Jeff Sheldon is the founder and designer of Ugmonk. A design brand under which he creates physical products like leather goods, prints and hoodies.
I stumbled across his work quite often (especially his stylishly designed ampersand) while searching for desks to publish on Desk Hunt.
Let’s take a look at his workspace.
Who are you and what do you do for a living?
I’m Jeff Sheldon and I’m the Founder and Designer of Ugmonk. I started Ugmonk back in 2008 as a passion project and creative outlet to design minimal, typographic shirts that I wanted to wear. Since then, it’s grown into a much larger design brand that I now run full-time. I’ve expanded the product range to over 100 different products including leather goods, prints, hoodies, and other accessories, and we’ve shipped products to customers in over 60 countries. With the support of our customers, we’ve also been able to provide over 40,000 meals to kids around the world through our annual Ugmonk Gives Back charity drive. You can read more about my story here.
Can you tell me something about your desk setup?
Thanks to technology we can work from almost anywhere. Though there are advantages of living in a big city, there are also advantages of being away from the chaos and having a quiet dedicated space to think and create. I spend most days in my home studio in the suburbs of Philadelphia and enjoy the distraction-free environment that’s just a few steps away from hiking trails and fresh air. I designed a space that fits my personal workflow and surround myself with things that inspire me. From giant wood signage to my grandfather’s vintage cameras to a simple white desk, everything in my space contributes to the aesthetic and style of my work. My favorite aspect of my current setup is the refreshing natural light from the windows that creates an ever-changing view as the seasons come and go.
Is there anything you would like to improve on this setup?
This is pretty much my ideal setup. It took me a while to get to this point, but now I have all of the tools and technology setup just the way I like it.
Do you switch workspaces during your day? If yes, what’s the reason behind it?
I spend most days at my desk in my home studio but also like to mix it up at work from my outdoor patio or go to a local coffee shop. Sometimes I can get in a rut sitting at my desk all day so moving to a new space with different surroundings can help me get in a different mindset. When I have writing to do, I like to work from my 11” MacBook air and go somewhere other than my desk to focus specifically on writing.
Can you tell us something about the items on your desk?
One of the objects that I keep on my desk is the brass brand that was created for the Ugmonk 2nd Anniversary Sets. This was used to brand the special wooden boxes that the tshirts were packaged in. Now it sits underneath my monitor and serves as a reminder of how far Ugmonk has come since it humble beginnings 7 years ago.
Is there something on your desk which helps you stay focused? What is it?
One of the main things that helps me stay focussed is writing down my tasks on index cards. I keep the card in front of me at my desk right below my monitor so that I can quickly glance at the main tasks for the day without having to switch to another application on my computer or phone. The small size of the card limits the amount of things that I can put on there for each day. Any uncompleted tasks get carried over to the next day’s card.
What kind of music do you listen to while working?
Some of my favorite artists recently are Ben Howard, Aurora, London Grammar, Joywave, James Blake, Snowmine.
Where do you see yourself and your desk in the next 5 years?
Eventually I may setup a separate studio space outside of my house once we have kids, but for now I enjoy the comforts of working from home. As Ugmonk continues to grow and we hire more people we might get a local office space where we can all work from together.
