys becomes ‘navigation mode’ and moving my hand to the numpad becomes ‘accounting mode’. I think I am also more sensitive to strain as I prefer trackballs over mice and trackpads. Laptops are particular rough for me. I can’t imagine sitting on a couch with just a Macbook Pro all day. Many of my colleagues are fine with that!
> I’ve always found chords difficult. Doing lots of chords starts to strain after a while.
I agree that on a non-programmable, standard layout keyboard, chords are going to be uncomfortable. The most strain I use for chording currently is with the shift key, though. I can access the other layers and even modifiers on much easier to access keys. My keyboard also has a thumb cluster which vastly improves the chording experience. I can activate layers using my thumb so there is no additional strain on accessing them. For example, to access navigation arrows, I hold the "backspace" key down, which is a key on my left thumb cluster, and then press hjkl with my right hand. There's another layer that converts the right side of my keyboard into a number pad. I also have modifier keys sitting on my home row keys (shift, alt/option, cmd/super, ctrl has its own dedicated key in my left thumb cluster, though it also sits on the home row). What is the "caps lock" key on most keyboards serves as an "escape" key when tapped and when I hold it down it activates all four modifier keys, colloquially known as the "hyper" key, which I use for global shortcuts. There's a ton of functionality that makes using the computer itself easier and reduces the need to use the mouse.
> I much prefer modal solutions and sensible use of navigation keys when the right hand isn’t doing much typing (my work is not just typing/programming, and I do a tremendous amount of number entry, so both the navigation cluster and numpad see a lot of use). I am a vim user after all.
I've been using weird split keyboard layouts for a long time now. I don't do a ton of number entry. I think if you are then it does make sense to use a number pad, but I also think that the number of people that think they need a number pad is much greater than the number of people that actually do. Not suggesting that's the case for you, it's just been my personal observation. I would prefer a modal solution as well, but that would require a complete rethinking at the operating system level, which is more than I personally am capable of taking on. You can assign a key to toggle a layer in QMK/ZMK, though, so you could actually get that more closely analogs vim. But to create a very good experience, you'd need a keyboard that is talking to the computer and is aware of states all over the computer.
> I think I am also more sensitive to strain as I prefer trackballs over mice and trackpads. Laptops are particular rough for me. I can’t imagine sitting on a couch with just a Macbook Pro all day. Many of my colleagues are fine with that!
In my experience, ergonomics is more about balancing wear, like rotating tires, than it is to stop strain entirely. I like finger trackballs a lot, but thumb trackballs put too much strain in the wrong place. I can't sit on a couch and use a macbook pro at all, either, so I can certainly empathize. I envy those people a lot.
I agree that on a non-programmable, standard layout keyboard, chords are going to be uncomfortable. The most strain I use for chording currently is with the shift key, though. I can access the other layers and even modifiers on much easier to access keys. My keyboard also has a thumb cluster which vastly improves the chording experience. I can activate layers using my thumb so there is no additional strain on accessing them. For example, to access navigation arrows, I hold the "backspace" key down, which is a key on my left thumb cluster, and then press hjkl with my right hand. There's another layer that converts the right side of my keyboard into a number pad. I also have modifier keys sitting on my home row keys (shift, alt/option, cmd/super, ctrl has its own dedicated key in my left thumb cluster, though it also sits on the home row). What is the "caps lock" key on most keyboards serves as an "escape" key when tapped and when I hold it down it activates all four modifier keys, colloquially known as the "hyper" key, which I use for global shortcuts. There's a ton of functionality that makes using the computer itself easier and reduces the need to use the mouse.
> I much prefer modal solutions and sensible use of navigation keys when the right hand isn’t doing much typing (my work is not just typing/programming, and I do a tremendous amount of number entry, so both the navigation cluster and numpad see a lot of use). I am a vim user after all.
I've been using weird split keyboard layouts for a long time now. I don't do a ton of number entry. I think if you are then it does make sense to use a number pad, but I also think that the number of people that think they need a number pad is much greater than the number of people that actually do. Not suggesting that's the case for you, it's just been my personal observation. I would prefer a modal solution as well, but that would require a complete rethinking at the operating system level, which is more than I personally am capable of taking on. You can assign a key to toggle a layer in QMK/ZMK, though, so you could actually get that more closely analogs vim. But to create a very good experience, you'd need a keyboard that is talking to the computer and is aware of states all over the computer.
> I think I am also more sensitive to strain as I prefer trackballs over mice and trackpads. Laptops are particular rough for me. I can’t imagine sitting on a couch with just a Macbook Pro all day. Many of my colleagues are fine with that!
In my experience, ergonomics is more about balancing wear, like rotating tires, than it is to stop strain entirely. I like finger trackballs a lot, but thumb trackballs put too much strain in the wrong place. I can't sit on a couch and use a macbook pro at all, either, so I can certainly empathize. I envy those people a lot.
I think you’re just fundamentally misunderstanding me. Remembering how to do something like ‘hold one of the many keys your left thumb can reach down’ followed by hjkl is more difficult for me than just hjkl or moving my right hand a little bit. Remembering keyboard chords is almost like a dyslexia for me. I get them mixed up all the time and it doesn’t work for me (I know this because I tried to use Emacs before using vi). I can only memorize a few of the most important combinations for applications I use. Everything else is through the GUI.
Not everyone has the capacity to think in the same way you do.
Not everyone has the capacity to think in the same way you do.
I'm not trying to be prescriptive, here. Do what works for you; it does not bother me one bit that someone uses the computer differently from me. I'm simply trying to explain my point of view.
I would say, however, that it's not really about capacity to think a certain way. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you learned vi after learning some other editing paradigm, which you also had to learn how to do. In both cases, it's not a matter of capacity to think in a certain way, it's simply a matter of learning and then practicing.
Again, I am not suggesting that you should even do that. I would not suggest learning vi to most people, either, even though I think it's a better way to edit text. But I do think it's a better way to use a keyboard, so I will say so.
I would say, however, that it's not really about capacity to think a certain way. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you learned vi after learning some other editing paradigm, which you also had to learn how to do. In both cases, it's not a matter of capacity to think in a certain way, it's simply a matter of learning and then practicing.
Again, I am not suggesting that you should even do that. I would not suggest learning vi to most people, either, even though I think it's a better way to edit text. But I do think it's a better way to use a keyboard, so I will say so.
I gave a good faith effort to learn MS-DOS (my first operating system). I am proficient in DOS. I gave a good faith effort to learn UNIX. I am proficient in UNIX. I gave a good faith effort to learn vi. I am proficient in vi. I gave a good faith effort to learn C. I am proficient in C. I gave a good faith effort in to learn Java. I am not good at Java. I gave a good faith effort to learn how to use tablets. I am not good with tablets. I gave a good faith effort to learn how to use Emacs. I am not good with Emacs.
It's tempting to blame the tools, but it's more rational to blame myself. I'm not certain how to describe what the problem is, but I think capacity to think in whatever paradigm the application expects is good enough to express the point.
It's tempting to blame the tools, but it's more rational to blame myself. I'm not certain how to describe what the problem is, but I think capacity to think in whatever paradigm the application expects is good enough to express the point.
I think most people just use a layer for the F keys. It also means their fingers don’t need to travel as far to hit them.
> The F-keys are still widely used people and make sense to be their own key.
This depends on your platform. On macOS, almost all keyboard shortcuts are centred around the cmd/apple key next to the spacebar (where alt would be on a non-mac keyboard) and an alphanumeric key. F-keys are hardly used and if they do, you know you're likely dealing with a an app ported from Linux or Windows or which is cross-platform.
It's personal preference of course, but I like my shortcuts this way as I just have to thumb the cmd key and press any other key within reach, instead of having to stretch to f-keys (cmd+q vs alt+f4) or use any of the other fingers to use the ctrl key for copy pasting (cmd+c vs ctrl+c).
I use the small Apple keyboard as a daily driver on my desktop instead of the full version because it has the exact same layout as the keyboard on my laptop. Which is great as I don't have to built muscle memory for 2 layouts. Of course you are missing dedicated home/end/page keys. But the fn button along with the arrow keys make up for that (also cmd/opt + arrow keys often works better for navigating anyways as they are aware of paragraphs, line endings etc).
This depends on your platform. On macOS, almost all keyboard shortcuts are centred around the cmd/apple key next to the spacebar (where alt would be on a non-mac keyboard) and an alphanumeric key. F-keys are hardly used and if they do, you know you're likely dealing with a an app ported from Linux or Windows or which is cross-platform.
It's personal preference of course, but I like my shortcuts this way as I just have to thumb the cmd key and press any other key within reach, instead of having to stretch to f-keys (cmd+q vs alt+f4) or use any of the other fingers to use the ctrl key for copy pasting (cmd+c vs ctrl+c).
I use the small Apple keyboard as a daily driver on my desktop instead of the full version because it has the exact same layout as the keyboard on my laptop. Which is great as I don't have to built muscle memory for 2 layouts. Of course you are missing dedicated home/end/page keys. But the fn button along with the arrow keys make up for that (also cmd/opt + arrow keys often works better for navigating anyways as they are aware of paragraphs, line endings etc).
I want a keyboard with the number pad on the left side. My mouse needs to the on the right side for my hand, and the number pad on the left side means I have to move my hand a lot less to use the mouse.
Given that no such keyboards exists, a moveable number pad is the second best option.
Given that no such keyboards exists, a moveable number pad is the second best option.
They do exust but they're. For some reason they are kbown as "southpaw" keyboards. Here's one that I really wanted, but I couldn't justify the outrageous price.
https://switchplate.co/collections/southpaw-full-size-group-...
https://switchplate.co/collections/southpaw-full-size-group-...
Making your own split ergonomic woodgrain keyboard is a hacker rite of passage, like forging your own lightsaber. And you do use vim, right, or at least VSCode in vim mode? What do you need f keys for?
I honestly feel it's easier to type fn (caps and \ when hold in my board) + numbers for f-keys than to use dedicated ones.
Now 40%, that's too little keys, a number row is important
Now 40%, that's too little keys, a number row is important
I don't understand how people can live without a numpad. I feel so much more comfortable typing numbers on one compared to using the top row.
65/68% gang I need the arrow keys
It was an interesting read. Didn't feel that this person really followed their own rules about pre-owned. It wouldn't be for me, it feels like a very stark style.
I got a really nice large wooden desk for cheap from a store in the US when I lived there, it was <50% retail price because of some bad surface scratches. Here in NZ wooden furniture is stupidly expensive. I've just finished, nearly 10 years later, resurfacing it. Plenty of space for crap on top, plus three drawers to hide cables, hankies etc. I've got one of those Aeron chairs. It was my chair at work years ago and then through the company being bought out, remote working and bad record keeping it ended up being mine.
The most important thing for me about a working area is that I can have all my stuff close by. Guitar on one side so I can take a music break from work. I usually have a painting on the go too as another rest from work hobby, so I've got a crappy easel on the other side. It's not the cleanest area, but it's the first time in my adult life that I've had a space just for myself.
I got a really nice large wooden desk for cheap from a store in the US when I lived there, it was <50% retail price because of some bad surface scratches. Here in NZ wooden furniture is stupidly expensive. I've just finished, nearly 10 years later, resurfacing it. Plenty of space for crap on top, plus three drawers to hide cables, hankies etc. I've got one of those Aeron chairs. It was my chair at work years ago and then through the company being bought out, remote working and bad record keeping it ended up being mine.
The most important thing for me about a working area is that I can have all my stuff close by. Guitar on one side so I can take a music break from work. I usually have a painting on the go too as another rest from work hobby, so I've got a crappy easel on the other side. It's not the cleanest area, but it's the first time in my adult life that I've had a space just for myself.
In my experience, people with super clean desks aren't consistently productive. Garbage or dirty dishes are the byproducts of computer work. If you aren't neglecting the cleanup sometimes, you probably aren't working that hard.
I think it's a matter of cleaning after work, not while they're working. No one can keep workspace clean all the time. Even that, some do, some don't.
I prefer cleaning things up(both digital and physical) at the end of the day, to relieve my mind that I'm "done" with work and move on to other things. I found it's horrible to wake up, sitting at your desk and the first thing you see is all your piles of crap that your postpone the night before.
I prefer cleaning things up(both digital and physical) at the end of the day, to relieve my mind that I'm "done" with work and move on to other things. I found it's horrible to wake up, sitting at your desk and the first thing you see is all your piles of crap that your postpone the night before.
