
Show HN: De-sk, modular office desk system - jfren
http://de-sk.co
======
aesthetics1
It's an interesting concept. You need more photos - I need to see how the
slats interlock, I need to see photos of how the frame works. My immediate
thought was that with a long enough desk (de-sk?) it would bow in the middle.
A lot of questions I have don't seem to be answered on the landing page. I
think overall, the landing page could be simplified and cleaned up so I don't
need to go hunting through the "FAQ" and "Why De-sk?" pages to know if this is
the desk for me.

As others have pointed out, I think the biggest weakness is the seams. It
looks like it would be impossible to write on. I would suggest that you
include some sort of optional desk pad as an add-on.

I'm from the US. Although it doesn't look like you're shipping here yet
anyway, you might include inch/pound units too if you plan to ship
internationally at some point.

Cool concept, good luck.

EDIT: Here's what I meant by a desk pad, in case it wasn't obvious. This one
has a lip so that it stays put, and a metal backing so that you wouldn't feel
the slats underneath while you were writing:
[https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40246156/](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40246156/)

~~~
hammock
_> It's an interesting concept. You need more photos - I need to see how the
slats interlock, I need to see photos of how the frame works. My immediate
thought was that with a long enough desk (de-sk?) it would bow in the middle._

He doesn't explain it but it seems pretty clear to me how it might work. The
slats don't interlock. Underneath each slat are wooden tabs (one on each end)
that fit snugly inside the frame. Each frame is sized to fit a certain number
of slats.

And a long desk won't bow in the middle because the slats run the short end of
the frame, not the long end.

~~~
Doxin
The long axis of the desk still has a load bearing member that can flex.
Presumably if you get a longer desk frame the member would be adjusted (in
size or thickness or whatnot) to not bow.

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jfren
Hey HN! I'm Jonathan. I've spent the last few months working on designing and
launching a new concept for a desk. It's mainly targeted towards companies /
offices -- ie banks of desks. I was inspired by my experience starting a co-
working space, and subsequently meeting lots of others running offices and co-
working spaces.

It's my first non-digital product, and I'm super excited to share it here
first.

I'd love any feedback on the product and the site! :)

~~~
nextos
I love the concept because modularity is clever. You can build many many
setups with a few pieces, and it's easy to ship!

I've been shopping for a desk in Oxford & London and I was not satisfied with
what I saw. Great timing, I will consider de-sk.

I'd love to see adjustable height. Maybe not with an engine, as that would
make the desk too heavy to ship and too expensive or complex. I think a crank
handle system would be enough for small frames.

I'd also love to see the possibility of buying solid wood modules, like solid
birch, instead of plywood.

PS: You should maybe have a solution for the annoyance of writing over tiny
gaps. It doesn't bother me as I always write on top of a leather pad, but I
can bother others. Good luck.

~~~
sleepybrett
the concept is slats, slats have been around since man started turning timber
into lumber. Point to me what is new.

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blunte
I didn't immediately see some desktop covering that would make the surface
flat and smooth. This is something that some users would have to have - for
writing on paper on the desk, and for mousing.

And since I don't want to have to have a special "desk mat" that looks odd and
may slide around, I would skip this desk. Perhaps you can devise one that fits
the style and provides the flat smooth surface that some of us would want.

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sbr464
Another cool company I've used for the office - Floyd, you buy the legs, and
build a desktop/door etc. Can recommend. We built our tops out of 2 sheets of
nice grade Russian Baltic Birch plywood glued/screwed together. More expensive
but built like tanks and easy to move with the removable legs.

[https://floydhome.com/products/the-floyd-utility-
set?color=W...](https://floydhome.com/products/the-floyd-utility-
set?color=White)

~~~
sbr464
pic of desk/detail:
[https://www.dropbox.com/sh/j6mpmq2ozudike1/AAA0rAMeoBg_NnV6o...](https://www.dropbox.com/sh/j6mpmq2ozudike1/AAA0rAMeoBg_NnV6o3ANcvOMa?dl=0)

~~~
aplc0r
I like your use of the Craftsman tool chest. The printer fits perfectly!

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fredley
Really great idea. In the awkward spaces city-dwellers like myself have to
contend with, finding a desk that uses space well is a massive pain. For my
current desk I ended up ordering countertop and building it myself. If this
had been around I would have used it. Love the customisation options. As
others have said it's a little expensive, but frankly paying an extra hundred
quid for a desk (something I use a lot) that's _perfect_ isn't a big deal.

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Kagerjay
There is a lot of questions regarding the way this works

How does the frame even work?

How does resizing work?

Won't writing a piece of paper on this desk be an unpleasant experience?

Your product & site needs a video

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kevinherron
Hard pass. I hate having any kind of seam underneath my working surface. This
product is made entirely of seams.

