Every once in a while, I see people on Twitter and YouTube show off their minimalist desks. Today I saw someone, on Twitter, show their big acrylic desk with just a PC, pair of speakers, io devices, clock and a water bottle. By my count, there were less than 10 objects on that big desk. My response to that was:

Too few objects on the surface. Empty space is distracting, requiring too much time and energy for how to maintain that space.

I am coming with that response from a position of someone who used to keep a desk like that, for years, at work. And maybe, a little bit at home. For me the empty / minimalist desk space is distracting in a way of one more task I have to actively check on. It takes away from my attention on actual work and consumes mental energy I should be dedicating on project. To maintain that “clean” astatic I have to regularly, in the back of my mind, check if there is something on the desk which I could possibly hide in a drawer or a cabinet. In a sense, the minimalist desk makes you afraid to place object on a surface dedicated for objects! It also can cause you to be annoyed with anyone who “dares” to place something on your “clean” desk!

When I was practicing the minimalist desk work style, I would have to figure out ways to organize a myriad of objects, like books, notepads, office supplies, in my drawers and cabinets. Thus, when I needed something, I could access it quickly without my colleagues listing to me digging through things while looking for something.

Now-a-days, anything I do not want to look at, e.g. cables, docks, and power sources, I organize and hide behind my monitor. Everything else on the desk, which is within sight, is something I either wouldn’t mind looking at or something which evokes pleasure or some memory. So, I am going more for the organized and cozy desk, than for the clean and “where did I put that one thing” style.