As you might know, I’m a big fan of minimalistic setups. And after sifting through hundreds of pictures on Instagram I stumbled upon Evan’s setup and knew I wanted to add this one to the Desk Hunt family.
Let’s take a look.
Who are you and what do you do for a living?
I’m Evan and I’m a student. I come from a small rural community in Indiana, but am currently enrolled at Purdue University studying Business and Entrepreneurship. With this degree, I hope to either start my own business soon after I graduate or, with my additional interests in all things design, become a Product Designer or Product Manager for a tech company in the Valley.
Can you tell me something about your desk setup?
My desk is one of a kind, you won’t find anything else exactly like it. The wood is a 20+ year old Amish crafted kitchen counter top that had sat in my parents garage for 16 years. It’s solid as a rock, and looks pretty neat! It’s also a staggering 7 feet long! Although the desk itself is tried-and-true, the contents that sit on it are ever changing. I take things off and add things back every week, it keeps my work space interesting and I just genuinely like reorganizing my living areas quite often. Although, I do like to keep it as minimalistic as possible. This is why you see no drawers or excess stuff. You may however notice things shift or get replaced entirely. I recently added the massive Berlin print, which is my favorite city. I also like to switch out, add, and remove plants from the desk throughout the month.
Is there anything you would like to improve on this setup?
I would like to upgrade my speakers eventually to some Definitive Technology Incline Audiophile Desktop Speakers, but as a self-proclaimed minimalist I try to limit my possessions as much as possible.
Do you switch workspaces during your day? If yes, what’s the reason behind it?
Quite often. I am a student on the go. I actually split my time between my home, which is where this desk is, to my apartment on campus, where I have another setup entirely, which is much less impressive. I also work on my Macbook in class.
Can you tell us something about the items on your desk?
The first thing you’ll notice is the 5K iMac paired with a Apple’s Keyboard and Trackpad (I also JUST upgraded to the new “Magic” peripherals and they are awesome!). I also use the Logitech Z623 2.1 Speaker System. That is all the equipment you will see on my desk! Besides maybe the new Macbook from time to time.
The most noticeable thing is probably the Berlin print. This is my favorite print of my favorite city. It’s a “Studio Esinam Berlin Elevations” print that I got as a gift from my girlfriend. Truly my favorite piece on my desk.
What are you doing to stay focused?
Staying focused is very difficult in college, but I find my minimalist lifestyle works very well to keep distractions at bay. Looking at my desk you can see that I have a very small amount of items on it and everything is very clean and organized. Nothing is around to distract me.
Is there something on your desk which helps you stay focused? What is it?
Plants. I can’t stress this enough. Plants keep you joyful, relaxed, and if you get the right ones, they are easy and fun to take care of. Replace your phone with a plant, replace your Nintendo 3DS with a plant, replace that Rubics cube with a plant and you will not only feel better, but you will have less distractions on your desk.
What was your latest self improvement experiment?
Minimalism - I have taken up this lifestyle and have removed hundreds of items from my life. I used to be a borderline hoarder, but since I have paired down my items to essentials only, I have eliminated much stress from my life and made room for the things that truly matter.
Where do you see yourself and your desk in the next 5 years?
I hope to be graduated from college and moved away from the small towns in Indiana to either San Fransisco, California or Austin, Texas. I do hope to keep a little piece of the country with me by taking the desk with me on the move.
