I’m a woodworker by trade and I wouldn’t choose mdf or particleboard/ chipboard for a desk, though it can be done. There are some really nice things about mdf but they don’t apply to a project like this. It’s super strong in some ways (I’ve built functional gear boxes out of it) and very weak in others. If you’re set up with safety gear/ dust extraction it can be easy to work with since it’s so uniform and flat. Its a sensible material for a production shop, from a financial perspective, where you make essentially the same thing over and over and have a cnc cutter doing a lot of the work. For anything that has to stand the test of time I’d avoid it. I would recommend decent quality plywood (or actual lumber if your tools and skills are up to the task).
That being said, if you really want to use mdf feel free to mine my brain for advice. You would want to approach the design differently than you would with other materials and finishing requires some uncommon techniques as well.
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