457 - Connor Murphy

Connor Murphy is currently focusing on freelance and side projects. He was previously a designer at Shopify and InVision.

He leans more toward web design, though also loves working on product design for early-stage startups.

When he’s not working, you can usually find him hiking, searching for the best Hefeweizens, or complaining about how hard it is to find good pizza in Denver.

Twitter (X) → x.com/atconnormurphy
ReadCV → read.cv/connormurphy
LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/connormurphydesign
Portfolio → connormurphy.design

Connor's Workspace Tour

Work desk

• PC: 2021 MacBook Pro M1
• PC: 2020 Mac Mini M1
• Laptop stand: Twelve South BookArc
• Mouse: Magic Mouse / Magic Trackpad
• Speakers: Kanto Yu2
• Keyboard: Logitech MX keys mini
• Tablet: iPad Air M2
• Monitor: Dell UltraSharp 32 4K U3219Q
• Monitor arm: Ergotron HX
• Chair: Herman Miller Aeron
• Desk mat: Grovemade
• Misc: CalDigit TS3+, Airpods, Apple Magsafe charger

Gaming desk

• PC: Custom water-cooled AMD 7800 X3D, 7800XT, 48gb DDR5 RAM, 3TB of NVMe drives inside a Fractal North
• Keyboard: Wooting 60he
• Mouse: Razer DeathAdder V3
• Tablet: iPad Mini 6th gen
• Speakers: Kanto Yu2
• Monitor: LG UltraGear 27 inch 27GR83Q-B
• Desk shelf: Custom from Modhaus
• Desk mat: Grovemade
• Monitor arm: Ergotron LX
• Headset: HyperX Cloud Alpha

Tools

• Figma
• Notion
• Spotify
• Discord
• Slack
• Claude
• Framer
• Reminders

What is the most recent item that you've added to your workspace?

I recently added my iPad Air to my workspace. It used to be more of a couch device for streaming Netflix or browsing, but now I find it super useful on my desk. While working, I like having streams on in the background—whether it's gaming, lofi music, or YouTube videos—when I'm not already listening to music.”

How do you spark creativity?

A clean workspace is key for me. Believe it or not, my desk is this organized 99% of the time. Having everything in order helps me think clearly and stay focused.

Also, it might sound cliché, but stepping away from the computer is one of the best ways I spark creativity. Some of my best ideas have come from shower thoughts, taking walks, or just spending time outside. I’ve learned that getting away from the screen is far more productive than staring at it (which I’m still guilty of).

What does your typical day look like?

I usually wake up around 8 or 8:30 (definitely not a morning person). After a shower, I’ll try to squeeze in a quick walk if the weather's nice. Then, I head to my office to start the workday. I typically work until around 1, and if possible, I like to head out for lunch—getting out of the house helps me stay sane. After lunch, I’m back at work until about 6 p.m. Evenings are pretty flexible; I’ll usually cook dinner, then either work on side projects, read, or dive into a new series. I tend to stay up way too late, then do it all over again.