Simple Desks

A quick note to let you all know that I’ve changed the way I handle submissions. In future, all submissions - unless clearly not appropriate - will be posted at submissions.simpledesks.net. Of those, the best will also appear on the Simple Desks front page - as is already the case - along with any of my own finds.

I think this is a positive step for both submitters and readers. Readers can choose to enjoy the usual curated selection, and those of you that would like to see a greater quantity of posts can also browse through the unseen submissions. For the submitters, this means that you are essentially guaranteed to be published; you don’t need to be some kind of minimalist guru to reach an audience.

So, to summarise: Simple Desks stays exactly the same, with the added option for those of you that would like more, but less refined, desks to look at to go to the aforementioned link (which is also in the site header for easy access). As an added bonus to Tumblr users, you can follow both the regular site and the submissions site separately.

If anyone has any feedback on this change I’d welcome it. As always, please submit desks here.

Recently I’ve found myself dissatisfied with the quality of my judgement in terms of choosing what appears on Simple Desks. I find myself worrying about quantity, rather than quality - and that is totally, totally wrong. So, readers, I have for you a simple question.

Are you happy with the quantity/quality balance of Simple Desks?

If not, would you prefer, say, one tasteful post each day, rather than three of four less refined entries? This is something that has been worrying me for a while, and I think some feedback would be invaluable. If you have the time I would much appreciate some constructive comments. You can reach me via email and on Twitter.

Minimal Desks, earlier today:

One comment that surfaces periodically is that I post too many desks with Apple computers.  I feel the essence of this site is far less about iMac’s and Macbooks and far more about showcasing workspaces globally that inspire and provide ideas to our readers.  It just so happens that numerous really great workspaces I find or suggested by others have an Apple computer on the desk.  Furthermore, my philosophy is that while I am personally a Macbook Pro user, an individuals tools are a highly personal preference and people should use the computer that gets the job done best for themselves. That is my aim with each posting here and I try to present diversity as much as possible.  Finally, truth be told, I actually favor those desks that have no computers whatsoever.  Of course, this is not always realistic based on what work needs to get done but I am a large fan of the analog and the simplicity that comes from good old fashioned paper and ink!

In a fitting coincidence I also wrote a little about the same issue with regards to a workspace which I’ll post later on today. The fact that this issue is common to both sites speaks volumes. I also receive regular mail from readers asking about the the disproportional volume of workspaces that feature Macs in comparison to PCs, or indeed those with no computer at all (which I much prefer). Although I try my best to stop myself from indulging in worthless ‘gallery workspaces’ occasionally I fail. To try and combat this, I often ask for submissions that specifically veer away from these usual desk paradigms, and over the past month or two I’ve found and received some wonderfully different approaches.

Some of the best: Babak Tizkar’s submission, an artist’s unusually organised workspace, a more conventionally creative workspace, a different kind of desk, and Zopsesen’s stylish Dell-central workspace. 

Submit your own desk, or one you found on the web, here.

Thanks to Lifehacker for the second mention in the same number of weeks! A warm welcome to all the lovely Lifehacker readers - I hope you enjoy browsing Simple Desks. There are a few ways, in addition to browsing normally, that you can use to discover some great entries from the archive. Start here for some of the most popular posts, use the link in the header to browse random entries, look through reader submissions for some achievable workspace examples and enter the archive for the full list of posts.

If you like what you see you can join many of our lovely readers and like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Pinterest, or add us to your circles on Google+. You can also subscribe to the RSS Feed or get updates via email.

To both old and new readers, I thank you for your continued support.