The Work Louder × Figma Micro Keyboard
I impulse purchased this from the Figma store. It was a fun intro to the world of custom keyboards.
I was brand new to custom keyboards and their setup was easy! Great little afternoon activity.
Getting Started
- The little QuickStart QR code with no visible URL was odd - I scanned it on my phone… but my keyboard is connected to my computer (and the website needs to connect to the device). I just typed the URL that opened into my browser.
- Once I got it open on my computer, the guide was helpful, but being new to custom keyboards, I wish there was an even simpler guide for absolute beginners. I had to Google how to get the keycaps off.
- When I reached out to their support, they told me to I could get the tool to remove the caps for cheap off of Amazon. Seems like a wasted brand moment to me - could have provided a cute Work Louder keycap puller. (Thankfully my partner had one that came with one of his keyboards)
Programming and Personalization
- Programming the keys was super fun - the intro video on the quick start page was great.
- I had to take a leap of faith with Shift+Command, but it worked the first time, so maybe I was over-thinking it.
- The lighting selection dropdown UI is a little clunky, but once I chose one I liked, it’s perfect.
- It’s SO cute. I love the little happy face to switch between “layers” on the keyboard. I like that it’s not overly designed - still plenty of room to personalize it.
Improving the onboarding experience
Since this was a collab, it introduced new users (me) to kind of a nerdy little product. A few small tweaks to the onboarding experience could have made this flawless:
- Include a little cheatsheet of the Figma shortcuts associated with the included keycaps - I had to Google them.
- I wasn’t sure how I wanted to lay my keyboard out - I used a grid post-it to draw. They could have linked to a FigJam board to help plan it out! Their starter setup was decent though.
- Include the keycap tool, and make it Work Louder × Figma branded!