What’s In My 2025 Content Creator Desk Setup — Daily Gear I Actually Use

June 17th 2025

PAGE IS STILL WIP!

I get asked a lot what gear I actually use day to day, not just for streams or photo shoots, but the stuff that stays on my desk no matter what I’m working on. Well, over the years, my setup has evolved a lot. I’ve tried minimal, gone to a maximal style and then back to minimal again, and I’ve gone through more cameras, and desk accessories than I can count. But what’s stuck with me is the idea that every piece of gear should earn its place. Whether I’m building a board, editing photos, answering emails, or just vibing out with some music, everything around me should be intentional. Nothing should just sit around for the occasional, “but what if i need it?”

This isn’t a dream setup full of gear I never use, it’s the actual tools that get me through the day, every day. So here we go! Here is a full breakdown of my 2025 desk setup, centered around comfort, workflow, and of course, a keyboard I love typing on (duh).

Table of Contents

The Desk It All Sits On

The foundation of this setup is the Ergonofis standing desk in maple. It’s inviting, warm, and brings just the right amount of natural tone into the space. I’ll often shift between sitting and standing throughout the day depending on the task. The build quality is fantastic, it doesn’t wobble, even with heavier gear on it, and the clean maple finish pairs perfectly with both darker and lighter setups. Some days I do wish I kept my old IKEA concrete styled desk top, since it was more neutral, but I don’t regret going with a standing desk at all.

While I love the standing desk, but I will be the first to admit I forget to use it some days. My advice here is just get something that is functional and the right size. One thing I do really recommend figuring out is how deep you want your desk. I had a 24” depth for my desk prior and I always felt I was running out of space, now that I have a 30” depth desk, it feels so much more spacious.

So my chair is an older Steelcase chair and while I do enjoy it, I really haven’t had the need to upgrade chairs yet. Maybe it’s a testament to how comfy this one is? I just wish I had a different colour, but this was picked up for a business changing out their seating so they discarded it and I got it free, so I can’t complain.

The Heart of the Setup: My Custom Keyboard

Right now, I’m using the Manta, a board I collaborated on with Bowl Keyboards. It’s a 65% layout designed to blend classic aesthetics with some modern and more fun elements. I have it paired with MX2A Cherry Black linear switches and a GMK set called Future Funk.

Some days I swap in the Alix40 if I want to challenge myself to learn a slightly different layout. Plus it looks good, too. And then on other days, I use my Sonnet from Mode when I need a larger layout at my disposal. I also do love the Encore in maple for days I feel like matching the desk!

Honestly though, keyboards make regular rotations on my desk due to the nature of what I do. As long as you find something that is comfy to you, this is always going to be preference based. My recommendation for anyone looking to upgrade who hasn’t thought about keyboards is this: get a layout that works for you, not what you think is trendy. I typically recommend a TKL or 75% board as they have most of what people would need key wise.

Monitor & Computer

I’m using the Apple Studio Display as my main screen. I love this thing. It has a 5k resolution and works so well with my Mac studio. The clarity is incredible, especially when editing videos or doing photo touch-ups. It’s mounted on an adjustable arm so I can tweak the angle or height easily, which has been a game-changer for posture during long sessions. My one piece of advice here to fellow content creators is go with a glossy display. I am being so serious on how much of a difference this makes. It’s huge. For mounting the monitor, right now I am using the FLO arm, it was a bit more expensive but I loved the way it looked and it’s pretty darn good quality.

Also as I mentioned, right now I am using the Mac studio and I love it. I have the M1 base model and would love to snag the M4 as my workflow gets more and more demanding, but oh man, the M1 is still amazing. I have this bolted to the bottom of my desk using a mount I got off Amazon.

Audio Gear

For audio, I keep it simple but clean: the Volt 176 audio interface paired with a Sennheiser 416 MKH. The Volt has great preamps and a vintage mode that adds some warmth when I’m streaming, but it’s pretty straight forward which I love. Same goes with the Sennheiser 416 MKH, straight forward sound that sounds pretty true to life. I have this mounted on my camera which is mounted to the wall for a cleaner aesthetic. Why you may ask? It’s to eliminate any sort of feedback or vibrations when I am doing typing tests and streaming, which is pretty important to me.

