8 Creative Tips for Ultimate Graphic Design Workspace

Graphic designing can be a demanding occupation. You often have to spend countless hours at your desk working on multiple projects. It is for this reason that you need to make the most out of your graphic design workspace. Whether you have to go into an office or have a home graphic design studio, you cannot neglect your workspace.

Considering the skills and motivation required for this job, you really want to get creative with your graphic design space. Are you trying to get creative with your area but are not quite sure how to combine convenience, comfort, originality, and style? You have nothing to fear; we are about to give you the ultimate guide to a creative and productive graphic designer workstation. 

Breaking Down Your Graphic Designer Office

When planning your workspace, you can divide it into four separate categories to help you figure out the theme you are going for. The ultimate graphic design workspace has a few must-have items. These four categories include:

1. Ergonomics

This includes your graphic designer desk, chair, computer, mouse, keyboard, and other office furniture and equipment.

2. Lighting

Does your workspace incorporate natural lighting, artificial lighting, or does your computer light provide all the light you need?

3. Organization 

The placement of your graphic designer desk and other equipment is essential. Do you have a system for organizing your files and wires?

4. Decoration  

Is your office or graphic design workspace decorated according to a specific color theme? Are you a plant person or not? The way you decorate your workspace can truly inspire and motivate you.

Pros of Setting Up Your Office According to These Categories

• Your productivity ratio is going to increase.
• Your energy levels and mood are improved.
• There are various health benefits associated with this method.
• Work is a more enjoyable process.

Cons of This Type of Workspace

• These can be quite costly.
• It is difficult to adopt all the recommendations if you have limited space. 

8 Creative Tips for the Ultimate Graphic Designer Workspace

What can you do to make your graphic design workspace more creative? You might want to take a closer look at this because this is where you spend most of your time coming up with great ideas and drinking multiple cups of coffee to keep your eyes open. The amount of time you spend at your desk is not ideal, but there are ways to make the most out of it. Our top seven creative tips for the ultimate graphic design workspace, which stem from the categories mentioned above, are:

1. Keep Your Environment Clean and Simple

People often associate creative workspaces with having a lot going on. This is not the case! A clean and clear mind can help you to tap into your creative side more effectively. You want everything in your space to have a purpose. Clutter most definitely does not serve a greater purpose. You want to have practical things around you. A fully functioning workspace is crucial to any graphic designer. Tidiness is functional!

2. Invest in Effective Technological Equipment and Gadgets

If you are in the graphic designing industry, you most likely play around with quite a few gadgets as they are beneficial to your work. Use your equipment to your advantage. For example, your MacBook probably helps you to get a great deal of work done; however, You could also use it to tap into your creative side. These all add a nice touch to your graphic design workspace, especially work from home environments.

3. Purchase a Sophisticated and Stylish Ergonomic Desk

Style and sophistication are something you are bound to find in a creative workspace. What better way is there to show sophistication than through the graphic designer desk you have? A standing desk is a must. There are so many different options to choose from. We recommend the  SmartDesk 2 (Standard).

The SmartDesk 2 (Standard) is versatile and is also going to help boost creativity. It perfectly fits all the demands of a graphic designer's job as it is used to bring out your creativity. 

4. Use a Modern and Adjustable Ergonomic Chair

It is 2022; we have all heard about ergonomic chairs. This is the perfect accessory for any creative as it enables you to focus purely on your work, which allows your creative juices to flow. Ergonomic chairs are customizable seats that enable you to work comfortably. They offer various physical and mental health benefits. Essentially, if you do not own one of these chairs, you need to reconsider your choices seriously. Take your productivity in the studio to an entirely different level with one of these products.

A few highly recommended office chairs are the ErgoChair Ultra and ErgoChair Pro by Autonomous.  

5. Add Plants to Your Workspace

Plants are a trendy addition to any place of work. This should come as no surprise. Nature brings out the creative side in so many people. Plants are known for their ability to add life to a space and inspire people. It just might be time to introduce some greenery to your office space design or studio.

6. Introduce Natural Lighting into Your Office or Studio

People often underestimate the impact of lighting. You may not realize it, but the light in your environment does affect your mood. Try to make room for as much natural lighting as possible. This means that you should try to find a space with a few windows. Artificial lighting, such as desk lamps, is also beneficial if your natural lighting is limited; however, always remember that nature is the best.  

7. Your Graphic Design Workspace

It is always important to consider the space you have to work with. As a graphic designer, you want to have your own studio with sufficient space. Due to the current situation we are living in, this is not always possible. If you have a home graphic design studio, having enough room could be a problematic factor. Take all the necessary steps to ensure that your workspace is going to enable you to be as productive and efficient as possible.

If you are a hybrid worker from home, you want to keep your workspace and rest space separate. Creativity does not flow in places that are associated with relaxation. Relaxation spaces should calm you down, whereas your workspace should motivate you to be productive and energetic.

Graphic Design Equipment

1. The Desk

Choosing the most suitable graphic designer desk is vital. One of the best tips is to invest in a standing desk. This is going to give you sufficient space to manage your desk the way you want to. You need to be able to switch between standing and sitting to get the most out of your design session. This could make all the difference in how you feel about your hours at work.  

Ergonomics plays a role in the type of desk you have as well. You want to place your hands at the level of your elbows or slightly below this. Place your monitor about 20 inches away from you. Avoid putting pressure on your wrists as this has negative impacts on your health in the long-run.

2. The Chair

Do you use an ergonomic chair? If not, it is time to upgrade. Graphic designing often requires countless hours sitting at your desk. You need a chair that offers support, customizability, comfort, and adjustability. You want a chair that fits into your graphic design workspace effortlessly. You want to be able to create for hours on end in this chair.

This type of seat makes setting up your workspace much more convenient.  

3. Laptop or Monitor

Working on your laptop or looking at your monitor for multiple hours a day is nothing new to office workers. Therefore, you should pay close attention to how you position these objects. You should set up the screen directly in front of you; it should also be placed at an arm’s length away from you. Additionally, the top of the screen must be at your eye level or slightly below this. People who wear glasses often have to adjust this slightly. It should be an extra inch or two lower for them.

Pay attention to the brightness of your screen or any surrounding sources. Do not have your monitor's brightness full as this could be quite harsh for your eyes. Your brightest source of light should be to the side of the monitor; hence, this is often a lamp.

As a graphic designer, you may find that you have to work with dual monitors on a regular basis. Setting up these is quite different from the normal process. Positioning depends on the work you do on each screen and how often you utilize each monitor. If you use both screens equally, place them next to each other at the same angle. The edges of the screens should be touching. Alternatively, if you use one screen approximately 80% of the time, place it directly in front of you. The other monitor can be placed off to the side.  If you need help with managing this, investing in a product such as the Autonomous monitor arm could be of great assistance.

4. Keyboard and Mouse

People often overlook the role of their keyboard and mouse; however, they do have a significant role in your graphic designer office, especially as a graphic designer. To keep your health in mind, you should place both objects at an even level and at the same height. Do not put them far away either. You should position the elbows in the right way, still keep them close to your body.  

You must maintain straight wrists while typing or using your mouse. Your hands should be at the same level as your wrists or slightly below. Upper arms need to remain close to your body at all times.  Do you know how to use the shortcuts on your keyboard? Learn how to do this so that you can avoid excessive use of your mouse, as this is bad for you.

5. Accessories

Accessories are classified as the objects or items that you use the most frequently. Since you use them often, you want them to be easy to reach. Examples include pencils, your phone, stationery, printer, and books, just to name a few. Your accessories depend on your office setup. For example, people who want a minimalist desk setup are not going to have the same accessories as someone who likes their decorations. 

Make sure that your accessories are going to benefit you, your graphic designer office and inspire creativity. While you want to be creative, you still need to avoid clutter. Specific desk accessories are vital for ensuring that you maximize your work performance. 

The Bottom Line

Your workspace is where all the magic happens, so you want to ensure that this is an area that can get your creative juices flowing. Simple adjustments such as the desk and chair you use can make a significant difference to your quality of work.

A graphic designer’s job is considered fun; your studio should speak to this as well. It is time to draw inspiration, get creative, and get to work in your new and improved graphic design office. There are always new setup tips for graphic designers tricks to learn when it comes to redecorating or setting up your space.