14 Desk Organization Ideas To Maximize Productivity and Clear the Clutter

Desk organization may seem like a purely aesthetic pursuit. With everything in order, your desk will be more inviting, and you’ll be ready for a healthy dose of work-based carpe diem. However, organization is more than just decluttering your workspace.

According to a University of Arizona study, productivity can rise as much as 15% in an organized workspace, and 83% of workers felt they would become more productive working with some semblance of organization.

Based on productivity alone, desk organization isn’t just a nice-to-have; they’re a must. Unlock your full potential in a tidy, decluttered, and chic workspace with these desk organization ideas.

14 Desk Organization Ideas To Please the Senses and Unleash Your Potential

Organization is the bane of many people’s existence. It’s rarely a natural skill, and once your desk space is an utter mess, rebounding may feel burdensome, if not impossible.

If this describes you, don’t stress! You don’t need interior designer expertise, significant changes, or a huge budget to turn your home office into a functional, aesthetically pleasing workstation. Follow these desk organization ideas to fix even the messiest workstation.

1. Consider a Desktop Organizer or Caddy

A desktop organizer may seem like a counterintuitive desk organization idea. It sits on your desk, taking away valuable desktop space. But done correctly, these handy desk accessories can dramatically improve organization with a minimalist feel.

The best desktop organizers allow you to see everything at a glance while offering verticality to limit their space consumption. That is to say, taller organizers are always better than wider ones.

Available in various materials and colors, these storage solutions can meet your organizational needs while complementing your interior design and style.

2. Free Up Space With an Acrylic Monitor Riser

If you use a desktop with a separate monitor, a clunky computer setup diminishes valuable desk space and becomes a source of clutter. Consider an acrylic monitor riser to alleviate this organizational nightmare and improve productivity.

These clear risers move your monitor a few inches off the desk and often include small cubbies for Post-It’s/sticky notes, paper clips, business cards, small notepads, and more, promoting extra space and a more organized desk. Plus, the riser is lightweight and portable, allowing you to move your setup quickly and easily, should you wish to feng shui your office space.

3. Avoid Floor Storage

Storage boxes on the floor work in a pinch, but they’re hardly a feasible long-term solution. You’re kicking them whenever you’re at your desk, and the visual appeal leaves much to be desired.

Instead of floor storage, opt for a more appealing and decluttering alternative. Floating shelves add plenty of room for your supplies while adding work-friendly storage space and maximizing overall desk space.

4. Create More Surface Area With a Pegboard

Pegboards are popular in garages and workshops worldwide, but they’re also an attractive option for many remote workers. Using customizable hooks and holders, a pegboard can turn a small space into an organizational masterpiece.

One of the reasons pegboards are one of the best desk organization ideas is that you can see everything at once. You no longer have to sift through drawers or leave clutter on your desk, and you can use vertical space and maximize wall space efficiency. And with a DIY element, you can arrange your pegboard how you see fit.

5. Use Drawer Organizers

You open the drawer, throw stuff inside, and close it. It’s an action that everyone subconsciously does. Over time, more and more office supplies, gadgets, and knickknacks occupy the drawer, and you can’t find anything. The only way to negate the “junk drawer” is to create organization.

With in-desk drawer dividers or organizers, everything has a proper place. Available at any office supply or general store — think Wal-Mart or Target — these handy organizers ensure your essential items stay where they’re supposed to. If you need a new office desk, opt for one with built-in dividers to save a step in the organizational process.

6. Take a Trip to the Store

Organizational style isn’t just a fad. It allows you to combine your sense of organization with your preferred decor. As a dynamic industry, organizational tools are constantly changing. So, if you’re new to organizing, a trip to the store might provide you with some fresh ideas.

Big-box retail stores like Wal-Mart and Target should lend a few ideas, offering basics like desk lamps, pencil cups, and office furniture. But if you want even more options, consider specialized retailers like The Container Store or Staples. Catered to the home office professional and organizational gurus, these stores offer desk supplies and desk organization ideas you may never have thought about. With some inspiration, you can maximize value from your home office stipend or gift card.

