Tag Archives: keyboard

How this multi-functional keyboard concept increases productivity with a sliding display

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Tablets today have become so powerful that they could almost replace laptops for much of our needs, which is the narrative that even Apple is making with its iPad Pro line. That said, some people still find such devices a bit limiting, particularly in the area of multitasking. When you’re at your desk in the office or at home, you might have access to a powerful keyboard with plenty of extra keys for shortcuts to functions. But tablets are supposed to free you from your desks and let you work wherever you want or can, and you can’t bring those desktop keyboards with you. If only you could extend your portable keyboard’s functionality without extending its size. That’s the kind of paradigm shift that this concept design is trying to offer by also shifting the keyboard’s form to reveal a hidden touch screen beneath.

Designers: Subin Kim, Taeyang Kim, Su Hyun Bae, Doyoung Kim, Gyeongmi Kim, Yujeong Shin, Seungmin Hong

Rendered on KeyShot: Click Here to Download Your Free Trial Now!

Keyboards with small interactive displays are no longer an alien concept thanks to the Touch Bar on the Apple MacBook Pro. Although that did add some customizable flexibility to the equation, it was pretty limited because of its size. It was, after all, meant to take the place of the row of function keys rather than being an independent interface of its own. Despite that additional power it offers, the Touch Bar has been retired and the idea never made it outside of laptop keyboards, at least until now.

SCROOM is a concept for a portable keyboard that, at first glance, simply looks like a wireless mechanical keyboard with pretty lights. The real magic, however, happens when you slide down the keyboard or slide up its bottom half, revealing a display that’s almost the same size as the keyboard. It’s not just a simple screen, though, and it might not even function as a typical screen. Instead, it’s a touch screen that’s filled with large-sized buttons, sliders, and other controls that can help you multitask on a tablet that has pretty limited space for multitasking.

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This screen is pretty much an extension of the keyboard, except with user interfaces that are specifically designed for certain functions. There’s a large block that shows the date, pretty much like the calendar app icon on a tablet, while some have virtual buttons for media playback. There’s even a to-do list so that you don’t have to switch back and forth between apps just to check your tasks and check them off. The UI is customizable, as are the colors, and the choice of colors also affects the hue that shines underneath the keys.

SCROOM is definitely an intriguing concept and one that is possible to implement. The biggest concern, however, will be the sliding mechanism, which is always a risk, especially for devices that get carried around a lot. There’s also the matter of support for different operating systems, but that might not be as difficult to solve compared to hardware and engineering concerns.

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This low-profile mechanical keyboard is designed for smooth workflow

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Mechanical Keyboard is one accessory that’s highly personal for good reason if you spend a chunk of your day typing away letters. Whether you are a professional content creator like me, a coder, digital artist, streamer, or simply a gamer – the keyboard is something you’ll totally obsess over if it’s right or totally curse it if not to your taste!

Sure, we’ve seen different styles of keyboards in our lifetime – some with addictive tactile keys and others with ergonomic design to die for, but rarely do we come across a product design that’s the best of both. The Knob 1 keyboard is one of them.

Designer: Benjamin Fryc

This low-profile mechanical keyboard has a chick combination of modern and classic design technology to achieve a form that’s not only ergonomically tuned but also highly desirable. Such types of keyboards are becoming popular owing to their faster and more accurate input – making you type faster than normal mechanical keyboards. Keychron K3, Fnatic Streak65 LP, Corsair K70 and Razer DeathStalker are some good references to look up.

Being a 3D Artist and Motion Designer, Ben has used his keen sense for real-life usage to create the Knob 1 keyboard that hits the right spot and should appeal to most IT professionals. Everything is right out of the utilitarian handbook for maximum productivity. There’s a small vertical display on one side to display current time or any notifications from your PC, so that the actual workable area of your screen can stay clutter and distraction-free. Then there’s the Mac and PC toggle switch for power users.

The two customary knobs above the display can be used for actions including scrolling content, increasing or decreasing volume, and granular controls like zoom-in/zoom-out and Undo/Redo. The color-coded key separation has been kept simple and the lack of LED backlight keys could be a deal breaker for some. Other than that, this low-profile keyboard does most things right to make it to the desks of the most demanding users!

