Where can I find info on desk design?

I googled myself to death trying to find web pages about people designing and building their own desks and I just can't find anything other than basic plans.

I'm a computer geek and I'll admit it but I'm not shy around power tools. I read all the time about people doing all sorts of wierd things to customize how their computer look but what I dream about is the perfect desk if there is such a thing.

Sure I could slap something together but I want. I have no trouble finding simple plans or just outright designing it from scratch; it's just a desk. But if I did that no sooner would I complete it than I will have changed my mind or figured out how something could be better. There has to be some acumulated knowedge about the art of desk design. I just don't know how or where to find it.

I also wouldn't want to limit myself to wood though that the most obvious and cheepest material. I want the theory behind desk design rather than just plans for how to build one. Also it going to be a computer desk.

One of the reasons motivating me is that I am a larger than average man and ready made computer desks seem to be designed for short people. They just seem to all be the same basic dozen desk designes modified for a computer as an afterthought. For instance things like a keyboard drawer make a desk even shorter but the desks don't get any taller.

The things I want to know is are there any desk designs with adjustable height? What should be placed where and why. Do I need to understand the materials and how much weight it can bear or keeping it's mass balenced? What about other maters such as glass or aluminum? Can/should I design with those locking anchor system ready made desk use or should I go with screws and glue? What about taking the desk apart later? Any other stuff I would need to know in case I wanted a really radical design? How about just general unusual ideas of those that have come before me.

It's amazing how hard it is to find what your looking for when you don't know enough to explain it. Especially when it comes to the special vocabulary to use to find relevent stuff in a web seach engine.

Reply to
Blue
Loading thread data ...

This is an interesting post. I would also like any info anyone might know about on finding a source for a mechanical device to lower and raise a flat-screen monitor into/out of a desk top. I've also done google searches to death and have found virtually nothing.

Mike

Reply to
Mike in Mystic

Yesterday (11/24/03), one of the cable channels, don't know if it was HGTV or DIY, did a show on "Enabling" a kitchen (musta been in CA, eh?), for a doctor who was confined to a wheelchair.

I mention it only as it may be that with this little bit of information as a clue, you could find more about it on the web. It was definitely one of the "design shows" and ALL the cabinets, sink, and even the stove, were on devices to raise or lower them.

Good luck ...

Reply to
Swingman

Mike what you want is a TV lift and there are maybe 3 companies that make them, I can look them up write me later and I'll find them for you.

And Blue you answered all your own questions, First what my be perfect for you is a mess for someone else

The first lesson of any design is simple " FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION " You first start as you said you are a big man so a 30" desk top won't hack it for you What will, hell only you know so stack up some orange crates or whatever and then take a measurement

The same goes for any aspect of your desk, where would you like the CPU, The Printer, what other goodies do have wired into that bad boy.

Position everything the way you want it stack stuff on books if you have to wants you have everything the way you want it start measuring,

From there you have the function, now start on the form always keep in mind that for every change or problem you solve you may be causing 6 other well okay 3 other disasters.

After that then decide on where you want a moulding a post or whatever.

In a nut shell shut down that computer mind and use good old common sense.

Good Luck, George

Reply to
George M. Kazaka

Reply to
Carl McCarty

First, no matter what you do your going to think you could have done something different or better.

The suggestion about getting crates, books, planks, and setting up a temporary station. I got a used piece of junk computer desk set and took the SawZall after it. Cut off the parts that didn't belong.

Most people seem to have their monitors in a corner facing the corner or wall. Been there, can't do it. I'm not claustrophobic. Quite the opposite. I don't need control of the room but I do need to be able to see it. This simple thing, not sitting in a corner and my not being comfortable not being able to see the room I'm sitting in, determines there can't be anything above desk top level except the monitor.

Not to say I put much truck in Fung-Shway (?) but it does seem to have a few valid points.

Then there's the room it's going to be in. Our idiot box is in the living room with the other idiot box.

Reply to
Mark

Blue:

I had searched for months trying to find a desk for my office at home. Since I work for home I wanted a nice quality desk with out breaking the bank. I could not find a desk after months of searching.

What I did was to draw up plan that was to be a basic L shaped desk that was custom sized for my office. My office is s small room off our MBR that is directly above the entrance foyer to our home.

I had the dimenions drawn out and I went to a local counter/cabinet maker. I chose a Wilsonart woodgrained laminate

formatting link
in cherry finish.

The shop made the top and sides to my spec's. I also ordered some HON Black

3 drawer mobile pedestal from staples.com. This picture gives a similar view of what I did.http://www.hon.com/product/ProductSpec.do?prsPk=10I really have been happy with the outcome. It cost be about $350-400 for the desk and $130 for the cabinets. I also bore out some holes and inserted my own cable grommets. I attached the sides to the top with some heavy duty 'L" brackets. Because it is up against a wall I also picked up some Big heavy Duty shelf brackets to support the desk top that is up against the wall.

The Mobile bases proved very useful because the desk can be rearranged and I purposely had my desk at 30 inches high and the mobile is 26". This leaves me 4" of space which is where I keep my computers. This keeps the clutter off the desk and is still readily available.

i hope this helps.

rich

Reply to
RKON

On Tue, 25 Nov 2003 18:22:53 GMT, Blue scribbled

Have you seen Riley's site:

formatting link
of info on ergonomics, might be some other stuff you would find interesting/useful.

Luigi Replace "no" with "yk" for real email address

Reply to
Luigi Zanasi

Blue wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com... I want the theory behind desk design

Blue, I haven't actually plugged in the key words to a search engine, but I think terms like ergonomics, human factors, computer work station, and work station design might be useful to you. There is a lot of information on the type of thing you are looking for, but you wont find it in the "design" community. You will find it in the area of human factors and ergonomics. Another term that comes to mind is anthropometrics (body measurements). However, you are interested in designing for you alone so the normal anthropometric dada may not be applicable. Instead, you will want to know how to make anthropometric measurements on yourself rather than see compilations of data for various populations. As another poster mentioned, you can get some basic height and width measurements from your own body to find appropriate heights etc, but you will want to take into consideration many other things like prevention of carpal tunnel, back stress etc. That means you must balance the distance you need from the floor to the bottom of the desk with the work surface height in order to keep your wrists straight while you type or operate a mouse. Additionally, you should think about the chair. It is an integral part of the workstation, and it's height depends on your body and the operations you are performing. There is a lot to think about if you want this thing to be "perfect" for you and your body dimensions. I hope some of those key words work for you.

Brian

P.S. There are ergonomic office supply outfits that sell fully adjustable workstations for many applications. They are intended to be as adjustable as possible, but I doubt they would be "perfect" for anyone.

Reply to
Brian Mahaney

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.