I feel the opposite way. It’s very hard for me to be productive with a messy desk, a clean desk helps me focus
Same. If there's an empty can from a drink I just finished sitting to my left for instance, it will bother me to eventually the point of being a distraction. Plates/bowls/etc usually aren't at my desk in the first place since I have a disinclination towards eating there but on the occasion I do the first thing I do after finishing is to take the dish downstairs to put in the sink for washing later.
For more general desk junk buildup I have to neaten it up every week or two or it too will become a distraction.
For more general desk junk buildup I have to neaten it up every week or two or it too will become a distraction.
It takes a bit of practice, I'll admit. Start with some basic desk clutter items like a nice cigar that you can rest on a stately ash tray, something that's hard to knock off the desk and takes a while to enjoy. Have a puff between builds, nothing too serious. Once the ash layer builds up it makes things like a ramen bowl less prone to sliding off.
I can't just walk off without mentioning the importance of a tactical housecat capable of pre-cleaning the dishes so as to not attract vermin- the plus side being if said housecat is a subpar dishwasher, they're all too willing to take care of any enterprising houseflies bound for a meal.
I can't just walk off without mentioning the importance of a tactical housecat capable of pre-cleaning the dishes so as to not attract vermin- the plus side being if said housecat is a subpar dishwasher, they're all too willing to take care of any enterprising houseflies bound for a meal.
As usual, there is a whole spectrum between immaculate and landfill desk.
Both extremes are not very productive. But a person doing actual work might have more than just a completely empty desk. What about a cup of coffee, or a notepad, or a small whiteboard, or a reference manual? Because if everything you might need is on your pc and you don't leverage your immediate three dimensional reality, you're not at peak productivity. A manual on the desk is "better" than a PDF on a second workspace.
Both extremes are not very productive. But a person doing actual work might have more than just a completely empty desk. What about a cup of coffee, or a notepad, or a small whiteboard, or a reference manual? Because if everything you might need is on your pc and you don't leverage your immediate three dimensional reality, you're not at peak productivity. A manual on the desk is "better" than a PDF on a second workspace.
Exactly. If you have never built a can fortress, we ain't kin.
what a weird take. sure, if you're trying to keep it immaculate ALL the time like how it looks in pictures then it might be going a bit too far. but it doesn't really take a lot to keep a setup clean. don't eat at your table, throw garbage in a bin and every once in a while remove clutter if you feel like it's there.
maintenance > cleanup.
maintenance > cleanup.
[deleted]
I hot desk with my wife at home. We alternate WFH days. I am not a good citizen of desk cleanliness only out of necessity.
Though one things missing from all the fluff about how things look is how things feel. Having a foot rest, or something I can put my feed against is super important to getting things done and not having my body feel like crap at the end of the day.
Though one things missing from all the fluff about how things look is how things feel. Having a foot rest, or something I can put my feed against is super important to getting things done and not having my body feel like crap at the end of the day.
How does one not cringe hard when designers talk about "values" as inputs in design process?
Why?
Your whole being leads to a design process. Your whole being, the circumstances you grew up in determined what you value. This determines whether you like cozy spaces, or stark sterile spaces, dark or light wood, pops of colours or neutrality. If you grew up with hoarders, perhaps you were always drawn to zen minimalism. And if you nourished that seed, later in life, you wouldn't just be able to leave that need at the door when you started designing something. You'd bring your whole value system to it. You'd look for elimiation. Same with if you like symmetry, or if you like "authenticity" which is maybe just a posh word for transparency of purpose. My favourite example of this is the Windows Phone. They assumed people are digital natives, and don't mind flat rectangles which tell you just the information you need (live tiles) and no more. It started the downfall of skeumorphism and put paid to Apple's old iOS design too, but in effect, it was driven by a value system of an interface being digital-first and not needing to conform to physical reality since people are well-versed with the digital world.
Perhaps designers love to talk too much about this stuff, all of it in hushed worshippy tones which can be off-putting. But there are kernels of truth in it, I think.
