Calm and Creative Desk Setup in Canada

Name: JuSong B.

Location: Canada

Occupation: Product Designer

Room size: 18 m² (194 ft²)

Cost of setup: ~5-6,5K CAD ($3,4-$4,5K)

Social media: Instagram, TikTok, X, Bluesky

Hello! Tell us a bit about yourself

Hi! My name is JuSong. I was born in South Korea, grew up in Mexico, and currently live in Canada.

I’ve always considered myself someone who’s creative and loves to express themselves through learning, creating, and sharing their interests in this fast-paced technological era.

I’ve been a Product Designer for almost three years, focusing on designing both the user experience and user interface for websites and applications at my company.

I’ve always been drawn to trying things I like, so naturally, I leaned towards my interests.

As an avid fan of technology, I studied Computer Science and learned the fundamentals of software engineering and programming.

However, even though I finished my degree and was on track to get a software engineering job, I realised that spending five hours trying to centre a button was certainly not my calling.

Things took a turn when I took an Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction course.

I realised there was a path where I could focus entirely on the design aspect while still applying my Computer Science background.

Having received offers to be either a software engineer or a product designer, I decided to follow my gut and pursue design — and I haven’t looked back since!

Outside of being a product designer, I usually express myself and share my projects through different mediums, most recently music.

You could say I’m currently in my “music era” and have released two original songs (so far!) on various streaming platforms.

Depending on when this interview is released, my latest song Let It Snow — a fresh rendition of a classic holiday song — by me (JuSong) and Rein, will be available on all streaming platforms.

If you have Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube and like indie music, feel free to give my songs a listen — I’d really appreciate it! :^)

(You can search for “JuSong” on streaming platforms, and I should hopefully appear, lol.)

Take us through your setup

I have a standing desk, currently made of an IKEA KARLBY tabletop, and an Ergo Frame.

I use both a PC and a MacBook, so whenever I need to switch between them, I use a docking station and a USB hub.

I rotate between sitting on my Steelcase Leap V2 office chair — with an ErgoFoam footrest not to keep my feet dangling — and standing up while I work.

Under my desk shelf, I keep my audio interface and keyboard handy for when I’m working on music.

I wanted to make my workspace as cosy as possible.

It definitely wasn’t before. I used to have just an IKEA desk someone gave away and a foldable chair.

During COVID, I realised I’d be working at my desk a lot more, so I slowly started gathering pieces to build the setup I have today.

My workspace evolution spanned five years and went through the following iterations:

• MICKE Desk
• ALEX drawer with ANFALLARE tabletop
• ALEX drawer with KARLBY tabletop
• Ergo Desk Frame with the KARLBY tabletop

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Maker StationsMakers

What’s your favourite item on your desk?

I would probably say my mechanical keyboard.

It’s been a fun journey setting it up and accessorising the look and feel.

I fell deep into the mechanical keyboard rabbit hole, learning about different layouts, keycaps, switches, frames, and more.

It made me truly appreciate how much I rely on a keyboard.

Plus, there’s something incredibly gratifying about tuning and styling it to match my vibe — and changing it whenever I please.

How to Customise a Mechanical Keyboard

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Maker StationsMakers

I totally get why people end up building multiple keyboards, and I’ve been tempted… but I really can’t justify building another one when this one is already perfectly functional and great!

What apps or tools do you use to get things done?

Need to design? Figma.

Wow, I just love Figma so much.

I use it whenever I’m working on prototypes and wireframes, creating a mood board for my creative projects, or quickly making a vector logo or icon.

Need to draw, design thumbnails, or create logos? Procreate on my iPad feels like magic. With the Apple Pencil, it makes my life so much easier.

It feels incredibly natural and does everything I need.

Video editing? Final Cut Pro has me covered. I haven’t felt the need for anything more.

What about music? Logic Pro to the rescue. Still overwhelming compared to GarageBand, but powerful and surprisingly accessible!

What I really love about these tools is how seamless and intuitive my workflow feels.

The Apple ecosystem — as much as I get the dangers of relying on one company — man, they do such a good job with it.

And the best part? They’re all either a one-time purchase or free — a blessing in a subscription-infested world. (Looking at you, Adobe.)