Having all of your essential tools and equipment on your desk can make you more productive at work. If you’re an engineer and looking to amp up your engineer’s workspace, then this article is for you. We’ll provide you with tips on the best desk setup for engineers and cover the ideal mix of technical and non-technical items for a professional engineer’s desk setup.
Knowing where to start when creating a functional desk isn’t always easy. This article will equip you with everything you need to know to create the best engineer’s setup and ensure that your desk and supplies are conducive to an optimal work environment.
What Makes an Engineer’s Desk Setup Effective?
To make an engineer’s desk setup effective, several criteria must be considered. These include your job duties, work environment, task load, and preferred storage options. Whether you want to become a software engineer, civil engineer, or mechanical engineer, your office desk space should make you more productive in the following ways.
It Takes Your Daily Job Duties Into Consideration
Your technical engineering job duties and other daily job duties are important to consider when planning your desk setup. The key to a productive work environment is having easy access to the tools you need on a daily basis. Make a list of the furniture, extra desk accessories, and technical and non-technical equipment you will require for your day-to-day work.
All of these items can be bought at a fairly cheap price. Consider your budget and prioritize tools that will make it easier to discharge your professional duties and help your engineering team. These could be things such as a mechanical keyboard, a powerful desktop, a dual monitor setup, a cable clutter organizer, or multiple laptops.
It Takes Your Physical Well-Being Into Consideration
The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the work environment for most desk-based professionals into a remote or a hybrid environment. Although an online office has become the norm, allowing employees to work from home, sitting for long periods of time is no different at home than at the office and can have negative effects on your physical health.
This especially applies to those with a desk profession such as a software engineer. Spending hours sitting at a desk or on a couch with little back support can impact your health in various ways. An ergonomic office chair, an L-shaped desk, dual monitors, or even an adjustable standing desk can significantly reduce any health risks for your eyesight, spine, and back.
It Takes Your Mental Health Into Consideration
Your mental health affects your productivity. Your engineer’s desk should be set up in a way that makes you happy and comfortable. According to a 2022 Statista survey on remote work struggles, 25 percent of respondents stated that they had trouble unplugging from their remote jobs.
Having your work desk set up in a dedicated area or room, or even using a separate computer for leisure, is a great way to distance yourself from work after you finish your day. Additionally, setting up your desk in a well-lit area that you’ve decorated with desk accessories such as plants, desk toys, and pictures can boost your mood and productivity, helping you avoid burnout.
How to Create an Engineer Desk Setup: 5 Top Tips
Set Up Your Desk to Match Your Engineering Profession
A day in the life of an engineer will vary significantly depending on your specific job designation. Software engineers and data science engineers, for example, use primarily computer and technology tools while civil, electrical, hardware, or mechanical engineers use a greater variety of physical equipment.
Your desk should facilitate your regular job tasks. For a software engineer, a desk with a quality keyboard, external monitor, desktop cooling systems, and ergonomic chair will be more useful than a civil site engineer’s desk setup, with its drawing sheets, design-friendly computers, hard hats, and clutter-free surface for project blueprint analysis.
Keep a Water Bottle and a Snack Close By
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the typical work schedule of civil engineers is full-time and involves physical inspections and structural-based projects. Staying hydrated and fed is important for avoiding physical exhaustion, so keeping a water bottle and snack at your desk is a good idea, even for those working less physically intense jobs.
Place Your Desk in an Area With Great Natural Lighting
According to a 2021 mental health report by Mind Share Partners, 76 percent of survey respondents experienced negative mental health symptoms. This number is due in large part to the isolation caused by the current pandemic, but the ideal desk setup can go a long way towards improving your mental health.
Natural lighting can boost cognitive performance and improve your mood. Setting up your desk in an area with good natural lighting will have a positive impace on your energy and mood levels, allowing you to do your engineering job better. If you don’t have access to a space with lots of natural light, investing in a desk lamp can be helpful.
Have Ample Space for Your Computers and Engineering Accessories
A cluttered desk and workspace can hinder your productivity. This tip is especially important for engineers who make paper sketches and evaluate project blueprints. You should invest in an L-shaped desk so that you have ample space for your monitors, keyboard, work notebooks, and cables. You can also invest in storage cabinets or a desk with extra storage space.
