Refining My Modular Work-From-Home Setup: A Designer's Journey
As a web designer based in Bristol, I’ve had to rethink my workspace entirely over the past couple of years. Working from home has become more crucial than ever, especially after Covid changed the way we approach our day-to-day work. Balancing work between the studio and home presents unique challenges, but with the right setup, I’ve managed to keep things seamless.
When I was living on a farm in Mid Wales, I’d constantly run into issues while working from home. From family interruptions (usually with a cuppa in hand) to messy backgrounds and poor camera quality—it just didn’t scream “professional.” Now that I’m in Bristol and my work is a hybrid of studio and home, I’ve refined my setup to bridge the gap between both environments.
Here’s a look at what I’ve put together to ensure my home office functions just as well as the studio, while still giving me the flexibility to take it on the road.
1. Modular Setup for Flexibility
I’m often on the road, whether it’s hosting web design workshops or meeting clients. Having a traditional desktop setup just wasn’t cutting it anymore. During lockdown, I was using a wide-screen Mac desktop, which worked well when I wasn’t leaving the house. But post-lockdown, that became impractical.
I’ve since invested in a Mac laptop in clamshell mode, which means I can take my work anywhere. To address the limitations of the laptop’s screen size, I added a large gaming monitor both at home in Bristol and in my studio in Builth Wells. This allows me to have two screens when working from home—one for switching between different projects, and the other for focusing on finer details.
This setup has been particularly helpful when working on illustration projects, such as the farming training books I’m currently designing. The ability to flick between different assets on one screen while focusing on intricate details on the larger monitor makes the process so much smoother.
My Brains Chalkboard setup (Yes... I have a lot of Daleks)
Remarkable Tablet 2 Sketches.
2. Chalkboards vs. Digital Tools
One of the staples of the Pixelhaze studio is our chalkboards, which we use to jot down ideas, sketch designs, and collaborate visually. As a kid, I got in trouble for drawing on the walls, but now at Pixelhaze, we encourage it! However, I’m currently renting, so covering my walls in chalkboard paint isn’t the best idea if I want my deposit back.
Instead, I’ve found a couple of workarounds. First, I use a Remarkable 2 tablet, which acts as a digital sketchpad. It’s lightweight, the battery lasts forever, and it gives me that satisfying pen-on-paper feel without the hassle of carrying notebooks around.
For bigger brainstorming sessions at home, I’ve upcycled an old pub skittles board I found in Cardiff. This board now hangs in my bedroom and functions as my chalkboard. It’s been great for sketching out wireframes and getting those initial ideas down before diving into web design projects. Plus, the "Brains" branding on the board ties in nicely with our approach to creative problem-solving!
3. Upgrading the Camera and Audio Setup
Another issue I faced while working from home was the background clutter. Let’s face it, having laundry or an unmade bed in the background doesn’t exactly scream “professional.” So, I upgraded my camera setup with an Ozbod webcam, which I positioned to focus on the skittles board.
This camera is fantastic because it tracks movement, zooms in, and even pans across the room—all with simple hand gestures. It’s like having your own personal cameraman. Whether I’m sitting at my desk or explaining ideas on the board, I can seamlessly switch between tasks without touching the computer.
For audio, I initially played around with Yeti microphones, but I found they produced too much feedback and echo. I’ve since switched to a Shure microphone on a flexible arm. It’s great because I can stretch it over to wherever I’m working, and it gives a clear, professional sound during calls and live streams.
Books I own, and some I've published. Including the 'Farmer in Training' series by Green Wellies.
4. Creating a Visual Space
Lastly, I wanted to make my home office visually appealing. I’ve set up an IKEA shelf to display some of my favourite design books and knick-knacks I’ve collected throughout my career. It adds a personal touch and makes for a much more interesting background during calls and live streams.
Books like A Smile in the Mind and Atomic Habits are always close at hand for inspiration. This also comes in handy when Elwyn and I run our live streams for Pixelhaze’s YouTube channel—having an organised, visually appealing space makes all the difference!
Interested in a web design workshop or just want to chat about setups?
Feel free to drop me a message and let’s get your project off the ground with our web design workshops.
