nerdy bio

Who are you, and what do you do?

My name is Tim Van Damme, and I'm a software designer based in Belgium. I work from my home office every day, surrounded by my family of 6 (myself and the dog included). My employer is a US-based company called [Gowalla][]. We spent 8 years in the US, but recently moved back to be closer to family. My keyboard side project is called MVKB ("maxvoltar keyboards"; clever, I know).

What hardware(tools) and software do you use?

My current setup is a maxed out 2019 16" [MacBook Pro][macbook-pro] which… I don't love (for the price). I can't wait for the new M-powered model hopefully later this year (I could get a smaller one right now, but as a designer I feel like I need the screen estate). I have it open on an arm, next to an [LG 5k monitor][ultrafine-5k] with slight burn-in. I love the monitor and hope it never dies (because they don't produce them anymore and it's the only "budget" 5k option right now), but know it'll only be a matter of time before it does.

After being an avid fan of Apple peripherals for most of my computer-using years, last year I switched to a [Logitech MX Master 2 mouse][mx-master-2], and got myself a mechanical keyboard (the first of many). My collection of keyboards has grown vast, but I'm currently typing this on a [RAMA M65-B Kuro][m65-b] (thanks Seb!) with [GMK WoB keycaps][wob], Durock v2 stabilizers (lubed with Krytox G205 Grade 2), and JWK FFFF linear switches (lubed with Krytox G205 Grade 0, not filmed).

For work: [Figma][] to design, [Linear][] to keep track of what needs to be done, [Quill][] for internal communication, [Notion][] for internal documentation.

For keyboard stuff: Figma for design, [Blender][] for renders, [Discord][] for communication, [Craft][] for keeping track of projects, [Netlify][] for my website.

What would be your dream/dream setup?

Honestly, I'm super happy with my current setup. I've been refining it over the years, and got it to a point I don't really have any improvements I want to make. I have one of those tall office chairs (they call them stools), and a standup desk which is raised. The combination of tall chair and raised desk helps a ton with my posture. Maybe I'd like to add another display to my desk at some point, but the choices for those are slim to non-existent right now.

My office is pretty messy, but it's a place where I can focus and be productive.