Tag Archives: keyboard

Figma Creator Micro Keyboard gives designers all the shortcuts they need

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Computers are powerful tools that enable all kinds of workflows, including designing products, architectures, or artwork. As powerful as they may be, the devices that we currently have for creating these digital artifacts aren’t exactly conducive to the creative process. Keyboards are large and clunky, and while there are indeed styluses that act like electronic pens, they still require the use of keys at some point or another. Keyboard shortcuts are supposed to help manage those dozens if not hundreds of actions available, but the finger gymnastics and memorization required create more stress and break the creative workflow. That is why custom-made keyboards are becoming popular among creators and designers, and this newest addition offers plenty of power in a small and cute package.

Designer: Figma x Work Louder

Almost all software for designers and creatives makes use of keyboard shortcuts so that you don’t have to dig through countless menus every time you need to do something. Sadly, the way keyboards work means you have to string a series of keys that may or may not have anything related to the action like Ctrl and Z keys to undo and Ctrl and Y to redo. Not only does it make it harder to remember these shortcuts, they can also be painful for your fingers in the long run.

Enter the Figma Creator Micro Keyboard, a small square keyboard with only 12 mechanical keys arranged in a cross formation. The idea is that you can map each of the keys to a single function so you don’t have to press two or more keys to get the same outcome. Of course, 12 keys won’t be enough for many software (Figma itself has over 150 possible actions), but the Figma Creator has four “layers” so that each key can actually have four actions. That gives you a total of 48 keys in groups of 12, available by simply tapping a capacitive sensor in the corner.

In addition to these keys, there are two analog controls available as well, a dial and a wheel, both of which are also clickable. These can be mapped to changing brush sizes or going through a sequence of undos and redos in rapid succession, basically, anything that would involve a slider or list of some sort. These are must-haves for digital painting and design software, proving how this keyboard was made with this kind of work specifically in mind.

The design of the keyboard itself is quite captivating and fun, using a frosted polycarbonate case that lets the RGB lighting inside shine through. The low-profile concave keycaps are replaceable, so you can pick your theme or design to match your mood and workflow. The catch is that the keyboard costs $139 and is currently still on pre-order, though it does make for a worthwhile investment if you find your fingers always aching and sore after an intense work session.

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AI-assisted keyboard streamlines workflow for IT professionals and content creators

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If you ever wondered what the next big leap in technology could be, it surely is artificial intelligence. Set to take the world we live in by storm in the coming decade, the future is exciting as we all witness the metamorphosis in our daily routine thanks to this promising evolution.

As a coder or content creator, if you always wanted AI to be by your side to streamline processes, now is a good time to be alive. So, why not a mechanical keyboard that employs AI to your advantage to stay ahead of the curve?

Designer: Junha Kahm

While most of us prefer the Logitech MX Mechanical Keyboard, Corsair K70 RGB Pro, 8Bitdo Retro Mechanical Keyboard or Keychron Q Series – the Sparrow AI keyboard wants to dethrone them all with functionality so unique, that you’ll want to grab it right away. As the name suggests, the keyboard is tailored for productive workflow out of the box with its advanced AI-assisted features.

The smart keyboard has a semi-transparent display on the front that constantly keeps giving useful inputs and insight about the things you are typing on it. For example, if you are a coder and typing down lines of code and by mistake inputting a wrong code, Sparrow is mindful enough to suggest a rectification. The same is true for content creators who can benefit from the keyboard’s constant learning ability to weed any errors out of the workflow.

If you want to interact with the peripheral, there’s a switch button on the left that allows you to have a conversation right on the keyboard interface rather than going to your preferred AI program for help. When you want to use the traditional keyboard function and turn off any AI assists, it is as simple as toggling off the switch button.

This idea of an AI-assisted keyboard has every reason to make it past the concept and prototype stage. What do you think?

