Things I'm using

I would love to have as little things as possible, and I'm working towards it. I'm often getting rid of unused things (selling), buying long term and well made items, and taking care, repairing and maintaining what I already have.

Computer and tech

  • MacBook Pro 14-inch (Apple M3 Pro) - Main computer for work and personal use. One of the best things I own.
  • iPad Air 13-inch (M2) - Bought mainly for logo sketching. I also use it for reading and learning Japanese.
  • NuPhy Air 75 - A keyboard I got three years ago and have used ever since. Pros: it’s small. That’s it. I’m looking to switch to the HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S.
  • Logitech MX Master 3S - The best mouse I’ve had. Great fit for my hand, pleasant to use. I love the scroll wheel feel and the horizontal scroll wheel.
  • KOORUI 27-inch 4K Monitor - The monitor I use at home. It’s the cheapest 4K monitor I found on Amazon. I like working with an external monitor, and my laptop is connected to it most of the time. I don’t need anything fancy at home. When I’m working in a studio, I bring my laptop and connect it to the studio monitor there. I like the MacBook screen, but it’s too small for serious graphic work. I’m using a monitor arm kind of like this. It saves a lot of desk space.
  • iPhone 13 - My phone. Mainly for calendar, reminders, notes, messaging, and calls.

Software

  • Cursor - An IDE I use for everything except Swift. For Swift, I use Xcode.
  • Ghostty - Terminal emulator.
  • Obsidian - For notes. I don’t really have a note system. I used Apple Notes before, but I had a lot of sync issues and the app would lag, so I switched to Obsidian. I mainly use it to collect things I want to reference later, like ideas, or general notes I think I’ll need.
  • Figma - Primary design tool. I like how fast it is to use and iterate.
  • Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator - I use them often for raster and vector work. Illustrator is the one I use more, since I do logos a lot.
  • Google Chrome - I’ve tried most of the trendy browsers, and they all have more downsides than Chrome. So I settled on it. I like the Dia browser, but I hate that it sometimes opens AI chat when I’m trying to search. I also like Safari, but some websites lag from time to time.
  • Other software I like: Opal (screen time and website blocking), Are.na (organizing design references), WaniKani (learning kanji), Linear (project management in the studio), Beeper (messaging, especially on social platforms, since I don’t use social media on my phone or computer), Raycast (macOS Spotlight alternative), Shottr (Screenshot app).

Notebook and writing

  • MD Notebook - My favourite notebook. I love the feel of the paper, and I’ve been using them for the last several years. The paper is very smooth and feels great with pen or pencil. It’s great for fountain pens as well. I have many of them, and I still get excited when I buy a new one. I write in a notebook quite often, for notes, todos, and sketches. Every time I use it, it feels like as close to a perfect notebook as it gets.
  • LAMY Safari Fountain Pen (EF) - I bought it recently. Before that, I used a Pilot Kakuno (M), but I realized it was too thick for me.
  • Pigma Micron 05 and Pigma Brush - The first is a fineliner, and the second is a brush pen. I like them for drawing and sketching. I’ve used them since I was a kid.

Coffee

  • HARIO V60-02 Dripper (Plastic) - My main coffee brewer that I use every day. Even though I own other brewers like the Kono Dripper, Chemex, and the TORCH Mountain Dripper, I still prefer the Hario V60 because it’s consistent and simple.
  • 1Zpresso X-Pro S - Hand grinder. Fabulous grinder, but I wish it were a bit larger. It’s perfect for one cup and fits around 25 to 30 g of beans max (depending on bean size). But sometimes when I want to brew for someone else too, I wish I could grind two cups at once.
  • Fellow Stagg EKG - Pour-over kettle. Good kettle, but a bit expensive. I got it as a gift. I’ve enjoyed it a lot, but after two years I noticed it started lagging from time to time.
  • MHW-3BOMBER Mini Cube Coffee Scale - Coffee scale. It’s cheap, rechargeable, and has a built-in timer. It also has espresso and pour-over modes, but those seem pretty useless for me.
  • I usually buy specialty coffee from various roasters around the world, through a coffee store in my city: Eight Ounce.
  • I also have other stuff like a distribution tool, a spray bottle for spritzing beans to prevent static, and a NUCLEUS Paragon (gift) that I don’t really use.

Photography

  • Fujifilm X100VI - Digital camera. I like it a lot. It’s very well built and has everything I need. I wanted this camera for a long time, and I’m very grateful that I finally have it.
  • Pentax P3N with SMC Pentax-M 1:2 50mm lens - Film camera, and my first camera ever. Very simple and reliable, I thrifted it.

That’s pretty much everything worth mentioning. I hope this helps someone decide if they need a specific item. This page was inspired by uses.tech.

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