10/27/19 Blog Sheduling

10/27/19 Blog

Scheduling My Plan to designing keyboards

10/28/19 (Monday):

Create a 3D keyboard model that I can do revisions and edits on, so that I can start making a more visible and clear object of what my simple designs look like.

10/29/19 - 11/1/19 (Tuesday through Friday):

Continue creating my 3D keyboard model, one that is a 60% keyboard, 100% keyboard or a full sized keyboard, and possibly make a 65% keyboard design. It depends on how fast the other two designs go.

10/4/19 (Monday):

Start exporting the keyboard design to different project files so that I have set up all the different type of designs that I plan to create in the future. Once I have done that, I then plan to start on my first design, which will most likely be a 60% keyboard.

10/5/19-10/7/19 (Tuesday through Thursday):

Continue modifying the 60% keyboard, making it fit the design that I have already completed. Changing the shape of some keys, moving some keys around the keyboard, and some other revisions that would just be come simple extruding or scaling.

10/8/19 (Friday):

Once I finally complete the placing the keys caps, then I will start adding the lighting to the keyboard. by lifting up the keyboard keys vertically around 10 blender meters.

10/11/19-10/15/19 (Monday through Friday):

I will continue experimenting with the lighting on the keyboard, looking at models of over keyboards and the lighting that they use. I will also start testing animating different type of light transitions that and start taking notes which type of light animations look the best.

Marking Period 1 Progression

Marking Period 1 Progression

Intention, Definition, and Exploration of Ideas:

My intention is create and apply these ideas that I brainstorm from my mind and bring it to reality. I want to try to make things more efficient in its design, to make a user's experience as best as it can possibly be. I was brainstorming what type of designs that I should create. First design that I thought of was the keyboard design would be a typical keyboard, but I would make each component that make up a keyboard, I would start my design of the keyboard. I would change the styles of the keyboard to different variations, and show each of them. With each design, I will animation the keyboard coming together, component by component. The next design that I started brainstorming was a tablet design. The tablet design will have the screen size of a typical piece of paper, and with a small border surrounding the screen. On the back of the tablet, there will be a simple keyboard design attached to the back. The keyboard will come out in a way that it will almost give the impression that it was a laptop to start out with. I kept thinking and brainstorming about these ideas, trying to come up with more designs for each one.

Planning:

I had to make a choice between the two concepts. So I went with they keyboard design, because it had more variety in what the design could be like. I started making expanding on my current ideas and plans that I have already thought up. I first defined what it was that I wanted to base my designs on and what I should focus on when making up these designs. It is to make different models or forms of keyboard, each having their own functionalities and designs. All of the designs will have their positives and negatives to their build, but the variation in the build will create different feels in the keyboard. Another part that I wanted to focus on is that to make it as efficient as possible, in way that the keyboard will be uncomfortable to use. I started with the arrows keys on the keyboard, because I like to use them, but they are in an awkward spot. I don't like how someone must adjust their right hand to always tap an arrow key. So, I started thinking of what could possibly be a better spot. The first spot that came to mind was that the arrow keys could be right below the space bar. I thought that this would not pose any problems because it is "empty space" meaning that its space not being occupied by anything. It would also give your thumbs more of a role to play when typing, because then all you would have to do is reach down and hit an arrow key.

Moving on from the arrow keys, I started to focus on 60% keyboards, in how they were trying to make a keyboard as compact as possible. I like this idea because it trying to bring another design that may seem more efficient to certain people, and that it bring another challenge to a design that could possibly benefit it in some way. It attempts to bring all of its most important components together and remove the extraneous. I want to start making some of these designs because it will make me think on how it will improve the experience of a computer user. I also like the design of these because they look very slim and do not take nearly the same amount of space as a full size keyboard.

Producing:

As seen earlier in the blog, I already showed some of my thoughts with the design involving a new location for the arrow keys. So I started thinking of some designs for the keyboards that I have in mind, where they would each have their own pros and cons. Some will have their own feature, while some of the designs will be a combination of the other keyboard designs.

