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Minimal Workspace in an Old School Building in Philadelphia, US

  • Makers by Makers
    Makers Makers
    • •
    • August 14, 2022
    • •
    • 7 min read
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    Minimal Workspace in a Former School Building in Pennsylvania, USA
    • Design Setup
    • Minimal Setup
    • IKEA Setup
    • Desk Tours

    Name: Mike Smith

    Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the US

    Occupation: Designer

    Social media: Instagram, Twitter

    Hello! Tell us a bit about yourself

    Hey, I’m Mike Smith. I run a design studio called Smith & Diction in Philadelphia, PA (USA).

    I started my studio seven years ago because I really wanted to make things.

    I was a little disenchanted with the whole agency life of making a bunch of fake work and selling PDFs for $100K.

    A minimal workspace in a former classroom
    Figma is a go-to design tool for Mike Smith. He used it to create a new identity for the visual storytelling platform Exposure

    I just wanted to make REAL stuff and not worry about the weird designer-to-creative-director career pipeline where you’re no longer making stuff.

    I get to work with my wife as my business partner (and copywriter) every day, and that to me is all that matters.

    The bonus is that we get to work with really cool people, too!

    Take us through your setup

    Item Model
    Laptop MacBook Pro 16″ 2021
    Speakers Bowers & Wilkins MM-1
    Headphones AirPods Pro
    Keyboard Magic Keyboard
    Mouse Magic Mouse
    Chair SOHO Ribbed Management Chair

    I keep my workspace pretty sparse, honestly.

    Just a monitor, my computer, keyboard, mouse, and external hard drive.

    Sometimes, I’ll have my notebook nearby to doodle in the beginning stages of a project or something but mostly that’s it.

    A minimal workspace in a former school building
    This workspace is filled with greenery and natural light

    At my first job, we all had iMacs. I think something settled into my head that I only need one monitor to handle everything I need to.

    My studio space, on the other hand, is much more “me”.

    Lots of colour, lots of reference books, and some random things that I’ve made over the years that I’m super proud of.

    My favourite thing — that is a bit weird — is the fact that my bookshelves are just from IKEA, and they no longer make the legs with the little crossbar. They were super cheap but seem really cool and also now are rare, haha.

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                            Maker Stations
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                            © 2025 Maker Stations - Published with Ghost & Aspect