Your whole being leads to a design process. Your whole being, the circumstances you grew up in determined what you value. This determines whether you like cozy spaces, or stark sterile spaces, dark or light wood, pops of colours or neutrality. If you grew up with hoarders, perhaps you were always drawn to zen minimalism. And if you nourished that seed, later in life, you wouldn't just be able to leave that need at the door when you started designing something. You'd bring your whole value system to it. You'd look for elimiation. Same with if you like symmetry, or if you like "authenticity" which is maybe just a posh word for transparency of purpose. My favourite example of this is the Windows Phone. They assumed people are digital natives, and don't mind flat rectangles which tell you just the information you need (live tiles) and no more. It started the downfall of skeumorphism and put paid to Apple's old iOS design too, but in effect, it was driven by a value system of an interface being digital-first and not needing to conform to physical reality since people are well-versed with the digital world.
Perhaps designers love to talk too much about this stuff, all of it in hushed worshippy tones which can be off-putting. But there are kernels of truth in it, I think.
I think people like the author go through all this hassle just to post photos of their setup online and get praises from like minded users.
That seems over engineered, over-thinked and downright not practical.
This is what karma-driven social media drives people to do. Stage (in pictures) something cool for likes/upvotes/thumbs up.
It looks impractical, but the pictures, colours and immaculate arrangement of the desks drive us to click the red heart button. OP feels good, the reward system is strengthened.
One thing is certain, none of those setup look used. They don't look like the desk of someone that has just finished designing or creating something very hard for the past few hours.
It looks impractical, but the pictures, colours and immaculate arrangement of the desks drive us to click the red heart button. OP feels good, the reward system is strengthened.
One thing is certain, none of those setup look used. They don't look like the desk of someone that has just finished designing or creating something very hard for the past few hours.
Precisely. I follow some Linux, small network and homelab subreddits and the same plague has taken over these places too. Just picture after picture of a fresh install or a machine or a perfectly cable-managed home switch with no content whatosever.
Deskporn.
Edit: I just googled it, and sure enough, it already exists:
https://www.reddit.com/r/DeskPorn/
Rule 34 strikes again!
By that token, mine must be some sort of unspeakablly deviant corner:
https://majid.info/office/
Edit: I just googled it, and sure enough, it already exists:
https://www.reddit.com/r/DeskPorn/
Rule 34 strikes again!
By that token, mine must be some sort of unspeakablly deviant corner:
https://majid.info/office/
> One thing is certain, none of those setup look used. They don't look like the desk of someone that has just finished designing or creating something very hard for the past few hours.
If you share a photo of your bedroom with someone for whatever reason do you share an unmade bed to show how it looks after you've slept?
If you share a photo of your bedroom with someone for whatever reason do you share an unmade bed to show how it looks after you've slept?
I think you might be overthinking this. People enjoy what they enjoy. This person gets a lot of joy making a space they like to spend time in.
There are car buffs, cycling fanatics, outdoorsmen, musicians, woodworkers, and all kinds of other people who put similar amounts of thought into their gear and space.
There are car buffs, cycling fanatics, outdoorsmen, musicians, woodworkers, and all kinds of other people who put similar amounts of thought into their gear and space.
Please get a decent microphone if you don't want to wear a head set. Most room mics are just unbearable on Zoom. The Logitech one built into the webcam certainly is.
And they’re cheap. I bought a usb mic after I read some post about the importance of audiovisuals for video meetings, and it’s good enough to actually record songs. I put it on a stand for ergonomics and the whole thing cost less than 50 USD.
> Now, with most knowledge workers going remote because of the pandemic, the desk setup has become essential.
The phrase “knowledge workers” makes me physically ill.
The phrase “knowledge workers” makes me physically ill.
I rarely see it self-applied, though. It always seemed to be a more HR-centric / economist verbiage, in the same line as "human capital" and "downsizing".
Whereas people actually call themselves "rockstar developers" "language ninjas" or "data scientists".
Whereas people actually call themselves "rockstar developers" "language ninjas" or "data scientists".
The term came out of management consulting (Peter Drucker IIRC) so it's not surprising it's more associated with manager happy-speak gobbeldygook than actual humans. Same with "content producer" (suggests undifferentiated glop, doesn't it?) or "thought leader".
Why? Isn't it just another term such as white collar worker?
It implies that people that don’t sit at a desk don’t have knowledge or use knowledge or advance knowledge and nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, my life experiences say it is the opposite.
It never implied that to me.
For white collar, soft skills are more important then domain knowledge for example and for blue collar work you'll need to be able to physically apply the knowledge.
