Patrick Morgan

Designer and Writer living in Los Angeles, CA

Issue #369 November 12, 2023

Patrick Morgan home office and recording studio with Yamaha HS5 monitors, Shure SM7B microphone on boom arm, and acoustic treatment panels

Part home office, part recording studio — Patrick’s space features Yamaha HS5 audio monitors, a Shure SM7B on a boom arm, and acoustic panels that tie his setup together.

About

Patrick Morgan is a designer and the creator of Better by Design, a newsletter sharing pragmatic strategies and tactics for designers and brand thinkers.

Over the course of more than a decade, he's helped companies like Leo Burnett, American Express, and Fastly craft category-leading brand and software experiences.

Pat was previously featured in edition #219 of Workspaces. This is his updated workspace in 2023.

Photos

5 images

Patrick Morgan music room with Fender Stratocaster, Taylor GS Mini acoustic guitar, Roland RD-800 piano, and acoustic treatment panels — When the design work is done, the real instruments come out. A Fender Stratocaster, Taylor GS Mini, and Roland RD-800 share the walls with a full set of acoustic treatment panels.

Patrick Morgan desk with Dell UltraSharp 4K monitor, Yamaha HS5 studio monitors, Shure SM7B microphone, and tan leather desk mat — A designer’s desk done right — Dell UltraSharp 4K flanked by Yamaha HS5s, a Shure SM7B on the boom, and a tan leather desk mat tying it all together.

Patrick Morgan working outdoors on MacBook Pro with AirPods Max in Southern California — Southern California has its perks. When the weather calls, Patrick takes the MacBook Pro and AirPods Max outside — no commute required.

Patrick Morgan outdoor workspace with table and fire pit in Southern California sunshine — Patrick’s outdoor setup is complete with an outdoor table, fire pit, and just enough SoCal sunshine to make any workday feel less like work.

Gear

13 items

Desk Autonomous SmartDesk Buy

Storage IKEA ALEX Drawers Buy

Computer Apple MacBook Pro 14"

Monitor Dell UltraSharp U2723QE 27" 4K Monitor Buy

Keyboard Logitech Bluetooth Mouse & Keyboard

Mouse Apple Magic Trackpad Buy

Webcam Logitech C920 Buy

Headphones Apple AirPods Max Buy

Monitor Yamaha HS5 Studio Monitors Buy

Microphone Shure SM7B

Accessories Fender American Stratocaster

Accessories Taylor GS Mini Acoustic Guitar

Accessories Roland RD-800 Digital Piano

The census

Only 4% of the desks we’ve published have Patrick’s Shure SM7B.

Ranked across all 516 setups that list their gear.

MacBook Pro 64%

Apple Magic Trackpad 18%

Apple AirPods Max 10%

Shure SM7B 4%

See top 50 gear items ›

Software

8 apps

Substack — Newsletter publishing

Figma — Design

Notion — Workflow & databases

Super — Publishing my personal website via Notion

ChatGPT — Writing & coding buddy

Loom — Recording video tutorials

Readwise Reader — Saving articles for inspiration & note taking

YNAB — Staying on top of my finances

Interview

3 questions

› What is the most useful item in your workspace?

The sit/stand desk. It keeps me moving, lets me clamp on things like my speaker stands and mic arm, and provides a nice amount of space to toss extra gear besides my computer when I need it. It's not sexy, but it's a workhorse, that's for sure.

› What does your typical daily routine look like?

I'm currently taking a sabbatical from client work, so right now I just try to 1) make something (design, writing, music, etc...), 2) go for a run and enjoy the Southern California outdoors, and 3) spend some time with friends. It's an intentionally chill life, for the moment.

› Coffee or tea?

Coffee. Though I started making my own half-caff blend to make sure my habit doesn't give me the jitters.