The Protagonist
Render by ZetinaKB
After being in the keyboard hobby for a few years, I have to say that one thing that hasn't changed much is the top frame. We've stuck to the same formula: thin or thicker bezels. But that's where the Protagonist shines.
According to the Protagonist's designer Randall, the owner of Wired In, the industry has always been creative with their designs. However, for some reason, creativity has often been focused on the sides or bottom of keyboards. The sides are often not visible from a typing perspective, and the bottom is usually on the desk. As a result, you rarely get to see the design. Some designers have found a solution by adding small badges to their boards, like the 7v from Gok or the Tomo from Monokei, to add interest to the top. This often means sacrificing 1-2 keys, depending on the layout.
Photo by Tylerkeyboard, Photo by Taehatypes
Randall believes that the Sonnet from Mode Designs was so successful because of its innovative accent bar. This feature stretched across the full top length of the keyboard, creating a customization option that buyers could see and enjoy every day. It was a unique feature that was prominently displayed on the top of the keyboard.
Photo by Alexotos, Photo by Nainaigogo
Outside of the Sonnet, there was a lack of customization options that were both viewable and usable. Randall, a strong advocate for customization and personalization, began brainstorming ideas to bring this philosophy to life. He envisioned a design that would be both minimal and modern, with clean lines and a focus on simplicity.
Randall wanted the Protagonist to have a deceivingly simple profile, yet still be modern and sleek. He wanted this design to flow seamlessly from the underside to the side profile of the board. As he put it, "Where it was 'what you know' but had some oomph." This led him to design big bezels and a proportioned weight, which had a simple profile but added character with its dip to meet the side of the heavy weight.
Photos by Extrpriusplease.kb
After bringing the design to life, hobbyists saw that they could personalize their design. Randall first started with an idea of having a two-toned and a customizable top case, but he thought this didn't really match his vision since it wasn't really a customization feature or very unique. He wanted to blend the materials in a way that it would also be visible from the top, thus. This led to the use of the bezels to mix with the surrounding area of the keys. This smaller size also allowed for more the idea of it being an "accent", as well as personifying the intentionality behind mixing materials.As he refined the design, he noticed that the top case accent turned into a sort of picture frame surrounding the keys.
Photo by Nainaigogo
He decided to call it the "Keyframe". The next step was figuring out how to connect the keyframe to the top frame. This led to some design questions: how would it come apart? How could they simplify it? Should they use magnets? In the end, they settled on four small screws, making it secure yet easy to swap out, since magnets weren't feasible due to the "Keyframe's" shape.
Render and Photo by Wired In
The Protagonist keyboard starts at $349.99 and will be available in three layouts: WK, WKL, and HHKB. It also features a 7-degree typing angle and a front height of 18.8mm. Randall has taken a similar approach to Mode and created a configurator that updates based on your choices.Thanks to the Keyframe, the board can be configured in over 1,000 unique ways. I believe this makes the board even more special. I think everyone who gets one will enjoy it for years to come, thanks to its timeless design. I also think it will fit well on any desk, regardless of your personal style.
You can learn more and purchase the Protagonist over at Loobed Switches. You may also be able to find it at a local vendor.
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