That would leave the term to mean "your soft skills and handiness are secondary to your domain knowledge"
For white collar, soft skills are more important then domain knowledge for example and for blue collar work you'll need to be able to physically apply the knowledge.
That would leave the term to mean "your soft skills and handiness are secondary to your domain knowledge"
I would love to learn more about people who've put this much thought into mobile work stations. I move around enough that I can't invest in a permanent setup.
Right now, my setup is a macbook in a roost stand, with an ipad propped up side-caring. Decent mechanical keyboard + mouse and a best effort at hiding wires. Would love to hear about other options.
Right now, my setup is a macbook in a roost stand, with an ipad propped up side-caring. Decent mechanical keyboard + mouse and a best effort at hiding wires. Would love to hear about other options.
If I were mostly mobile I would buy one of those 2-way screen extenders that attaches to the back of the laptop and gives you 3 monitors, and/or a large vertical touchscreen to use alongside.
Trackballs are nice to have in addition to mice.
Trackballs are nice to have in addition to mice.
I definitely wouldn't recommend those attached screens. They're small, bulky, usually have low quality displays and none of them can be used without a kickstand, at which point you might as well get a portable monitor instead. They come in a variety of sizes, with many different features (OLED, touchscreen, speakers...) and at many different price points.
I used a 17" DIY portable monitor for about two years when I didn't have a permanent workspace and the only complaints I have about using it are solved in most commercial models, I just stubbornly wanted to use my own. Just be careful with the cheap ones as they often have the same problems: poor viewing angles, no backlight adjustment, wobbly kickstand, multiple cables required....
I used a 17" DIY portable monitor for about two years when I didn't have a permanent workspace and the only complaints I have about using it are solved in most commercial models, I just stubbornly wanted to use my own. Just be careful with the cheap ones as they often have the same problems: poor viewing angles, no backlight adjustment, wobbly kickstand, multiple cables required....
This tripodsy portable tripod standing desk is the best ive seen for portable ergonomics. I have one and its pretty awesome. The keyboard tray is a little small though so you will need a compact keyboard.
https://a.co/d/8aoiewx
https://a.co/d/8aoiewx
I have this inexpensive one, which is very stable:
https://www.pulse-audio.co.uk/product/pls00453/
The lip around the platform (to prevent a projector from falling over the edge) may interfere with your ty[ing if you have a very thing laptop, however.
https://www.pulse-audio.co.uk/product/pls00453/
The lip around the platform (to prevent a projector from falling over the edge) may interfere with your ty[ing if you have a very thing laptop, however.
"For years I said if I could only find a comfortable chair I would rival Mozart." - Morton Feldman
This is Nice.
Well, I started with an air of Zen[1] when the Pandemic started and now I'm in my natural habitat[2]. But one day, one day, I will have a desk setup worthy of an essay. Btw, love Arun's setup and will refer to his articles for inspiration.
1. https://unsplash.com/photos/fGkBx7hX9Ms
2. https://cdn.oinam.com/img/oinam/brajeshwar-desk-2022.jpg
Well, I started with an air of Zen[1] when the Pandemic started and now I'm in my natural habitat[2]. But one day, one day, I will have a desk setup worthy of an essay. Btw, love Arun's setup and will refer to his articles for inspiration.
1. https://unsplash.com/photos/fGkBx7hX9Ms
2. https://cdn.oinam.com/img/oinam/brajeshwar-desk-2022.jpg
And here I am with my 23" acrylic Cinema Display and yellow-tinged original Natural Keyboard…
He has a felt desk mat that "reduces the visual clutter that the peripherals would otherwise create on the bare desk surface".
Also, "The choice of computer, in this case, isn’t that important."
Definitely has different priorities than I do.
Also, "The choice of computer, in this case, isn’t that important."
Definitely has different priorities than I do.
Reading this article made me want to listen to Eyeliner’s Larp of Luxury again.
My setup is my laptop on an Ikea Björkåsen (featuring cupholder with nifty notch for the mug handle) and my arse on a Poäng. If that’s not minimal I don’t know what is.
My setup is my laptop on an Ikea Björkåsen (featuring cupholder with nifty notch for the mug handle) and my arse on a Poäng. If that’s not minimal I don’t know what is.
