To quote an unlikely source, Mr. Jughead Jones, “I’m a weirdo.” My desk is something that I put a lot of time and thought into. Whether I’m working on a video, working on updates for Bit Buddy, or my actual day job, countless hours are spent sitting at my desk. Much like everyone else, I want the area where I spend the bulk of my time to be warm and inviting, not cold and depressing. I’ve written about how no desk setup is ever truly complete, but it’s true. New products are always being tested and new ideas are always being tried out. My last article of additions was pretty tame, but the additions I made this time have elevated my workspace to new heights — and opened a door to new ideas.
Improved Ergonomics
Speaking of elevation, the first order of business was to try to add depth to the space. Before, the desk was bare bones, just the flat surface of the desktop and the legs. Initially, I planned on going all in on the Grovemade desk shelf, but I’m not insane, so I pivoted. Don’t get me wrong, I still bought a desk shelf, but not a $250+ one. After some searching on Amazon, I quickly found this desk shelf. While it doesn’t have Grovemade’s snazzy-looking Shelf System, for me, this is everything I wanted it to be. It does a great job of providing some dimension to the desk and removes that hideous amount of empty space I previously had. The shelf top is now where the HomePod mini and MagSafe charger live, along with SD cards, AirPods, and Mach 4. Underneath the shelf, I have some notebooks, pens, and The Brains.
Integration between iPhone and Mac is great, especially with Continuity Camera. The feature itself is great, but I can’t stand having to use my lightning cable (iPhone 12 Pro) to connect it to my computer — especially when I use it for app development. For whatever reason The Brains can’t connect to the camera wirelessly, and the mount I was using to secure the phone didn’t instill me with the most confidence. I decided to pick up the Anker PowerConf C200 video webcam, and I’ve been absolutely loving it. Having a dedicated webcam makes the setup feel more complete, and with the more secure mount and dedicated privacy switch, I can’t recommend this webcam enough. It’s a little bulky, and the Anker Works app isn’t the greatest, but the quality more than justifies the size.
Another addiction of mine, it seems, is finding the perfect desk mat. This time, however, I think I found the one. When I purchased my last desk mat (a simple leather one), I knew it was a stopgap until I found a decent-looking and well-reviewed felt mat. That only took about five minutes, but what took longer was the procrastination. A desk mat isn’t a sexy or alluring addition, but I’m glad I finally bit the bullet. My desk isn’t cold to the touch anymore, and the mat is, above all, comfortable. I honestly think I’ve spent more time at my desk in part because of this desk mat.
An Unintended Side Effect
An unintended consequence of the desk shelf is the obsession I developed with having the items underneath the shelf even with the legs. I know, it’s insane, but I can’t help it. To help make The Brains more flush with the wall and shelf, I picked up a bunch of 90-degree adapters for all of the ports on the back of the machine. This way, cables run down and not straight out into the wall. This has allowed me to set the computer further back under the shelf, achieving my dreams (not really, sort of). This project was admittedly more expensive than I was planning, and I’m having a hard time justifying the price. I can’t lie, though, having The Brains even with the shelf is pretty good lookin’.
Conclusion
I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it, desk setups, especially mine, are never complete. There are always changes, some bigger than others. I think the additions I made to my desk this go around fall somewhere in the middle. Still no storage situation upgrade in this round of updates unless you count my recent Time Capsule addition. But these additions to the setup have made things look much better, allowing me to better focus on work and keep the growing cable collection at bay. The next set of upgrades has already been charted and earmarked, and those upgrades will be coming faster than you think. Probably.