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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
It’s not usual in 2023 for a complete personal computer to be built in a typical Mac Keyboard. If something like that has to become a reality, it would be called the Mac Nano and would look pretty nifty and compact; the workforce working from home would like to adapt.
Ease of use and affordability are two keywords of the generation that has been living and working from the confines of their home. For this population, the Mac Nano may not particularly be an affordable proposition, it surely will be an effortless and outright portable way to work.
Designer: Le KBM
In that vein, the Mac Nano is a Mac Mini-style, powerful computer packed into a Magic Keyboard. The basic layout of the keyboard starts with the revival of the TouchBar, which Apple aficionados supposedly were missing for a reason they know best.
For computing prowess, the eventfully designed keyboard is supercharged by Apple’s own, super impactful M2 chip. As mentioned, it features a large TouchBar on the top, which is enhanced with Taptic Engine to relay tactile feedback based on your touch intensity.
A personal computer without advanced security is a sitting duck. Understandably then, the keyboard comes with Touch ID for privacy. The Mac Nano features 2TB SSD for storage, 24GB of unified memory and comes with 8 hours of battery life for an uninterrupted day of work.
The wireless keyboard is equipped with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 for connectivity. For audiophiles, the slim Mac Nano has 4 speakers with spatial audio and a microphone jack. Connecting the computing device to a display is made possible with Airplay and 2 thunderbolt and as many USB 4 ports. A lone USB 3 port also helps with connectivity.
With magnetic TrackPad on the side, the Mac Nano is programmed to also connect your iPhone as TrackPad. Considering the plug-and-play and portability of the Mac Nano keyboard, it is a neat option for students or the work-from-home generation who might be having a hard time working on traditional PCs and laptops.
Geeky keyboards are generally targeted at gamers, coders, editors, or content creators. They come with a lot of programmable keys, RGB lighting, and at times even a touchpad to extend the functionality.
Asus, Logitech, Corsair and Roccat have their versions of mechanical keyboards for every type of user, each one with its own set of merits. So, how about a “Hello, World!” themed keyboard that pays homage to the coders who encountered this first computer program when they kicked off their journey?
Designer: JK CAPTAIN
This concept keyboard design brings a refreshing perspective to a mechanical keyboard with textured keys. While most keyboards have extended functionality like a trackpad on the right-hand section or the top, the Hello World Keyboard has a sci-fi-themed interface on the left. An e-ink-like display on the bottom displays the preferred art or avatar, just like one would do in their gaming profile. The monochrome display is contrasted with a dedicated section to quickly jump to the homepage, speed up the processing or perform an instant browser search. A thick knob on the side lets you choose either of these actions.
Keys on the keyboard are visually separated in white, blue and orange colors that are bright enough even for a dark room setting. Those who prefer darker themes to match with a setup can go for the optional black keyboard having either fluorescent keys or orange ones. For users who are not big fans of customizable RGB lights in their keyboard interface, the Hello World Keyboard is the ideal match. The peripheral has a stealthy build seeming like something Darth Vader would love on board his Executer starship.
Each of the secondary function keys, letter keys, and function keys is inscribed with text to evoke interest in the whole exercise of typing. In a way, the inscriptions on secondary function keys explain the basics of what it would particularly do. So, a nod to the “Hello World!” computer program syntax targeted for newbie programmers. I hope the keyboard has tactile input along with visual elements to enhance the typing experience.
All desktop setups are a battle station in their own right, but for a more towering appeal – if your desk permits space for a full-size keyboard with wrist rest – the Razer’s BlackWidow V4 Pro is petty mean peripheral to include.
The latest addition to Razer’s line-up of premium mechanical keyboards; the BlackWidow V4 Pro is a feature-packed option with a plethora of customization possibilities to make the keyboard unique to gaming and productivity needs.
The BlackWidow V4 Pro touts a plastic chassis topped with matte black aluminum alloy for an impressive finish. It’s comparatively beefier than most full-size keyboards and accommodates a row of dedicated macro keys – labeled M1 – M5 – on the left side. A programmable Razer Command Dial sits just above it, while there are three additional macro buttons and four media keys on the other side.
The customary assortment of RGB lighting offered by Razer, Command Dial, and eight dedicated macro keys are going to be the biggest selling point of the new keyboard enabling you to assign a variety of daily tasks to the keys. However, other aspects will make a luring bet as well. For instance, the keyboard comes with a premium, textured black leatherette wrist rest, which can clip onto the keyboard body magnetically and align with its RGB underglow.
The BlackWidow V4 Pro has rubberized anti-slip pads and an option of two flip-out feet for better grip and desirable working ergonomics. It offers you the option to pick between clicky green or silent yellow switches. Regardless of your key click choice, the keyboard is provided with doubleshot ABS keycaps that are tested for utmost durability in-house.