This topic was thoroughly explored in the second movie of the Czech "How poets..." franchise: https://youtu.be/MQcfxTHPgek
This monitor height (and size) looks incredibly painful. The desk top material is just an incorrect choice. I don’t understand how they live with the felt pad.
Monitor height looks about right to me, depending on where the poster’s eyes are relative to the monitor.
My setup has monitors on arms at a similar height, lining up their horizontal centers with my eyeline so my head position and back are neutral.
My setup has monitors on arms at a similar height, lining up their horizontal centers with my eyeline so my head position and back are neutral.
Typical ergonomic guidelines are to place monitors so that your eyes are 2-3 inches below the top of the screen (looking down is much easier than looking up). The monitor in the photo is a 40”. Either they’re a giant, or their knees are well above desk level, or they have neck pain issues.
I find the typical monitor height guideline very uncomfortable. As a developer, I usually look at the bottom edge of the screen (terminal windows, replying to online discussion). Therefore, I place my monitor higher than recommended.
Yea, I don't understand how people use monitors where the lower edge is on level with their eye line. My neck hurts just looking at the pictures.
But I did start in the time when we had dedicated holes for CRT monitors in desks so you could put them low enough.
But I did start in the time when we had dedicated holes for CRT monitors in desks so you could put them low enough.
As someone who had the pleasure of pushing devs around from time to time (the boss..) this is displeasing. More work. less desk setup.
Are you peter gregory?
When it comes to work functionality and comfort are top priorities. Aesthetics, price, history and philosophical considerations are not.
I'd argue that aesthetics do serve a functional role in a workspace. This is why many people put photos of their family at their desk for a very easy to understand example. It does not do something specific to your work, but it certainly serves a function to the person doing work. Beautiful objects can serve a similar purpose for a lot of people.
For me it's almost always part of the consideration, though I'll concede that for items that are required for work, it needs to be able to do that well first.
For me it's almost always part of the consideration, though I'll concede that for items that are required for work, it needs to be able to do that well first.
I personally keep a photo of my family on my desk as cue to moderate my instinct to rage quit when the latest nonsense flows downstream.
"You're doing it for them"
Nothing to do with aesthetics, although they are lovely.
"You're doing it for them"
Nothing to do with aesthetics, although they are lovely.
I did not say that the family photo is aesthetics, just that it can serve the same purpose as nicely designed objects. Both calibrate your mind for work. The appearance of things certainly influences how you think if you're looking at them all day.
Don Norman has studied aesthetics and productivity quite a bit and come to a different conclusion — attractive things work better.
a manly desk is full of bicycle/troller tools because your desk is also a bicyle garage@home.
my desk is horrible to look at but i can fix my girl scooter with 2ns latency or epxoy glue something. my desk is multitasking ready.
my desk is horrible to look at but i can fix my girl scooter with 2ns latency or epxoy glue something. my desk is multitasking ready.
oh boy… just get 2 or 4 4K 120 HDR oled monitors and proper mechanical key board and use a thick proper plywood base plate so that nothing moves.
We must never forget there was a time our great and successful (otherwise we wont be here) ancestors had todo their dailygrind and office'ing in a cave with no rgb backlight or standing desk !
Very disappointed by this. I've got mounted vertical monitors surrounding an extra wide curved monitor on a desk that has 3 distinct surfaces at different heights and a hidden shelf beneath, with a pull-out Kinesis keyboard and both a mouse and a trackball, with a large drafting desk running along one side, with a shelf above it for technical books.
His keyboard was by far the weakest part of this. Click the link at the top of his post ("Update:") to his newer setup, and you'll see that he upgraded the keyboard substantially to something in the ergo tier.
I used to obsess over things like "good design", minimalism, perfectionism, etc. Since I stopped obsessing, I feel better: less stress, fewer expectations from my environment, better focus on what I need to accomplish (rather than by what tools) etc. Don't get me wrong, I still clean out my desk once in a couple of days, but am no longer distracted by small stuff every minute. For e.g., I love a good mechanical keyboard and bought one a few years ago and never looked back. I am happy with this keyboard and will use it until it breaks down. I love fountain pens and bought one 7 years ago, and now I don't think about pens anymore. Not that I do not care about a good pen or a good keyboard, but because I am happy with what I've got.