7. Read About Organizational Efficiency

One of the biggest hacks for desk organization ideas doesn’t require you to make any moves — at least not yet. Instead of stressing about where to put your stapler and push pins or how to reduce paper clutter, take a breath and read.

Organizational masterminds like Shira Gill and Marie Kondo have plenty of ideas in their books for desk organization. However, you also have plenty of free websites that are a wealth of information, including:

• A Bowl Full of Lemons
• A Slob Comes Clean
• Clutterbug
• Get Organized HQ
• The Simplicity Habit

Even if you need a break from your workday, these blogs should inspire an organized desk with your style and needs at heart.

8. Roll Your Way to Organization

Rolling desks are ubiquitous in coworking spaces and offices, but they’re often visibly absent from the home office. They shouldn’t be.

Rolling carts, desks, filing cabinets, and even bookshelves allow you to customize your workspace on the fly while keeping everything right where it belongs. These items also come in almost every color or material you can think of, putting aesthetic compatibility concerns to rest.

9. Manage Your Cables

Between a phone, your electronic office swag, computers, and other equipment, your desk can quickly become littered with cables. It’s a common problem, but the solution isn’t always recognizable.

However, enough people have become fed up with cables that you can easily find manageable options. Picture-hanging strips, cable ties, cable guides, and under-desk power strips are desk organization ideas that ensure your devices stay powered and charged without the cable mishmash that saps your well-being.

10. Throw in Some Wall Baskets

Wall baskets complement floating shelves. But unlike floating shelves, wall baskets provide a safe place for all your stuff without fear of it falling off the edge. Compared to shelves, wall baskets require minimal cleaning, requiring less time with a surface cleaner and rag.

11. Keep It Clean

Speaking of cleanliness, one of the most fruitful desk organization ideas centers around regularly polishing your workspace. While this includes keeping your desktop and storage areas clean, vacuuming, mopping, and dusting can maintain that work-friendly feel without the grime that can detract from it.

12. Categorize Your Office Supplies

Before you buy baskets, shelves, caddies, or anything else, start your organizational to-do list by categorizing all your gear. You can’t have a semblance of organization and order without doing so.

As you categorize, consider what you use each item for. Job duty is a cornerstone of categorization, ensuring you group everything with sensibility and practicality. For example, you could put all your office supplies in one group, electronics in another, and paper goods in the last. However you decide to group your things, have it make sense to you.

13. Go Wireless

If you’re tired of cables but not thrilled with cable management, try a wireless approach. Nearly every item in a home office, including keyboards, mice, phone chargers, and more, is available in a wireless version.

To go this route, you still need to consider charging stations, so plan to have a dedicated charging area, preferably away from your desk.

14. Make It Your Own

Desk organization ideas are abundant, but remember to add the most integral element: your style. You don’t need a stale, cubicle-like WFH workspace to justify organization. Decor plays an equally important role.

Hang motivational posters and sports memorabilia that appeal to your interests or decor, add a few office-friendly houseplants, or paint the room in calming colors. This doesn’t directly pertain to desk organization ideas, but you might be surprised how giving the entire room a makeover can create a more inviting and inspirational workspace.

How Employers Can Promote Desk Organization

Though desk organization ideas primarily benefit employees, employers can also benefit from promoting such plans. Companies that offer an employee stipend for the home office and an organizational quick guide can bolster productivity and even improve morale.

Employers should consider gift cards as an easy method of upgrading home offices rather than sending gifts or home office products directly to the employee. Doing so embraces employees' individuality and needs while giving them complete control of their work-from-home desk.

Hoppier cures home office organization woes with ease and simplicity. Rather than purchase an Amazon or Staples gift card, Hoppier’s gift cards are as good as cash at tens of thousands of global vendors. From new filing cabinets to chargers to handy gadgets, our gift cards provide the perfect avenue toward desk organization bliss.