Who are you, and what do you do? What do you like to do outside of work?

I’m Deivid. For the last five years I have lived in Tallinn, Estonia working as a senior software architect for a fintech company called Fiizy. Besides work, I could say that if I’m not driving something that has an engine or wheels, then I’m probably at the gym or tinkering with some DIY projects.

What hardware do you use?

Because at this point in time Apple MacBook Pro M1 13” is still too new and a lot of stuff I need for work is not properly supported, I use the M1 for personal stuff. For work, I use the previous Intel version of the MacBook.

At home, I’m trying to have as clean a setup as possible, so to maximize my desk space, I’m using a Dell UltraSharp 38” U3818DW curved monitor, which sits on the table with a Hama single gas spring monitor arm. Also, I have made a custom aluminum frame that connects a MagSafe phone charger to the bottom of the monitor for a maximum-clean look.

It’s nothing fancy. I just got myself a U-shaped aluminium frame from the hardware store so the wire would not be visible, then cut it to length and made some additional cuts that allowed me to bend it to the desired angle. And then I attached the MagSafe to it with double-sided tape.

At work I use two 24” Dells, which give me roughly the same amount of screen space, but I like the single widescreen workflow a bit better.

For a long time, I used a Unimouse contour mouse for the best wrist ergonomics, but I noticed that I do not use the mouse that much anymore, so I switched to the Magic Trackpad 2. And my ErgoDox EZ keyboard travels with me to work and back.

As for the little things: most important, I use Herman Miller Embody chairs both at work and at home. I can’t recommend this chair enough. To mute my colleagues, I use Sony WH-1000XM3 noise-canceling headphones. And to set the mood, my home is covered with Philips Hue lights that I control via HomeKit.

And what software?

I mostly use Sublime Text to code, DataGrip for DB stuff, and Safari for browsing. For window management, I use a plugin called Amethyst. This has worked quite well with two separate monitors, but for my widescreen, this is not the best solution, so I’m looking for a better alternative.

What’s your keyboard setup like? Do you use a custom layout or custom keycaps?

I have experienced wrist pain for quite a lot of years, and because of that I have spent some time going through different types of keyboards. Therefore my main focus with the ErgoDox EZ has been about getting the distances and angles just right. I think in the last few weeks I have hit the sweet spot.

To get a semi-permanent fix for this spot, I made an underlay for the whole keyboard. This raises the whole keyboard three millimeters from the table, and the wrist pads an additional six millimeters. It also has slots where the keyboard can mount, so I have the same keyboard positioning every time I put it on the table. Another big benefit of this is that the underlay’s bottom is a bit slippery, which allows me to move the keyboard around within seconds when I change my seating position. Furthermore, I have noticed that the best place to put the trackpad is on top of the keyboard itself, using the keyboard legs to give it some angle.

What would be your dream setup?

My home setup is perfect for me. The only thing I would change is that my work setup would be the same. Also, at some point in the future I need to invest in a second ErgoDox EZ so I will not have to move it from home to work and back.