In 2020 our lives changed completely, the COVID-19 pandemic transformed what was considered the ‘norm’, and created new norms that molded the way we lived. One of these new norms is the work from home culture, and it has continued well into 2022. We’ve been working from our homes for almost a year now, and although we have adapted to it, it can be quite a bore at times. I, for one, am always looking out for options to make my work-from-home routine more efficient and effective. And I’ve found that adding a desk organizer to my desk setup can amp my productivity immensely! An organizer can transform your desk from an utter mess to a neat and tidy space that will essentially boost your productivity. From a minimal desk organizer that comes with a switch-free mechanism to turn the light on and off to a square organizer system that can adapt to different environments– here’s a collection of interesting, super functional, and productivity-enhancing desk organizers that promise to be the best work-from-home investments of 2022!

1. Nick

When our stationery isn’t organized, our desks feel less like workspaces and more like minefields. One wrong move and those stacks of paper are going down along with the cups you filled with paperclips and thumbtacks. Before you know it, there’s hardly room to get any work done. Desk organizers help take care of the clutter and even add a bit of personality to your workspace. Furniture designer Deniz Aktay designed his own modular desk organizer called Nick that’s carved from wood for a simple and functional workspace accessory.

Why is it noteworthy?

Nick finds its organizational scheme through a system of carved-out slots that provide holding spaces for our stationery items. Carving out the product’s grooves, Aktay created a built-in rail system that additional wooden modules can slide onto to form a multi-level organizer. Defined by its modular design, the components that come with Nick have different sizes for users to configure the overall structure to fit their organizational needs.

What we like

• Creates individual slots that are just the right size for different stationery items like writing utensils and short erasers

What we dislike

• It’s aesthetically quite simple

2. Desco

It’s almost difficult to see Desco as an organizer, given how it visually looks disorganized on its own. It utilizes different shapes that seem to be haphazardly thrown together, as well as lines that cut through each other at odd angles.

Why is it noteworthy?

Unlike traditional desk organizers, you almost have to stop and think which items go where because, despite its seemingly random design, each nook and cranny of the Desco actually serves a specific purpose. That large acrylic circle in the middle, for example, has slits that are designed to hold notebooks, while the space going through the pipe shape can hold pens and even rolls of paper. The slanted foot has space for a few sheets of paper, while the acrylic surface of one of the wooden boxes can be used as a tiny wall for sticky notes. There is also plenty of space for all kinds of tools and knick-knacks, including a tray for your phone, earbuds, or smartwatch. There’s even a surface that can be used to keep your favorite mug within arm’s reach.

What we like

• Despite its jumble of shapes, Desco still adheres to minimalism as far as the surfaces themselves go
• The transparent acrylic gives an illusion of floating in the air

What we dislike

• No complaints!

3. Desk Tidy

Award-winning industrial designer, Yohan Lansard, has once again given us a design that we are adding to our “major need!” list. Desk Tidy is both a lamp and a sleek desk organizer (also called desk tidy) for the miscellaneous items that usually cause clutter. The lighting concept is made with machined wood, anodized aluminum, and a diffusing tube.

Why is it noteworthy?

Both a lamp and a desk tidy, the light turns on when the lightbox is positioned vertically and turns off horizontally – simple, neat, and effective. How the lamp turns on and off is very intuitive as well as the paper-clip-inspired shape makes it even more perfect for your desk. The CMF is minimal and durable, the style would work in any desk or office setup without being distracting.

What we like

• This concept makes it possible to respond to different types of objects

What we dislike

• It’s still a concept!

4. 2ORDE

2ORDE is designed to create an environment that gives a sense of uniformity to the work desk and, owing to its multiple-use approach, makes finding office supplies convenient.

Why is it noteworthy?

After a host of barnstorming sessions, mockups, and feedback – the designers Junseo Oh, Eojin Roh, and Minjeong Kim arrived at a magnetic board in matte finish. Perfectly stable on its broad base, the 2ORDE is more than just the board. It is provided with a set of colorful sticky notes. These fasten magnetically to a section of the board, leaving the other part for you to detail your to-do with chalk and then paste a functional clock on it to glace at what schedule fits your time.

What we like

• The sticky notes are erasable; designers claim no matter the pen you use, you can rub it and move on without a speck of doubt
• The provided pen holder also clings onto the magnetic board and lets you have your pen collection right in focus

What we dislike

• No complaints!

5. Deskitecture

Deskitecture is a line of architecture-inspired desk appliances that use various structural motifs to form mini cityscapes on your desk.

Why is it noteworthy?

Comprised of several different appliances, Deskitecture is built from different building materials as well. Using basic architecture as the blueprint for each piece, Kim broke their line of desk appliances down to four categories: concrete, wood, brick, and steel. The appliances made from concrete are generally the ones that keep desk objects in place, like writing utensils, books, and pieces of paper.