Unlike the other mechanical keyboards these days BlackWidow V4 Pro comes with a pair of braided Type C cables for standard keyboard connection and USB passthrough. With all the dedicated macro keys and customization, Razer’s new keyboard will take a little getting used to, but if you don’t mind a few days of toil for a fascinating keyboard; you can take home this new peripheral for $230.
The Gauge keyboard was designed two full years before the iPhone got the Dynamic Island, but conceptually it shows how a well-placed screen can make a pretty sizeable difference to a product’s UI, offering up much more function than the ‘Touch Bar’ Apple put on their MacBooks.
Designed as a truly global keyboard, the Gauge was envisioned as a gadget that enables typing while breaking boundaries of language, culture, and linguistic biases. The keyboard itself comes with electronic ink displays in each key, allowing the entire board’s layout and language to change with a simple adjustment in the settings. You can swap to another language, change to an emoji keyboard, or even add layouts of your own depending on the software or game you’re currently in. The electronic ink keys are supported by that dynamic island on the top right that lets you access keyboard functions, desktop shortcuts, and get notifications on your keyboard at a glance, eliminating the need to look at your phone or watch.
The keyboard is centered around universality, with keys that adapt and adjust to make everyone feel welcome. “In the modern society where various languages are used in one region, conventional keyboards consisting only of specific languages are difficult for a third-language user to use, making them feel discriminated,” says Designer Dot, the creator behind the keyboard concept. The keyboard’s display-based key system is a clever way to help it change layouts on command. Electronic ink offers a high contrast while consuming hardly any power… although it would be impossible to add a backlight to this keyboard.
In all honesty, Gauge’s display is really a static island with a dynamic interior. The island doesn’t change in shape or size like it does on the iPhone 14 Pro, but it itself is dynamic. It functions as a touch bar, widget, and notification center all at once, giving you a secondary screen to look at when your main screen is busy with information. The dynamic island can function as a touch bar, letting you access an app tray, or can even help display information like alerts, weather updates, or other information like flight information as shown in the GIF above.
The rest of the keyboard’s design feels fairly standard. It’s tilted at a slight angle, offering ergonomic support, while the keys themselves sit within a silicone enclosure that helps dampen the noise created while typing. The keyboard also has silicone feet that keep it from slipping around, and a USB-C on the back helps charge the device, which otherwise is designed to be entirely wireless.
OnePlus may have started out as an upstart that challenged the status quo of the smartphone industry, but it has long moved beyond making phones only. Never mind related accessories like earbuds and wearables, the company has also launched its self-branded TV in a few of its key markets. Then again, a smart TV might not be that far removed from the mobile ecosystem, especially one that’s running Android TV. A mechanical keyboard, on the other hand, could be stretching the association a bit, but that is apparently what OnePlus’s community has been thirsting for. As a company that prides itself on listening to strong community feedback, that is exactly what OnePlus will be doing, presenting a customizable mechanical keyboard that admittedly looks elegant and very much a OnePlus product, at least based on teasers.
You might find it strange that OnePlus users would be clamoring for a keyboard accessory, mechanical or otherwise, at least until you realize that these very same people often have to spend hours every day in front of a computer. If that’s the case, it makes sense that they’d want a tool that not only makes their lives easier but also reflects their lifestyle choices. A mechanical keyboard definitely addresses the first part, but one that is branded and designed like a OnePlus product definitely checks all the right boxes.
Responding to this resounding desire for a OnePlus mechanical keyboard, the company partnered with the famed keyboard maker Keychron to lay the foundations for such a product. Of course, the highlight isn’t just the mechanical keyboard itself, which you can also get from a pure Keychron keyboard, but the way it is designed to match OnePlus’s aesthetics and design philosophy. For example, unlike typical flashy mechanical keyboards, this upcoming OnePlus peripheral embraces a very minimalist design, using tones of gray with some red accents in the Escape key and the switches.
There are also a few design highlights that give the keyboard a unique OnePlus flair. The slider that switches between Wireless and Wired (USB) mode, for example, looks quite similar to the Alert Slider on OnePlus phones. There is also a visually stunning glass knob in the upper right corner, which could probably be programmed for different functions. OnePlus is also quite proud of its double gasket design and the use of “ultra-precise” CNC aluminum manufacturing that covers the sight, sound, and tactile experiences of using a sophisticated mechanical keyboard.
OnePlus also talks about the customization options available for the keyboard, from hot-swappable switches to highly configurable software. It doesn’t go into detail about how far those options go, however, and they will most likely be limited to switches and key caps on the hardware side. A lot of information about the keyboard is still unavailable at this point, but the scheduled February 7th launch is just two weeks away anyway.