Invest in Essential Technical Engineering Items
The best desk setup for engineers requires both functional and technical items. If you want to become a cyber security engineer, for example, then you’ll need an external monitor, HDMI adapter, and wireless network monitoring tools. If you’re a mechanical engineer, a graphing calculator, screwdriver, and ohmmeter will suit your setup well.
5 Things You Should Invest In When Designing Your Engineer’s Workspace
Below is a list of five technical and non-technical items you should invest in when designing your engineer’s workspace, which will help you create an optimal desk setup. Before buying any of these, make sure you know which of these are higher priorities for your specific role.
Technical Items to Consider
- Hardware engineering tools. If you belong to an engineering profession that primarily involves hardware, then you should include hardware tools on your desk. This applies to mechanical, computer, civil, and electrical engineers. Be sure to add machine tools, calculators, measurement tools, and isolators to your desk.
- Mechanical keyboard. This technical item is best suited for engineers whose tasks are primarily computer-based. Investing in a mechanical keyboard can help you avoid typing mistakes and provide you with a more comfortable typing experience. Mechanical keyboards generally last longer than non-mechanical ones.
- Dual monitors. This technical item is perfect for software, machine learning, or cyber security engineers who spend their time working on computer programs. Having dual monitors will allow you to have your communication channels and software programs accessible simultaneously.
- Powerful computers. If you are an independent contractor or a self-employed software or design-based engineer, having a powerful computer is a must. Computers with powerful spec such as high-end graphics processing units, solid-state drives (SSDs), and lots of RAM are best for efficiency at work.
- External laptop cooling fan. Engineering jobs typically require you to spend a huge amount of time working on a computer. If you primarily work on a laptop rather than a desktop, investing in an external laptop cooling fan is a great idea to prevent your laptop from overheating.
Non-Technical Items to Consider
- Ergonomic chair. Long hours of sitting in one place can cause back issues. Investing in an ergonomic desk chair will provide you with posture support and a proper backrest and headrest, which will help you maintain a healthy back. You can adjust an ergonomic chair’s seat height for optimal lumbar support.
- A small plant. According to an article by the Public Health Reports, plants provide great benefits to office spaces. Adding a small indoor plant is a great aesthetic and practical addition to your engineering workspace. This will cheer up your mood while also providing you with fresher air to breathe.
- L-shaped desk. Your engineering job requires you to have a multitude of items on your desk at all times, and a single small desk won’t suffice. An L-shaped desk will provide you with ample space to store all of your items.
- Cable organizer. The combination of your computer monitors, mouse, keyboard, cooling fans, and external USB ports require a ton of cables and make your space disorganized. You can purchase an organizer to arrange all of your cables neatly in a confined space.
- Extra storage space. If you have a ton of documents and supplies, investing in external storage space is a good idea. You can purchase small shelves or drawers to organize all your physical items and avoid having a cluttered desk.
Creating the Best Engineer’s Workspace
Creating the best engineer’s workspace requires you to consider a multitude of criteria, including your job tasks, personal preferences, and logistics. If you have a software or computer-based engineering job, then powerful computers, cooling fans, external monitors, and high-quality keyboards are optimal.
If you have a hardware-based or a site-based engineering job, then having hardware toolkits, drawing charts, hard hats, and markers on your desk is essential. A large desk, an indoor plant, a water bottle, extra storage space, and an ergonomic chair are beneficial to any working professional. The best engineer’s workspace is one that will cater perfectly to your personal and professional needs.
Best Desk Setup for Engineers FAQ
Engineers should create the best desk setup by investing in technical and non-technical items that complement their professional duties. They should also invest in items that positively affect their mental and physical health to ensure optimal performance at their workplace.
Some items to add to an engineer’s workspace to boost productivity are extra storage space, a cable clutter organizer, a calendar, an indoor plant, and a task organizer. Your desk should be large, with enough space for a clutter-free work session.
Yes, setting up an engineer’s desk near a window provides the natural lighting needed for a positive workspace. Good natural lighting is known to improve mood and enhance cognitive capabilities.
You can maintain a good posture while working a desk-based engineering job by investing in an ergonomic chair. An ergonomic chair is adjustable, offers great lumbar support, and allows for the type of movement needed to maintain good back health. You can also invest in an adjustable standing desk to avoid sitting all day.
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