My Multi-Computer WFH Productivity Desk Setup as a Software Engineer and YouTuber

I live in Manhattan in NYC, work as a software engineer, and run a YouTube channel in my free time. I have an 8x8 office with no windows that I've worked remotely in for the last 4 years.

Here we'll dive into how I've set it up to maximize space and productivity.

Office Goals

First a few goals my office has:

• Simple - Relatively easy to create and reproduce with available materials. We move apartments semi regularly and I often want to try out a new piece of equipment so being simple makes it easier to change.
• Ergonomic - Feels good to use for several hours each day. I'm usually at my desk for 8 hours a day so want to avoid as many issues as possible.
• Productive - Handles my most common tasks efficiently so I can stay productive and reduce frustration.

In short, a Simple Scalable System to support my daily creative work long-term.

Office Usecases

This is a home office that must support several different creative endeavors:

• Personal + Work - I have both a personal and work computer I use so employ a KVM switch to make it easy to switch which computer is attached to my monitors / peripherals.
• Coding + Writing - I use a vertical monitor for my primary workloads, horizontal for my secondary.
• YouTube Videos - I make a lot of programming videos so my office doubles as a recording studio with a camera, mic, and light.
• Extra Storage - Our apartment is not very big so I'm already pretty lucky to get this much space for my office. The compromise is I hold a lot of small things in storage - printer, extra cords and electronics, boxes, paper supplies, etc.

Desk Setup

My monitors are arranged with a vertical monitor in the center, horizontal monitor on the right side, and room for a laptop on the left. I've found this setup to be very ergonomic and productive for my primary creative outlets.

• Middle vertical monitor - My primary editor. Usually code or a document I'm writing. I find it helps keeps me focused on the main output.
• Right horizontal monitor - Primary references. Typically a page of notes on the left and whatever I'm looking up on the right.
• Left laptop area - For my work laptop. Usually just has tabs I want to go back to regularly like an open ticket I'm waiting on or a PR I'm working on.

For more on this: 3 Ways Vertical Monitors Boost Focus and Productivity for Software Engineers.

Common Features

• Desk - Uplift Standing Desk V2 Commercial, 60x30. I don't use the standing functionality really but I like it to allow adjustments in height when I'm seated. Sometimes I like my seat lower and sometimes higher so desk adjustments help make that possible.
• Chair - Herman Miller Aeron B Medium. Expensive but pretty comfy. My guess is there probably are better and more comfortable chairs out there for less price but this is the best I could find a few years ago and I'm pretty happy with it. I will say that I can't sit in it for more than 4 hours without getting up but maybe that's a good thing?
• Mouse - Logitech MX Master 3S. My favorite mouse by far. Feels good, not too big, has scroll wheels and forward / back buttons, and can recharge with usb-c. I have 3 of these (desk, laptop, backpack) and haven't found a better mouse.
• Keyboard - Keychron Q1 Max with knob and Gateron Jupiter Banana keys. I like the 65% keyboard layout and volume knob on this model. I found a cool colorway and was experimenting with different keyboard keys to try and find the right amount of "thock". I love the thock on this one although I think it would annoy most people - it's pretty loud and you can hear it on my calls / videos when I'm typing a lot.
• Monitors - My monitors aren't anything special really. What I like about them is that they're medium size with 1440p - this makes them large enough to fit my screens but not too big to be cumbersome while high def enough for their size while not so high def that they may cause perf issues. I currently have a Dell S2721D 27 inch and a Dell S2722DGM 27 inch. Not super attached to either but they're p good and I've been happy with them.
• Chargers - I have an Anker 60W 5-port desktop charger that I keep plugged in with one of each charger I frequently use - USB-C, micro USB, and my Garmin Fenix 7 watch's special charger. This makes it easy to charge whatever needs charging - my headphones, watch, mouse, etc.
• KVM Switch - The goal of my desk setup is to be the ultimate productivity workstation. But I also work with multiple computers so need a way to swap out which one is connected to my workstation. Over time I've found a KVM switch is the best way to do this with limited hassle. I currently use the TESmart USB 3.0 KVM Switch - it's pretty solid and reliable and has held up over the last 5 years. I have explored a few other switches over the years but haven't found a better one yet.
• Cord Management - I bought a pack of velcro organization straps years ago and that's mostly what I use for cord management. It's not the prettiest but is pretty easy to tie / untie cord groups so I like the functionality.
• Air Monitor - Aranet 4 Home. I got one of these on a whim about a year ago and quickly discovered I was regularly suffocating myself when I had the door to my office closed. Now I usually keep the door and a window open to help improve airflow and I think it's helped a lot!
• Journal - Leuchtturm 1917 A5 with 120g paper and a Pilot Precise V5 RT pen. While most of what I do is on the computer I still like pen and paper for journaling / sketching out thoughts. It helps me get it out of my head quickly and I enjoy the tactile feel.
• Surge Protector - Tripp Lite 12 Outlet Surge Protector. Modern electricity management is pretty good so this is probably overkill. However I do have $1ks of equipment in my office so think it's worthwhile to invest in protection for it. I love this thing and it has a lot of outlets which is useful for my desk.
• Noise Cancelling Headphones - Bose QuietComfort Headphones. Our apartment is small which means little separation between rooms which means sound carries - when my partner is on the phone or watching tv or there's construction in the building. So I find noise-cancelling headphones to be useful even when at home. I've been happy with the Bose QC line for the past several years - there may be better ones out there but these have been solid for me.
• Water Bottle - Hydro Flask 32 oz Aluminum Wide Cap. It's important to stay hydrated - a large part of being productive is just doing the boring things that keep you healthy and energized. I always have a water bottle with me and my daily driver has been this lightweight water bottle that doesn't spill.