Oh and the Volt also looks good on the desk, which doesn’t hurt.

Mounting wise, like I mentioned, it’s actually isolated on the wall. The parts I am using here is a NEWER boom arm that I drilled into the wall and then ball head mount, which the camera sits on. On the camera though, is where the microphone sits and I use a rode mount for this.

For headphones, I wish I could tell you I use some fancy brand or some niche product, but they are a pair of Airpod Pros most of the day! On rare occasions I’ll use some Moondrop IEMS or Campfire IEMS, but they have been causing me some fatigue lately so I typically only use those for editing and when consuming some content/music.

Camera & Content Tools

When it comes to streaming and content, I like having flexibility and quality. Oh, and Fuji colours! I stream with three dedicated cameras: the Fuji X-T3, Fuji X-S20, and the Sony A7RII. Each one has its own role — side angle, overhead, and front-facing in that order — which helps keep things clean and consistent across different types of content. I’ll admit, I do wish my face camera was still Fuji, but I sadly had one die and the repair fee for it was not worth it. Bit of a happy accident though, the Sony focus is just so much better than the Fuji ever was for the face camera.

For photography, especially when I’m shooting keyboard or detail shots of a board, I use the Hasselblad X2D paired with a 90mm lens. It’s overkill in the best way possible. The sharpness, color, and depth from that setup is something you just don’t get from a typical camera, and it’s been a game-changer for how I capture the little details and just file flexibility. I had traded basically every camera I’ve had for the last who knows how many years of professional work to get this thing and I do not regret it at all. I have used it for close to a year now and use it pretty much daily. It’s a beast.

Quick little review of the Hasselblad X2D 100c after owning it for about a year and using it near daily? I do wish the focal distances of the lenses were a bit closer and not having a joystick some days does suck. However, the colors that come out of this thing are rock solid and I barely have to edit my finals to get to the place I want them, which has really helped me on the day to day of my workflow. Another note is I do wish they would put more TLC into their Phocus software on MacOS. It crashes often and is nowhere near as nice as their mobile app, which puzzles me. I do hope to get more lenses and a second body one day for some other crazy shoots I wanted to do, but one step at a time. Overall though, it’s a gorgeous camera that takes the perfect stills for me.

Desk Accessories & Cleanliness

This is where the little things make a big difference. I use a Corkie deskmat from NovelKeys or a deskpad from Groovemade (I have a love-hate relationship with this), which pairs well with both light and dark boards. There’s also a JJW desktray for small tools and screws, a stream deck for well… streaming, a pen tray.

Cable management is hidden underneath the desk via the net cable from Ergonofis and just some adhesive cable management ties, and I try to keep only essentials up top — everything else lives in a nearby drawer or shelf. I also do wish I had more time to go through and really redo my cable management better. 

My favourite drawer has been this fun yellow drawer I got at IKEA. It’s on wheels and I just toss it where I need for the week without much though. It houses all my soldering equipment on top, and most of my accessories for building boards. It’s a disaster most of the time, but I love it. This helps keep most of the junk and unsightly equipment off my desk.

Lighting

I don’t go crazy with RGB. I use a key lights for streams that I got years ago and love. It’s the Nanlite 200c, and it works great since my setup space is smaller. It is the perfect size and diffused to boot. Then I use an Amaran 60d as a fill light for my background to bring it to life. I have this mounted on an Impact grip which sits on a shelf usually, but lately I’ve been experimenting again with my Godox projector attachment.

Recently I added a soft ambient strip behind the monitor to cut down on eye strain. Most of the lighting is a warm white or soft amber, keeping everything comfortable even late at night. I sprung for the nicer Philips kit since the other brands I had purchased were terrible light quality.