These are two alike designs, where they utilize the arrows below the space bar. Though this design may look very weird, it may bring more comfort to someone who constantly uses the arrow keys.

This design is where the arrow keys are in a square shape, this may be uncomfortable but that will have to come with some testing and actually try the keyboard design out.

This design is where the arrow keys are in a straight line, where this may be more comfortable to some other people instead of the others. 

These are just one type of design that I have, and I am still working on more. I am also still learning this simple interface as well, and it is really nice for making simple blueprints.

Evaluating:

I have not completed any views other than the top, because my main thought process was that the top would give the best layout. So, only focusing on the top view, I set up multiple different designs, each having some benefits and most likely having some downfalls. Looking at the designs with the different placement of the arrow keys, that could something that could programmable by the user of the keyboard. Then the keyboard keys will be able to come off and they will be able to move them around to what would please them the most. I'm only designing the 60% keyboards and making blueprints for them currently. Right now, I need to think of how other people are going to feel about transitioning to something new to this, and how willing they will be to transition over to it. Another thing that my blueprint do not focus on is the coloring of the keyboard, I can add coloring to the keyboard, but right now I want to focus on the layout of the keyboard.

Integrating:

Right now I am still in the progress of making more blueprints for my thoughts and designs to improving the current design of keyboard. Even though that there probably won't be major difference, it will be the small differences that will overall make the user's experience better. Once I feel that I have made enough blueprints, I will start in blender and make the 3D models of them. Once completing the 3D models of the blueprints, I will then move on to the lighting of the keyboard, and test different type of light styles for each keyboard. I plan for each keyboard to have different type of lighting and hopefully each have their own animation of lighting. If it becomes too much, then I will have some of the keyboards have the same type of lighting and animation. Then, I'll finally moving animation of the keyboard coming together and do this will all of the keyboards. Some will most likely have the same animation coming together. However this is where it really make the keyboard feel like it's being completed and one of the best opportunities to show that they are different. 

10/6/19 Work Log

Getting Ideas for Keyboard Design

Roccat Vulcan 120 Aimo

Pros: 

1. The lights are very visible and can be seen from all angles. The light spreads out from under the keycaps and creates the seamless feels between the lights of each key.

2. Editors rate the key switches as very good, though I haven't used it.

3. The design of the keyboard is very nice, with flat floating keycaps.

Cons:

1. In my opinion, though the wrist rest may look very smooth and has a very nice design to it, it appears that it may be lacking in complete comfort for the person.

2. The dial in the top right of the keyboard, seems almost like a sore thumb, it would possibly look better if they were to make shorter.

3. The enter key, though it is not on every design of this type of keyboard, causes a few problems that I believe would be a deal breaker for some people. From my perspective, being a programmer, it would make it challenging to type in a natural, because the enter key would be just a little too far to still feel natural. Then they also have to compromise the keys that the enter key has replaced, which causes the other keys to be cramped. Overall, the enter key just take too much space, disarranging the other keys, becoming a negative.

Kinesis Freestyle Edge RGB Split Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Pros:

1. I think that this is a very interesting approach for people that just want to game, and it will give them more mouse space. They did a very good job at condensing the keyboard, where they removed spaces that weren't really needed, that didn't affect the overall look of the keyboard.

2. It still has most of the common keys used by many people and you would still type words with punctuation in a normal way.

3. The lighting on this is very pleasing, and could allow for a more comfortable hand positions, instead of bringing your hands close together, it would allow for you to have straight arms.

4. They have adjustable side stands, that will allow the keyboard to become a more ergonomic friendly type of keyboard, which could be more natural for a person's wrists.

Cons:

1. This type of keyboard will not be able to have the numpad and typical right side of  the keyboard that many people are used to.

2. For people who do not type in the proper way(peckers) this would be very annoying to use, because it would become harder to adjust to this type of keyboard. It would be more work for the eyes to constantly switch from one side of the keyboard to another to find a key.

3. If you use this as a main one at home, and move to someone else, where it has a standard keyboard, it may become a nuisance to constantly switch between models.