Personal Computer

Because I have a KVM switch, the only thing I need for my personal stuff is the computer hooked up to it.

• Personal Computer - Lenovo Legion Tower 5i Gen 8. Handles all workloads I throw at it. Fan of Lenovo for its good price:performance ratio and reliability. I do run Windows with WSL (Linux) for development. I like Windows cause gives me access to all consumer software (including ability to play games) while still get niceties of Linux for coding.

Work Computer

If I've got my perfect desk setup for my personal computer, I might as well use the same setup for my work computer. This setup minimizes effort for switching over and allows me to use the same exact peripherals I enjoy with the work computer.

• Work Computer - Usually a Macbook of some sort. Currently running a 14 inch Macbook Pro M4.
• Laptop Stand - Roost Laptop Stand. Use it to hold my laptop at an ergonomic height. Also folds up so really portable - I sometimes will pack it when I need to work from an office for awhile.

Recording Studio

Video recording can be a huge pain to setup so I try to minimize effort by having everything ready to go when I need it. This makes it much easier to get started which I find increases the likelihood I actually make a video.

Now there are some tradeoffs here because I'm optimizing for simplicity over end quality but I find this tradeoff makes sense for me and my hobby.

• Camera - Sony ZV-1 II. Nice little camera. I have a usb cord to keep it charged and a mini HDMI for porting the video out.
• Mic - Blue Yeti Mic. Tried a few different mics over the years but Blue Yeti remains my go-to - solid and easy to setup.
• Mic Stand - Rode PSA1 Swivel Mount Studio Boom Arm. Pretty good. Attaches to my desk and can swivel it in / out as I need.
• Capture Card - Elgato HD60 S+. I don't do anything that intense so the capture card is a bit overkill for me, but nice to convert my video to usb so I can use it in either computer. (I'm p sure this is not best practice but works for me).
• Light - Elgato Key Light. I like how small and targeted it is so I don't have to fuss with it much and it fits nicely behind my desk.
• Camera and Light Stands - Elgato Flex Arm which makes it easy to attach and move stuff.

Next

So that's how I've setup my desk for WFH productivity as a software engineer. It works for me but it may not work for you and that's okay - everyone's preferences will be a little different.

What is important is be mindful about what is and isn't working for you and making little tweaks over time to see if you can find something better.

If you liked this post you might also like:

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