Arthur Chang is the CEO and co-founder of Priime. An iPhone photo editor app which allows you to add filters created by todays top photographers. Let’s take a look at his home office desk.
Who are you and what do you do for a living?
I am the CEO and co-founder of Priime, as well as a commercial photographer.
With Priime, we pride ourselves as photographers working on products that make the things we’ve experienced throughout our lives, accessible to a broader audience. I help develop our iOS app, backend services, and do all that’s necessary to keep our product moving forward. I also get to hang out with my fellow photography friends on a daily basis as part of our work.
As a photographer, I’ve worked in many different areas, including weddings, portraits, events, commercial, and product. I’ve also helped produce photo shoots on occasion as well. Some notable clients include, Land Rover and Paypal.
Can you tell me something about your desk setup?
My desk is where I spend most of my time. The one pictured is my home office, where I work nights and weekends, and occasionally during the week day when I’m working from home. Because of this, I decided to spend good amount of effort setting the desk up to be both photogenic and functional (in that order).
The desk I chose was to have subtle feelings of elegance with simplicity. The Herman Miller Airia desk was perfect for that. Walnut is probably my favorite type of wood, and the white perfectly balances it all out. The desk is super sturdy, and it feels like I can pass this down for generations.
I added my fully loaded iMac 27”, Grovemade walnut keyboard tray, an Audioengine A2+ with S8 subwoofer system, and a simple Xenographica air plant to give some life to it all.
Is there anything you would like to improve on this setup?
I think it’s totally dialed in.
Do you switch workspaces during your day? If yes, what’s the reason behind it?
Not pictured is my Herman Miller Embody chair. While it’s very comfortable, I feel like it’s too comfortable sometimes. I switch it up with a simple exercise ball through the day. I also have an office for Priime where my desk setup is slightly different.
I like to stay active, and spend a good amount of time at the gym and on the basketball court. Being too still in a chair for too long is definitely hard to do for me.
Can you tell us something about the items on your desk?
Above the desk hung three posters that are very meaningful. Y Combinator’s mantra, “Make something people want” sits in the middle, as a limited edition print by Alvy Brooks for a Watsi campaign. Two of my startups have gone through the Y Combinator investment program, including Priime, and I owe a lot to what I know to the experiences and the fantastic founders and investors I’ve become friends with through that.
I have a love for air plants, they’re not only easy to take care of (just dip in water once or twice a week), but they photograph really well. As a photographer and working with photography apps, I have to definitely take a lot of photos, sometimes quick test photos near where I am. What better subject than an air plant with good light!
What are you doing to stay focused?
Working on Priime is so relevant to what I love, it’s almost impossible not to be focused. Everything we build is for ourselves and for our friends, that excitement alone brings effortless focus all day and night.
Is there something on your desk which helps you stay focused? What is it?
The environment my desk is in is key. Not only does it give off a calm feel, but it frames the work I do on my computer. Whether it’s code, or editing photos, surrounding the screen with a beautiful clean look really makes a difference.
What was your latest self improvement experiment?
Drinking more water. Not that exciting I guess. Staying hydrated has really changed my health in the past few months. I used to drink just enough water to not be thirsty. I was constantly fighting dehydration without knowing it throughout the day. I work out every day to varying degrees, and my muscles and body started to cramp and take longer and longer to recover. I found that with the right amount of water, everything started balancing out.
Where do you see yourself and your desk in the next 5 years?
I see myself in 5 years as a very hydrated photographer / CEO of a company that I’ve been growing for the last 5 years!