Storage & Organization

Keeping everything tidy is another battle, especially when you’re juggling parts, tools, camera gear, and random cables. I use a mix of built-in shelves and a custom-built IKEA BESTÅ system to store everything I don’t need on the desk itself.

The shelves hold my keyboards, old keycap sets, deskpads, and display items I cycle in and out for photos. The BESTÅ unit is where the more delicate stuff is, like cameras, switches, spare plates and PCBs. It’s clean, modular, and blends in well with the rest of the space, which makes it easy to stay organized without looking cluttered.

Oh, and shout out to my yellow IKEA drawer again. I do have another little drawer system under my desk, but I plan to replace it with something more sturdy.

What I’d Upgrade Next

Honestly, the only thing on my list is maybe adding a second vertical monitor for Discord and stream tools. I just battle with this since it ruins my minimal aesthetic I got going on! I did paint my wall green recently and took everything off of it so I am slowly deciding what to add back to it, but I am loving the blank canvas look.

I also would love to figure out a more permanent mounting solution for my keylight and facecam. They are currently on a c-stand and grip, but I would love to mount these from the wall or ceiling to reclaim some floor space.

So as I was writing this article I thought to myself, what is stopping me from taking the next step for figuring this out? And well, I couldn’t think of a reason other than me being indecisive. So I got to work and planned out a solution to get rid of some stands on the floor. I ended up with a pole from Manfrotto and Kupo that compressed against my shelving for one camera and the floor and ceiling for the other. This cleared up a ton of space and I love the way this looks now.

Down the road as well I do have some stuff planned for the wall to my right, I’d love to add a skinny white board to write down ideas and add more decor as I get more comfortable in my space. These things will take time and I need to feel out the space as I have it now.

This setup evolves a bit every year, but the core stays the same: intentional, functional, and built around the way I work. If you’re building out your own, don’t stress perfection, just focus on pieces that make your space feel good to be in. The rest comes with time.

The Recap

Desk

  • Desk: Ergonofis Standing Desk (Maple, 30” depth recommended) 
    • 📌 Tip: Go for 30″+ depth for space, and pick a surface that works with your lighting and style.
  • Chair: Steelcase (older model, used) https://amzn.to/3GMLIke 
    • 📌 Still comfy, no upgrade needed yet.
  • Cable Management: 

⌨️ Keyboards

  • Primary Board: Manta (Alexotos x Bowl Keyboards collaboration) 
    • MX2A Cherry Black switches 
    • GMK Future Funk keycaps
  • Alternates: 
📌 Tip: Go with a layout that fits your workflow — TKL or 75% is great for most people.

🖥️ Monitor & Computer

🎧 Audio Gear

📷  Cameras & Content Creation

💡 Lighting

📌 Warm white/amber tones recommended for long hours + eye comfort.  

🧺  Desk Accessories

Let's Wrap Up

At the end of the day, this setup wasn’t built overnight, although I wish it was! Every piece here has earned its spot through trial, error, and figuring out what actually supports the way I work and create. Sometimes I have wasted a few dollars trying something new, and that’s okay! It’s not perfect (and honestly, I don’t want it to be), but it’s intentional. And it makes me want to sit down and get things done.

If you’re building out your own space, my biggest advice is this: start with what makes you feel good to be around. It doesn’t have to be expensive or flashy, it just has to serve you. Get rid of anything that makes you feel cluttered and start with a clean blank canvas and add as you go along. Find your style! Comfort, flexibility, and tools that help you create without friction will always outlast whatever the hot trend of the moment is.

Bonus tip for the people who use their space as a home office; try to separate your work space from entertainment space. What do I mean by this? Well, I found when I gamed in the same room as I worked I was feeling super burnt out and also felt very trapped at my desk. I ended up moving my “entertainment” space away from my main work computer and suddenly everything worked better for me almost instantly. I don’t have a big space by any means, so my little gaming corner is in a bedroom, but it works for me and if you don’t have the luxury of space, definitely consider doing this.

Until next time. 👋