My Workspace

Inside Studio7 | written by Chris Allison | June 2, 2009 at 6:23 PM

As a web designer and business owner, it’s important that I have a comfortable and adequate spot to work in. Here’s my set up:

Dual, 19” Monitors
These flat screen monitors are mounted to the wall of my workspace so that they can be angled at anytime for maximum comfort. Dual monitors work great for multi tasking. For example, one might have their email open on one screen and their accounting software open on the other. A couple of my clients have implemented the dual monitor setup recently and one of them mentioned he’d “never go back” to just one monitor. He’s an accountant and business owner.

5.1 Surround Sound (Logitech Speakers and Subwoofer)
It sounds expensive although the entire set cost me very little at Newegg.com. The sound quality is amazing. 5.1 means there are five speakers and one subwoofer. The entire set is small and fits very well within my workspace.

Sirius Satellite Radio
Right on topic with the 5.1 surround sound, listening to the music of my choice can really put me in a good mood. Favorite stations? 90s on 9, The Pulse, The Message, and SIRIUS Hits 1 though I do enjoy a variety of music. The receiver I purchased is the Sportster 5. It’s an easy transfer from desk-to-car.

Logitech “Wave” Keyboard
This keyboard has a contoured wave-shaped key design which naturally fits your fingers. The uniform-size keys promote an ergonomically correct, more comfortable hand position. This Logitech keyboard looks nice, feels nice, and has handy controls such as volume and shortcuts. When the phone rings, the keyboard’s MUTE button comes in handy.

Logitech Mouse
Nothing too fancy, this mouse is actually a gaming mouse (although I do not use it for that purpose). There are three sensitivity settings (which are further customizable through my PC’s control panel). In addition, this Logitech mouse comes with mini weights which you can load the mouse with according to your preference.

Studio7 Mouse Pad
Of course, I must promote my own brand to myself and those around me each day. What better way than to have a red Studio7 mouse pad?

Black Glass Desk
From Office Depot, this desk is the perfect size. While the black glass does look nice, it is also hard to keep spotless. Conveniently, this desk includes a rack for my desktop PC. The only thing I could ask for would be a curve into the desk so that I could slide my chair closer in—that would add a lot of comfort.

Task Chair
Simple, yes. Comfortable, I guess. Prior to this black task chair, I used a “manager’s chair” which had arm rests. While it was comfortable, the manager’s chair caused a bit of laziness and the armrests prevented me from reaching my desk comfortably. With this task chair, it’s easy to slide away from the desk and put various papers into their folders.

Backup Drive
According to DTI, 70% of businesses that suffer a major data loss are out of business within 18 months. For this reason, I utilize a 640 GB backup drive which is both reliable and sleek. As a side note, we backup our work in multiple locations.

Wrapping It Up

Multi-tasking is much easier with dual monitors. Two is better than one. The other items I possess add comfort to my own workspace. While some are essential (the keyboard), others are not (Sirius satellite radio).

If you’re at your computer three or more hours a day, I suggest investing in a little comfort. The way you feel impacts the way you work.