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This customizable mechanical keyboard adds knobs and a display to boost your productivity

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A lot of people who live and die by computers swear by mechanical keyboards for one reason or another. There are quite a few benefits to this type of computer keyboard, even if you don’t exactly subscribe to the sound or typing experience they bring. It almost seems like a by-product of their audience that mechanical keyboards happen to be significantly more customizable than their softer-sounding counterparts. This is often seen in the way you can change keycaps or even switches, but there are also quite a number of mechanical keyboards that have extra buttons, dials, and whatnot to give owners even more control. This new keyboard puts a unique twist on that characteristic, adding not only knobs and buttons but also a small display on the side in the hopes of enhancing your workflow and improving your productivity.

Designer: Work Louder

A keyboard with a display is no longer an alien concept, thanks to the somewhat controversial MacBook Pro Touch Bar. In fact, that thin strip did more than just show icons, it served as a row of icons you can tap, replacing the row of function keys with something that dynamically changes depending on the current application being used. That idea has been retired, for better or worse, but the idea of adding a display on a keyboard lives on in different ways.

The Work Louder Nomad Keyboard is less ambitious and less spectacular than the Apple Touch Bar, but it could prove to also be less intrusive and more usable. In essence, it’s a vertical 1.9-inch LCD display off to the left of the tenkeyless (it has no numeric keypad) keyboard. There’s no mention of any touch functionality, so it simply acts as a very small display to show different kinds of information. It could be some pieces of data that you need for a specific application, a list of settings for the computer or the keyboard, a Pomodoro timer, or even just a large clock. The display adds a simple yet effective way to have critical information always present without getting in your way by being too smart or too complicated.

That, however, isn’t the only special thing about the Nomad Keyboard’s design. Just like its siblings, it has a number of buttons and knobs that you can configure for different purposes, depending on whether you need it for creating content or simply changing the computer settings. Some might argue that these could be less effective than the somewhat standard Fn key combinations on some keyboards, but in addition to their flexibility, the physical controls add a bit of flavor to the workflow, making the experience more enjoyable and special.

Interestingly, the Nomad Keyboard defies mechanical keyboard conventions by using concave crater-like keycaps rather than the typical raised design. This adds some personality to the keyboard while still maintaining the mechanical switches underneath. That said, it also limits the types of keycaps you can use to replace these, effectively tying you into the manufacturer for the lifetime of the keyboard.

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8bitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard turns an old iconic console design into a fun-looking keyboard

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When you talk about video games, most people will probably think of game controllers immediately, even if a large chunk of these aren’t played that way. Even disregarding mobile games that only use touch screens, many are actually played with good, “old-fashioned” keyboard and mouse. There are, of course, keyboards made for gaming, with noisy mechanical switches and bright RBG lights, but most of these are designed to match the aesthetics of most computers, which is to say they almost always come in black, a few in off-white. Nothing screams “gaming,” however, more than a keyboard that’s designed to look like a gaming console. Ever the masters of making old things new, 8bitDo is coming out with its very first keyboard, one that pays homage to a gaming classic in an endearing and tasteful way.

Designer: 8bitDo

8bitDo is a brand best known for its multitude of game controllers catering not just to console owners but also to PC gamers. Although many of these look like your typical gamepads, the company has a penchant for applying the design language of past gaming controllers to present products, giving an ode to the rich history of video games. Its portfolio, however, has been growing recently to cover other accessories and gadgets, including a wireless charging pad, a wireless speaker, and a computer mouse. For the first time, it’s dipping its toes into keyboard territory, and what better way to start that venture than with one of the most iconic consoles in history?

Launched in the 80s, the Nintendo Entertainment System or NES, which was called the Family Computer or Famicom in Japan, kickstarted Nintendo’s own journey from making playing cards to the gaming giant it is today. Although it is hardly the first home gaming console to be launched to the masses, it is one of the few to have gained worldwide acclaim to the point of being an icon. The new 8bitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard pays tribute to this landmark gaming device but does more than just get a paint job to match the gray or red themes of the NES and Famicom, respectively.

The retro keyboard is filled to the brim with details that will really give you that old-school vibe, from the fonts used on the keycaps to the analogy dials for volume and for switching between Bluetooth or Wireless modes. There’s even a classic power light that thankfully uses a more modern LED. The package also includes two giant programmable red buttons in the style of the A and B buttons of the original NES controller. You can connect up to four of these pairs via a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is a pretty old-school connector by now.

As for the keyboard itself, it’s a tenkeyless keyboard, which means you don’t get a numeric keypad on the side. Like with many mechanical keyboards, you have the option to change not only the keycaps but even the switches to your liking. It can connect via Bluetooth, the included wireless RF receiver, or a USB cable. Unlike most gaming keyboards, however, there is no backlighting at all. The 8bitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard costs $99.99 and will ship starting in September. If you really dig the NES motif, you might be tempted to also grab the brand’s N30 wireless mouse which was also inspired by the classic console.

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The ‘Sword’ Linear Macro Pad Gives You An Entire Row Of Shortcuts Right Above Your Keyboard

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It’s almost as if your keyboard was wearing high heels…

Meet the Sword, a pretty aptly named macro pad that gives you 12 extra keys in a slim form factor that you can place right above your keyboard for that extra boost of functionality. Armed with a customizable design (and a rotary knob too), the Megalodon Sword Macro Pad takes your advanced work setup and makes it a touch more productive by giving you access to multiple shortcuts with just the push of a button.

Designer: Megalodon

Available in Yellow, Red, White, Black, and Soy (or off-white), the Sword is like EDC for your keyboard. Measuring 11.5 inches in width and just 1.5 inches in depth, the sword-shaped pad’s unique linear design complements most keyboards rather well by providing an extra row of keys without eating too much into the workstation’s real estate. The keyboard comes outfitted with mechanical keys that provide an incredible tactile experience, and rubber-bottomed feet so your keyboard doesn’t shift while you smash away at your shortcut keys through the work day.

Each Sword comes machined out of 6061 Aluminum, with 12 blank, customizable XDA keycaps sitting right above Gateron yellow switches for that ultimate tactile appeal. A USB-C port lets you hook the Sword to your current rig, and that clickable knob on the top gives you the ability to fine-tune controls or cycle through options within any software. The keys themselves have 6 layers of functionality too, allowing for a whole lot of customized that changes from program to program.

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Top 5 sleek mouse & keyboard designs for your work desk

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At Yanko Design, we believe in constantly innovating, creating, and evolving. It’s a philosophy that serves as a lifeline for us, and one of the results of this lifeline is the YD x KeyShot Inspiration Hub! The Inspiration Hub is our ‘ever-expanding encyclopedia’ of design work for you to participate in, to inspire designers, and to get inspired by. Created in collaboration with KeyShot, the Inspiration Hub is your one-stop space for inspiration where designers like you can submit your impressive designs and be awarded to stand out in the crowd and to inspire other like-minded designers.

To kickstart your journey and send some motivation your way, we’ve curated some of our favorite mouse + keyboard designs from the Inspiration Hub. These unique and uber-cool designs will motivate you to create something spectacular and submit the design, as a gateway to sharing it with the best of the design world. Additionally, we will also be picking our favorite Design of the Week, Design of the Month, and Design of the Year – every week, month, and year from the submissions on the Inspiration Hub. Keep an eye on our Instagram page and the Inspiration Hub to see if your design gets picked. Fingers crossed!

Click here to Download KeyShot Pro (Use Code ‘KSYANKOHUB’ during installation for a full Pro + KeyShotWeb trial) to take your sketch from concept to render!

1. Dag’s Mouse

Created by Betul Dag, this sleek + good-looking mouse looks like a conch shell! It features an inner shell that was pretty hard to design and an external surface marked with grooves and ridges that give the mouse a unique and stunning appearance. It’s the kind of mouse that would add an extra oomph factor to any desk it is placed upon. I would love to see this mouse as an actual tangible product.

2. Create

Designed by Naya, Create is the kind of keyboard that will ensure you don’t need any other additional peripherals! It is highly customizable to perfectly cater to every person’s individual self-expression. It eliminates the issue of a cluttered desk, which can often occur when you constantly need to switch between different peripherals.

3. The Logitech Signature Series

The Logitech Signature Series is a family of sleek and innovative mice created by Benjamin Ehrenberg to simplify the mid-range with one substantial and significant experience. The collection includes six different mice with a contoured shape, soft thumb, area, and rubber side drops designed to provide you with the perfect grip, allowing your hand to always be snugly fitted in place. You can pick the perfectly sized mouse for your hands, with the right amount of buttons and features you need for your daily work.

4. MLNW

Designed by Haechan Ryu, this mini keyboard is called the MLNW. It is an adorable little keyboard with a heart icon, and is inspired by the anti-war slogan of the 1960s hippies – “make love, not war”. The mini keyboard can only input a heart icon and is a symbol of spreading love on the internet, rather than using our keyboards to spread hate and negative comments online.

5. Gima Mouse Concept

Designed by Hizin, the Gima mouse concept is quite an interesting and whimsical one. The typical mouse buttons on the mouse are placed by keyboard keys! Actual mechanical keyboard switches have been placed beneath the keycaps, which you can mix and match with any spares that you may have lying around at home. The mouse attempts to offer the same level of customization and flexibility that mechanical keyboards offer.

Click here to Download KeyShot Pro (Use Code ‘KSYANKOHUB’ during installation for a full Pro + KeyShotWeb trial) to take your sketch from concept to render!

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Ever wanted a concrete or aluminum faceplate keyboard? Say hello to the Tera 75 mechanical keyboard with custom fascias

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I distinctly remember when Google announced their first smart speaker, they spent a significant time talking about the speaker’s interior-friendly design. Ambient computing, the company called it. The speaker’s fabric-clad and interior-friendly color palette was designed so it could blend into its surrounding decor instead of standing out. The Tera 75 mechanical keyboard from AZIO takes on a similar approach. Designed to blend into your workplace setup rather than stand out as something glaringly different from the rest of your office space, the Tera 75 is a mechanical keyboard with a 75% layout and a series of customizable plates and details that let you either blend in or blend out.

Designer: Shih-Che Peng of Azio Corporation

Click Here to Buy Now: $140 $199 ($59 off). Hurry, only 83/100 left!

The highlight of the Tera 75 lies in its absolutely customizable nature. Sure, like any good mechanical keyboard you’ve got the ability to swap out keycaps, and even hot-swap Gateron switches so you can go as clacky or as quiet as you want… but the Tera 75 takes things up a notch with an entirely customizable design, all the way from the main housing to the upper faceplate and even the rotary knob built into the keyboard.

Interchangeable Faceplate & Knob – The faceplates include a magnetic liner to make plate swapping quick and easy!

Hot Swappable Switches – Equipped with Gateron G Pro hot-swappable switches to provide a range of typing feedback catered to the user’s preference.

Designed by the folks at AZIO, the Tera 75 offers a variety of design styles to choose from. The faceplate, for instance, comes in your standard black PVD and polished PVD finishes… but for the out-of-box user, there’s a multichrome faceplate, a damascus steel faceplate, and a personal favorite, a concrete-finish faceplate. Similarly, the rotary knob that sits on the keyboard comes in black, silver, and blue CNC aluminum variants, or walnut and maple wood variants that pair rather beautifully with the concrete faceplate to give you a Nordic-inspired keyboard like no other!

Wired/Wireless – Can connect up to 3 devices at the same time through Bluetooth.

75% Layout – A size that is ideal for many and keeps the board size compact so you can have more space on your desk.

At its heart, the Tera 75 is a keyboard with a respectable 75% layout, featuring an entire row of function keys too, along with the rotary control knob on the top right. It works in both wired as well as wireless formats, and is compatible with both Windows and Mac devices, allowing you to seamlessly switch with the press of a key.

The customizable design means a much broader appeal, with the concrete and wood finish being a perfect pick for the design community, the silver PVD finish being ideal for a tech and minimalist enthusiast, and the multichrome or damascus finish catering exclusively to people looking for a dynamic keyboard to stand out from the rest of their gear. Yes, the Tera 75 also comes with backlit keys, making it a compelling pick for gamers too! The customizability extends to the rotary knob on the keyboard, which can be configured to control volume and display brightness, or even be used with your video/photo editing workflow.

