Design 101: How I Design – A Peek Into My Workspace

Did you know your workspace affects your productivity? The Perfect Workspace (According to Science) describes your workspace by saying, “The simple act of making your own decisions about how to organize your workspace has an empowering effect and has been linked with improved productivity.” Not only do I believe this, but I’ve set up my workspace (both physical and within my screens I work on) to fit my needs here as the graphic design team lead here at Red Branch Media. In this article, I’ll show you how I’ve set up my workspace to ensure maximum productivity.

My Workspace

Below, you’ll see two pictures. To the left, is what I see, and to the right is what the average eye might see.

Basically, I keep all of my notes to my left with a notepad, notebook and pen ready just in case I need to take any notes at any time — whether it’s design, asking notes from my fellow co-workers or anything else I might need. My second monitor is placed at my left (purposely, I’ll explain here shortly) while I do all of my design work on my laptop in front of me. I also drink 2 cups of coffee a day and use a mouse for design work because using a trackpad would seriously slow down design work and hinder pixel-perfect designs for me. Finally, I keep a jar full of markers, pens and scissors if I need to use something different to write with or if my current pen runs out of ink or doesn’t work, lotion if I need it and a blank space where I eat lunch. This set up is perfect because every part of my desk has a purpose and I know exactly where I need to turn to do something.

My Screen Setup

Every morning I set up my screens to give me a better overall productivity experience. I’ve purposely set up my second monitor to my left because I like to do all of my design work/main work on the screen in front of me (my laptop). Digging deeper, my screens are divided into sections. On my left screen, I keep 2 finder windows open. One finder window is used navigating through Dropbox, while the other I use for getting my downloaded items from Shutterstock or navigating through Dropbox as well. I also have my browser open on my left screen. This too is organized into tabs — Bitrix for office communication, my task list of deliverables, my Gmail, LinkedIn, Google+, and Shutterstock for images and vectors. I also have custom bookmarks set up and Chrome extensions that help me with daily, weekly or monthly design work. On my right screen, I have my design software where I design everything. It too is slightly divided, having my design software for most of the screen, all of my software applications below, and on the right, a slight view of the desktop for accessing screenshots or anything else I like to save there.

How to Build Your Best Workspace

No one works the same, and it’s up to you to find your ideal workspace that works best with you. In the Fast Company article, How to Design a Workspace That’s Right for You, they note that you should “organize your space into specific, dedicated zones based on types of work. In each zone include all of the resources and equipment that you need for that specific type of work.” If you’re still having trouble making your workspace yours, then get inspired! Here are 17 Designers you Should Know and their Workspaces so you can see what other fellow designers have for their ideal setup.

My workspace is tailored to my needs  as the graphic design team lead here at Red Branch Media, but your workspace will probably be much different than mine. If you haven’t customized your workspace yet, then you’ll need to if you want to be more productive and feel more at home. Set up your space to your needs and have all of your resources nearby. Don’t stop at your desk either. Customize your whole work experience by setting up your screens and organizing them by what you use to get your work done.

Kyle Christensen

Kyle is the Brand Director at Red Branch Media.

Kyle leads our Graphic Design Department at Red Branch Media. His ability to manage incoming tasks, collaborate with the design team, hit deadlines and keep our file storage system well-organized has helped to shape the design department clients love today. While he’s away from the branch, he spends his time playing drums, video games, cranking the latest emo, pop-punk and screamo songs on Spotify, drinking local Omaha brews, and enjoying life with his wife. Kyle has a BASA with a Concentration in Graphic Design and a Minor in Art History from UNO.