Office Essentials for the Graphic Designer.
In my journey spanning over 11 years as a graphic designer, I understand the essential tools and workspace setup needed to thrive in the field. Whether you're a seasoned designer or just embarking on your creative career, crafting the perfect workspace can significantly impact your productivity and creativity. Here are some tried-and-true office essentials that I've discovered along the way.
Stand-up desk - This desk if a game changer. Our bodies and backs deserve to be treated with kindness and this desk does just that.
Monitor - If you don’t want or need to buy an apple monitor this is a great option. I have been using this one for a year now. I love that it charges my laptop when it’s plugged into it.
Keyboard - The magic keyboard is the best. I use this one. My only complaint is that the keys aren’t as slick or easy to press as the magic.
Ergonomic chair - I don’t think I need to explain this one. :)
Printer - A printer is a must. It’s helpful to check your spelling and see what it looks like on paper in actual size. This is obviously for smaller projects like stationery, business cards, notecards, etc.
External back-up drive - Back up your work. You can also move old client work to this drive to free up space on your computer and keep your files clean, relevant and organized.
Adobe Creative Cloud - No explanation needed here.
Earbuds - For phone calls or to listen to music and zone in on your work. There is another more expensive noise cancelling option.
Dotted notebook - These dotted notebooks help keep your sketches straight and proportionate.
Felt tip Sharpie pen - I love these pens for sketching logo designs. They show up well when you scan them to the computer and need to trace in Illustrator.
Pantone color books - I highly recommend the bridge guides coated and uncoated. As a graphic designer it is important to see what the color equivalents look like in CMYK & RGB as you’ll most likely be designing for print and digital.
Laptop riser - A riser helps to bring your laptop screen higher so it’s easier to see and use along side your monitor.
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