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jiveturkey
This is cool.

However, all the holes seem to be just at the edge of the boards -- which
makes perfect sense. You don't want a hole in the middle.

But:

1) I think dynamic hole locations could be easily replicated on a standard
desk by just drilling wherever you want and when you need to change this up,
plugging old holes with a plastic cap. So really the main advantage is in
being able to change the size of the tabletop, not in choosing different slats
with different hole patterns.

2) sit-stand is the new hotness and you don't seem to address that.

3) having the main work surface be slatted is terrible. instead, have larger
boards for the main area and a frame that allows just the edge to have
modularity. You can still extend a desk by adding a smaller main board or a
few full length slats.

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gumby
Nice idea!

I notice people are mentioning the slats as an issue, but after reflection I
realized it wouldn't be a problem for _me_ (not to say that others won't find
it a problem). I only write on paper as part of a block, and if I need to
write on some single sheet of paper I always put a book, magazine or block
behind it so that I don't have the hard table surface under the paper. One of
the desk mats discussed would be fine too; I was just surprised to realize I
don't need it.

Also, a grommet for the through-hole would reduce the chance of wear on a
cable.

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Odenwaelder
Way too expensive, sorry. I just built my own: 400cm oak wood tabletop: 200
Euros. IKEA Legs: 18 Euros. IKEA ALEX drawer element: 60 Euros. Putting
everything together took an hour.

~~~
stinos
_400cm oak wood tabletop: 200 Euros_

Oak isn't exactly cheap so for that price I assume this is just a tiny layer
of oak (sorry couldn't find English term for it) glued on top of plywood or
so?

Apart from that: De-sk is sort of expensive yes, but from what it looks like
part of that price is quality paid for, it looks sturdy. No matter how smart
and well-designed IKEA is, 18 euros cannot buy you something which lasts and
doesn't wobble even after disassembling and assembling it again unless you
attach it to a wall or so - at least that's my impression after years of using
IKEA. I personally really dislike tables with even the slightest wobble for
any kind of job. Most IKEA tables freshly built out of the box do not fullfill
that requirement. Anyway: maybe they have something new now, what legs did you
use?

~~~
localtalent
'Veneer' is the term usually used. At that price, likely not solid, although
butcher-block is not terribly expensive: a 240cm one is USD200 [1]. If the
IKEA legs are just solid metal, it's entirely possible that it doesn't wobble
provided they're affixed well.

Interesting product, maybe there's value in 3 different size slats to
alleviate the seams problem while still providing flexibility?

[1][https://www.lumberliquidators.com/ll/c/%27-Builder-Oak-
Count...](https://www.lumberliquidators.com/ll/c/%27-Builder-Oak-Countertop-
Williamsburg-Butcher-Block-Co.-OAKBB8L-H/10037933)

------
xemdetia
I wonder how this differs from the usual McMaster Carr table which has the
benefit of an actually smooth/consistent surface
[https://www.mcmaster.com/#6124T5](https://www.mcmaster.com/#6124T5) and in
general just seems like a better deal.

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subpixel
I understand in principle how this might work, but the site gives me no visual
idea how it actually works.

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1g0rb
There is another similar concept od modular desk but based on bigger modules
and without the steel frame (modules interlock together)
[https://www.facebook.com/modulosdesk/](https://www.facebook.com/modulosdesk/)

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poulsbohemian
So it's an Ikea equivalent desk for $500 USD?

I'm in the market for a new desk, but this isn't doing anything for me,
especially at that price point. Just yesterday I was looking at a sit/stand
automatic up/down with built-in USB for nearly $200 less than that. It isn't
even clear to me what if any of the replaceable slats I get - I went through
the customization process, but other than the color and size it wasn't clear
to me there was any options on the slats.

Looks beautiful, I just question its value proposition relative to other desks
available from known entities (as well as in my domestic market)

~~~
yardshop
Hover over the slats on the table and you will get a pop-up menu that allows
you to modify them. Then the total price shows at the bottom. The one I put
together came to 447 GBP or $576. It doesn't look like they ship to the US but
if they did I expect there would be a considerable increase in the cost.

It would probably be possible to have something similar built for less,
especially if you had some woodworking capability and were able to build the
slats yourself. This thing would probably have a lot more strength and
flexibility than something that comes from Ikea.

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ChikkaChiChi
I couldn't find any info about how the wire management works. It seems like
understanding how multiple slates join together would be beneficial.

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asdkhadsj
Site is down for me at the moment it seems. Not loading.

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sleepybrett
Why are the board edges not laminated and instead just exposed particleboard,
they are going to get rubbed and start falling apart.

~~~
yardshop
It's baltic birch plywood, not particle board. It's extremely stable stuff and
not going to fall apart even with a lot of rubbing.

