Which Desk Personality are You? Examining Four Common Desk Setups

Given the amount of time you spend sitting at your office desk, the space practically becomes an extension of you and your personality. Whether you realise it or not, the way you set up your desk space can be a direct reflection of your personality and can say a lot about how judgemental we are about appearances. Understanding these different desk personalities can also give an insight into how their owners like to work.

We worked with Dr Debanjan Banerjee, Consultant Geriatric Psychiatrist at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences to gain some insight.

The tidy, minimalist desk

A desk that is practically devoid of clutter and contains only the essentials (keyboard, mouse, monitor, plus a notepad maybe) are perceived to be disciplined, conscientious, and cautious people who like planning and structure. They believe that less clutter is equal to fewer distractions and that there's no sense in having more than what you really need. As such, they are generally considered as the most reliable people in the office because they get their jobs done on time and they set high standards on themselves and on others. On the other hand, these people are also perceived as lacking the creativity or personality that people with messy desks have.

Key personality traits:

Disciplined
Conscientious
Cautious
Reliable
Good at planning
Good time management

The messy and chaotic desk

There's always at least one of these desks in every office - a desk that has chaos written all over it, littered with papers, meeting notes, cables, printouts, stationery, leftovers, and who knows what else. If something's gone missing in the office, it's highly tempting to check that messy desk because there’s a good chance you will find the item amidst that jumble. Unsurprisingly, this is usually attributed to an extrovert, someone who is friendly to colleagues and more often than not, this person is one of, if not the most creative in the organization. On the downside, those with messy desks are considered less productive than the others since they spend a lot of time trying to find stuff in that rabbit hole.

Key personality traits:

Extroverted
Friendly
Creative
Unproductive
Disorganised

The personalised desk

Their desk features personal objects that give bits and pieces about their life and personality - framed photos of family and pets, plants, quirky mugs, pillows, perfume bottles etc. It's like a mini version of their home. People who have personalised desks are perceived to be extroverted and creative, the sort who are open to new ideas and opportunities. It also shows that these people are comfortable in their job since they treat their desks like home.

Key personality traits:

Extroverted
Creative
Open to new ideas
Comfortable in their role
Homely

The ‘techie’ desk

This particular desk can be a mess, but unlike the chaotic one above, this one's clutter is mostly wires, chargers, and other tech gadgets. Despite the mess, people with this type of desk are perceived as friendly and creative, as well as the sort who are compulsive, curious, and excited to experiment. However, techies may be a bit difficult to work with as far as managers are concerned since they tend to do things in their own time.

Key personality traits: