Following this project with great interest, I don't want to build a desk myself but would love to get into carpentry!
Do you have a list of tools you're using for this project?
Titan pillar drill. Not essential, but it is handy for driilling straight. I have a cordless Makita drill/screwdriver which I use occasionally as well. There's a 9mm drill bit in there right now for helping with the 9mm mortises. You can also see a marking square and tape measure to the left for measuring and marking and (trying to) keep things square.
Makita mitre saw. Probably essential I'd say, for cutting every piece to the right length quickly and accurately. I can't cut straight by hand to save my life, and even if I could it would be a lot of work. If I was to buy a new one, I'd probably look for one with a sliding arm, so you can cut wider pieces than the blade alone would allow.
Evolution table saw. The newest and biggest tool I own. Haven't used it extensively, but I don't think I'd have been able to cut the tenons without it. Probably essential for any quantity of "real" woodworking.
Makita router/trimmer. Essential. I don't own a full-size router, but this has done everything I really need up to now. Very handy gadget. Use it for cutting grooves, mortises, and a variety of edge profiles, though I tend to stick with a simple 1/4" round-over on most things I make.
And then a variety of hand tools for smaller or more intricate tasks - metal ruler, marking square, tape-measure, hack-saw, chisels, files, etc. Some essential, some not - depends on what you need to do.
On the software side, I spend ages fiddling in Sketchup before cutting anything! I keep meaning to learn something like Fusion360, but haven't got around to it yet.
Will you be carving the turkey on the table saw I wonder... 