When choosing your Tera 75, you get to customize its entire design, from the base to the faceplate to the knob that sits on top, as well as the keycaps and switches. You can further modify the keyboard to suit your needs and aesthetic requirements by changing the RGB backlight or the knob’s functionality through its desktop software. You can even choose to use your Tera 75 as a wired keyboard with the USB-C cable that comes bundled with it, or as a Bluetooth 5.0-powered wireless keyboard with a stellar 4,000 mAh battery that gives you weeks worth of use on a single charge. If the idea of an entirely customizable keyboard excites you, or if you’re just tired of the boring plastic keyboards and are looking for a metal or concrete upgrade, the Tera 75 is available for a discounted price of $140, with the ability to add extra faceplates, knobs, and keycaps to your pledge.

Click Here to Buy Now: $140 $199 ($59 off). Hurry, only 83/100 left!

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This tiny dedicated uWu keyboard is a cute and fun addition to your gaming obsession

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For people who use external keyboards for their work and gaming needs, it’s a great time to be alive as we’re seeing a lot of really cool and fun designs that you can mix and match so you won’t easily get bored when you’re staring at your computer screen most of the day. There are even keyboards that are specifically for gaming and now, we’re even seeing keyboards dedicated to just one game. It might seem like a bit too much but for fans of a specific game who play it obsessively, it’s a fun addition to the gaming experience.

Designer: Wooting

osu! is a hugely popular free-to-play game that is pretty simple in its gameplay but also grows increasingly more difficult the more you play it, hence the challenge. There are only a few basic moves as you try to follow the beat and rhythm of the game so you don’t need a lot of complicated accessories. But if you want a keyboard that’s dedicated to a game that you play a lot, then the UwU keyboard is for you.

Basically, it’s a three-keyed board that is meant specifically to play osu! There are three variations that are available in its recently launched founders campaign. The basic model, which comes in a cream base color with a navy stripe and pink highlights, includes the base model board, a braided USB cable, an analogue lekker switch, and four collectible keycaps. The Wooting UwU RGB has RGB lighting and an additional travell case. The last variation is the Wooting UwU RGB Stealth edition which is basically a black colored keyboard.

Obviously, this keyboard will mean nothing to you if you’re not playing osu!, although it is pretty cute on its own. Well, if you find uwu things cute. But if you want to also see what all the fuss is about in this popular rhythm game, then you can start playing it first and then see if the keyboard is something you want to add to your paraphernalia.

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The Altar I mechanical keyboard made from recyclable materials is minimalist and functional at its heart

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A good tactile keyboard is a boon for any productive workstation and the options out there are plentiful. Right from the Cherry Stream Desktop and Logitech K380 to the Keychron V6 or Razer Pro Type.

For me, a keyboard should have good backlit keys, a tactile typing experience and a compact design that’s easy to carry around. Not to forget the fonts and the color theme of the peripheral. A minimalist Bluetooth keyboard is just what’s right for me – like The Altar I mechanical keyboard compatible with both Mac and Windows devices.

Designer: Electronic Materials Office

The London-based electronics startup Electronics Materials Office has unveiled its first product made from sustainable materials. To be precise crafted out of post-consumer waste-derived plastic. The low-profile keyboard is a unibody aluminum framed peripheral that has both the U.S. and U.K. layouts with 78 key and 77 key layouts respectively. The Altar I’s keycaps are also forged out of recycled polymers, thereby making it a sensible accessory that goes with the sentiments of nurturing the planet. The company’s vision is to be a “future-oriented consumer hardware corporation” that’ll be centered around designing durable electronics made out of earth-friendly materials.

The font on the keyboard is what lured me to write about this piece, and it’s very crisp and minimalist. Electronics Materials Office uses Tobias font from Display Type Foundry and the GT Flexa font from Grilli Type which go well with the black-colored keyboard body. The accessory tailored for touch typing can be used with two devices simultaneously which is ideal for geeks who switch between their laptop and tablet frequently. Altar I also has Kailh Choc Low Profile v1 Red switches to craft your custom keyboard layout.

The low-profile keyboard will lure many buyers and if you already like it you need to sign up for the waitlist. There’s no word on the pricing or availability as of now, but it should be up for grabs pretty soon.

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