What we like

• Unique pieces inspired by architecture
• Strikes a uniform balance between aesthetics and functionality

What we dislike

• No complaints!

6. Cyl

Desk organizers are a dime a dozen, but they themselves can actually be a source of headaches when they take over your workspace. No one can perfectly predict how much stuff we’ll accumulate over the years, and traditional organizers aren’t designed to grow with you and your clutter. You can buy more of them, in different designs even, but there’s a limit to how much room you have on the table. In contrast, Cyl uses the age-old stacking trick to free up horizontal space by utilizing often unused vertical space.

Why is it noteworthy?

This desk organizer concept doesn’t discriminate or put limits on what you can put inside. More importantly, you can easily see what’s inside and quickly get them without having to unstack the ones above. In theory, you can stack the containers as high as you can, presuming gravity doesn’t cause them to topple over.

What we like

• You can easily see what’s inside and quickly get them without having to unstack the ones above
• Organizers come in different sizes

What we dislike

• Not the most space-efficient design for your desk

7. MagOrg

Keeping our desks organized is as much a full-time job as our real jobs, and not all desks are designed to help put order to our chaos. Sure, many have drawers, but they only keep things out of sight and out of mind. Desk organizers group stuff together but can sometimes be just as disorganized as the stationery they corral. MagOrg solves this clutter problem with a system that lets you keep all these essential work tools within easy reach while giving each a proper home. And you can even mix and match pieces so you can size down as necessity dictates.

Why is it noteworthy?

MagOrg utilizes magnets to create a modular and customizable organization system where you decide how big or small you want to go. There are three large panels you can combine in different ways, and each one of them has a unique set of features that make them special. One, for example, has elastic bands similar to grid organizers that let you squeeze in notepads, highlighters, and more. Another has built-in wireless charging, where you can rest your phone while you work, confident it won’t die out on you anytime soon.

What we like

• Features a modular pen/pencil holder
• Provides a de-cluttered workspace

What we dislike

• There are similar designs on the market

8. The Quick-Access Organizer

More often than not, the reason why we lose keys, glasses, or even wallets, is because we misplace them by just placing them anywhere when we take them out of our pockets. We develop that bad habit because it sometimes takes too much work to actually drop them in proper storage, like a desk or shelf organizer, partly because the storage box itself doesn’t make it easy to use it. Having to think which item goes where can be a mental burden when it has to be done multiple times a day, and the seconds you lose opening and closing most boxes add up over time.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Quick-Access Organizer tries to smooth out by making the act of organizing your everyday carry tools as effortless as possible. The lid has sections that can fit only some kinds of objects. This makes it easier to know what to put there, so you won’t have to waste precious time making that decision every time. Pretty soon, it will be second nature to put your glasses, AirPods case, or keys in those sections, so they won’t have to end up lost in uncharted territory ever

again.

What we like

• The box’s real special talent is how that lid quickly and effortlessly swivels out of the way, revealing the spacious cavern inside
• This storage box is a minimalist beauty of contrasting and complementing elements

What we dislike

• No complaints!

9. Cacty

Inspired by the indefinite growing lengths of succulents, Subin Song collaborated with Fountain Studio to design Cacty, a modular desk organizer that can expand and grow to limitless heights.

Why is it noteworthy?

Each module of Cacty can be linked to one another through a slot-and-tab stacking method that creates an endless array of options for organizing. Users can store bulkier items like staplers and tape dispensers in Cacty’s base module, the most central piece of the stacking system, which comes equipped with four slots for additional modules’ tabs to connect. The other modules that come with Cacty fit different organizational needs. For instance, a taller module can contain long writing tools like pens and pencils, along with rulers and scissors. Then, shorter modules can hold office supplies like glue sticks, binder clips, and safety pins.

What we like

• Cacty’s main appeal is the infinite combinations that can be applied when constructing the modular system
• Cacty can be constructed into any shape that works for your desktop

What we dislike

• No complaints!

10. The SQUARE Organizer

Work or study desks must be organized, but we know organizing doesn’t come naturally to many people. The SQUARE Organizer is a new solution designed by product designer Lo Kwun Hon. The Square comes with a straightforward design— multiple slots on one side and a recessed tray on the other.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Square universal organizer is made of resin material. It’s called Square because of the simple shape, which can be combined with another piece to make a bigger or longer version. You can put two Square trays side by side to hold your pens, scissors, and other knick-knacks.

What we like

• You can use several Square trays at once and arrange them with your own layout
• The Square Organizer can also be considered modular as you can use more than one piece to create a more extensive tray system

What we dislike

• No complaints!