Recently I started working as a freelancer and had to setup an home office.
My home office setup
In the picture you can see my 19″ Samsung SyncMaster B1930, a Toshiba Satellite L755 with 6Gb Ram and 360 Gb of disk space, my 500Gb Iomega external disk, a NGS wireless mouse and keyboard and my London User Research Center sketching notepad. And this covers for me as far as hardware goes.
Working at home can be tricky, there are an almost infinite amount of things that can distract you but the comfort and relaxing environment is something that I’m sure anyone can appreciate.
Music
It’s crucial for me to have an endless stream of beats going on. I don’t pay much attention to it but I need a beat to set pace for me. Usually I use Grooveshark, Stereo Mood or The Hype Machine.
Organization
Google Calendar is a great help to get me organized. I’ve tried Action Method and Podio for project management but it’s just too much for what I need. Other than Google Calendar I keep a sheet of paper next to me where I write down all the daily tasks.
Communication
Personally I like using IMs to communicate. It allows me to talk when I am available and not when someone decides that I should be available for them. The result is increased productivity and less procrastination.
