257 - Timothy Achumba

Timothy Achumba is currently a Principal Product Designer at Microsoft.

He was previously a Product Designer at Meta and again at Microsoft before that (by way of Wunderlist acquisition).

In his free time he is a mechanical keyboard hobbyist.

Twitter → twitter.com/timothyachumba
Instagram → instagram.com/akukolabs

Tools:

• Sit stand desk base from Autonomous
• Bamboo desktop from IKEA
• MacBook Pro M1 Max
• LG Ultrafine 5K Monitor
• Opal C1 Camera
• Treasure Type 9 Series II Stainless Steel (Macropad)
• Banana Deskmat by MVKB (maxvoltar)
• NT USB Microphone
• Logi MX Ergo Mouse
• Alu Bolt Keyboard by Lazy Designers
• HÅG Tion Chair

Other Keyboards:

• Keychron Q2
• IV Works AV4
• KBD67 Lite R4
• Mason60 Zen by Brazen Studio
• Monokei x TGR 910 ME
• Ramaworks Kara
• Strata: Frost by Protozoa Studios

Software:

• Figma
• Blender
• Notion
• Arc
• Apple Music
• Darkroom
• Discord

What is your favorite item in your workspace?

My favourite item in my workspace is probably the keyboard that’s on my desk at the time. I got into the hobby about a year ago and i’ve completely fallen in love. In the photos I have the Alubolt by Lazy Designers on my desk. It’s the smallest board I have.

How do you spark creativity?

Music is a big part of my creative process. It really helps things flow. I find that I’m able to get in the flow when my desk is set to the standing position and I can move around a little. I like a wide range of music but right now I’m listening to alt-j, Logic and Frankie Stew and Harvey Gunn.

How do you manage work-life balance?

I have a 1 year old son and spending as much time as possible with him and my wife is my number 1 goal. I like to break up my day into chunks, rather than working 6-8 hours straight, I like to have 2-3 hour focus sessions and then grab coffee while I take my son for a walk or just grab some alone time and catch up on some reading or a podcast. I'm grateful to have a very flexible schedule so I can fit work around the things and people that matter to me most.

What do you think is the main benefit of remote work?

Like a mentioned above, being remote allows you to prioritise the most meaningful things and people in life while still being productive at your job.