Setups & Spaces

An introduction….

Over the years I have launched and shuttered probably a half dozen web sites. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the process of creating and posting content. I do. It’s the focus, the niche, that has always been the missing piece for me. What is it that I want to share my thoughts on, and who do I want to share them with? What should I be writing about that someone isn’t already doing, and better?

There are options of course, there always are. I enjoy talking about Apple and Macs, but that’s been done, ad nauseam, by thousands of others. Let’s face it, I am no John Gruber. And unless I can bring something to the table that guys like John aren’t, I don’t see a lot of room in that space for me. Digital Photography? I enjoy it, but do I really know enough, or at least as much as, the experts and enthusiasts who already write about it? The answer to that is a resounding no, unless of course there is a rabid audience out there for new and interesting ways to shoot on Auto. You may disagree, but I don’t think that will catch on. I could write about the Yankees, I am sure there is plenty I could talk about that many people would find interesting. But those plans are quickly scrapped once the realization sets in that they just happen to be my employer, and there is a certain aspect of trust and nondisclosure that comes along with collecting a paycheck from a company that precludes me from writing about anything but the most mundane of occurrences. So that idea doesn’t exactly scream “winner” now does it?

But I have always had something in mind. An interest. A concept I’ve wanted to explore further. Not a uniquely original idea mind you, it’s been done before. In some cases perhaps better than I am capable of doing it myself. But when you find something that you can sink your teeth into, something that you can build and run with, you give it a shot.

This is me, taking my shot. 

So, after a fair bit of prep work, I am pleased to announce that today I am launching SetupsandSpaces.com.

It’s an interview site of sorts. Basically I have coupled my enjoyment and curiosity of how people setup and arrange their desks, with the abundance of individuals willing to post pictures of those setups online. The creative process behind Setup & Spaces is fairly simple, I contact the owners of of those ‘setups and spaces’ (see what I did there…) and ask if they would like to be featured on the site. That’s really it. If they agree, and thankfully most do, pictures of their setups, along with the answers to my questions, are posted for all to see. It’s like voyeurism for geeks. And believe me, there is a huge market for this kind of thing. Just take a look at the dozens of Flickr groups, containing literally thousands of pictures dedicated to this nerdy fetish, and you will see what I mean.

SetupsandSpaces.com is my take on the workspace genre. It’s me throwing my hat in the ring with the likes of Shawn Blanc and his series of “Sweet Mac Setups”, Pat Dryburgh and his wonderfully curated and easy to look at “Simple Desks”, and waferbaby’s bunchy of nerdy interviews  at “The Setup”, among others. I hope my own shrine to the art of the setup is even half as successful as those sites, and if it is it will be due entirely to the generosity of those individuals who have agreed to donate their time and efforts by thoughtfully answering my questions, and agreeing to share the thinking behind their workspaces on my little corner of the web.

In the first few weeks alone you will be treated to a look at the desks of a Systems Administrator located in the South of France, a Dentist from Istanbul, a college student in Tokyo, an Art Director from Munich, and others, who have invested that extra little bit of care and attention in their workspaces, and will perhaps inspire you to do the same for your own desk, wherever you may live and work.  

And so, without further adieu, SetupsandSpaces.com.

Enjoy and thanks for reading!

- Frank Valletutti

http://nothingtoundo.net