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This keyboard and mouse put a bold and chunky spin on computer accessories

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There’s no shortage of keyboards and mice available in the market today, each of them trying to cover an equally wide range of needs and tastes. There are keyboards designed for gamers, mice made for artists, and all sorts of designs claiming to deliver the perfect ergonomic experience. Mechanical keyboards, in particular, are quite popular among heavy computer users, but the majority of the options available lean more toward gamer aesthetics with their hard edges and psychedelic RGB lighting. Fortunately, there are exceptions, like this collection of computer peripherals that make use of big, chunky keys, soft colors, and plenty of gold accents that earmark them for a different and more appraising clientele.

Designer: AIZO

It’s actually not that easy to design a correct and usable keyboard. One has to consider performance first, with comfort usually following it. Aesthetics often takes a back seat, as if it was mutually exclusive from a good technological product. The visual and tactile experience of a product, however, can make or break its success, and devices are no different. The IZO keyboard, mouse, and numeric keypad try to prove that by delivering a design that is not only functional but also luxurious.

Unlike your typical keyboards, the IZO wireless keyboard and numpad use rather chunky and big keycaps that look more like smooth pebbles than the usual trapezoidal shape. Even the choice of white color for the keys gives it a softer aura, which complements the colors of the frame which is treated with a glistening pearl finish. The most eye-catching parts, however, are perhaps the gold accents on some of the keys and on the mouse, elevating the objects from being tools to fashionable accessories.

The devices do have a few tricks up their sleeves beyond just looking sophisticated. The keyboard, for example, has a knob that actually houses two different dials to control different things. The numpad has its own display and functions as a calculator on its own. These aren’t mind-blowing additions, but they help assure buyers that the devices are more than just pretty faces.

The AZIO IZO wireless keyboard, numpad, and wireless mouse present not only a unique design but also a challenge to manufacturers. At this point in time, we have already perfected the essentials of performance, ergonomics, and features for these peripherals, so it’s about time that we start focusing on materials, aesthetics, and the human experience that these products provide. Why should you settle for plain dark accessories when you can have the same performance wrapped in elegant and luxurious designs that better match your style.

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Keyboard with UST projector projects any language onto bottom of the keys to transform it into a bilingual powerhouse

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Ever found yourself in a situation where you needed to type in a different language from a keyboard but had no clue where specific letters or accents were located? Perhaps it was a requirement for your job, or maybe you were just passionate and wanted to extend your bilingual skills. Well, it’s not just you! Jorge Paez found himself in a similar predicament upon starting a new job in a foreign location.

Most of us face this challenge yet not many think about a solution. We look for alternatives on the market or hold up with DIY solutions like sticking letters onto the keyboard or downloading language-specific keyboard apps. But Paez wanted a comprehensive and innovative solution to bridge the language gap.

Designer: Jorge Paez

To break down language barriers and foster smoother typing in any language you like, Paez has conceptualized the ADAPT keyboard: a true marvel that can make life specifically easy for multilingual typing. How, you ask? By integrating an Ultra Short Throw projector right at its core, this keyboard takes your typing game to a whole new level.

The ADAPT cutting-edge keyboard is designed with tech-savvy multilingual individuals in mind. It uses the integrated Ultra Short Throw projector to project any language onto the bottom of the keys to instantly transform the keyboard into a bilingual powerhouse.

For instance, you’re sitting at your desk, and want to switch between typing in English and Spanish. With the ADAPT keyboard, you simply select your desired language on your computer, and the projector beams the corresponding keyboard layout onto the keys, illuminating them with the necessary characters and accents.

So, with the ADAPT keyboard typing or switching between languages is a breeze, enabling you to communicate fluidly and effectively regardless of the language. No more fumbling around with sticky notes or navigating through language-specific keyboard apps, with the ADAPT concept, the experience of typing is going to become elegant and classy. In addition to being an effective tool for pros, the keyboard can also serve as an interactive exercise, helping the novice to familiarize themselves with different keyboard layouts and characters.

 

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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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