Working with compact layouts

Hi |FNAME|,

More isn't always better, especially when it comes to ergonomics. This month, Robin wrote a deep dive into all the ways you could minimize the number of keys on your layout. Fewer keys means less reaching, and can improve your speed and comfort. It's worth a read (linked below).

In other news, this month I published a ZSA Loves post singing the praises of an abstract strategy board game I've been playing weekly for years. I think it's better than chess.

Finally, I wrote up a short post exploring the difference between macros and shortcuts, which is something that can be confusing for some new users.

Thank you so much for sending me feedback about the newsletter — please continue! You can always reach me at ez@zsa.io. And thanks for reading!

All the best,
Erez

Working With Compact Layouts

Do more with less

Just because a key is there doesn't mean you have to use it. Figuring out how to use fewer keys can improve your comfort and speed. Robin shows you how.

Featured User Interview

Austin Trenholm

Lead photographer

I just loved the photos Austin sent along with his interview. He also shared his layout, which he says makes editing in Lightroom 10x more efficient.

"I use the Moonlander for my photo editing. I specifically use only the left side. Over the years I used various gaming keypads and controllers for editing, but they all required specific niche software that over time has become unsupported or Windows-only. Once I discovered the Moonlander, I danced a jig."

Layout of the month

Layout of the month: Code + FPS

Hi! I'm a programmer who plays video games and constantly has way too many browser tabs open. The main things to take from my arrangement are probably:

Colors distinguish special keys in each layout.
My commonly-used keys that normally require a shift-sequence, like !, ?, {, and _ get their own key. This is a keyboard game-changer for me–I'm hooked! I hope you find some ideas to use for your own layout!

Things we liked

RegExr.com →

A classic, not only for coders

Regular expressions offer a quick way to search through lots of text for complex patterns, as well as make replacements. It sounds daunting, but this site makes it simple and visual. Really useful for tidying up lists and such.

MagicMirror →

Make a smart picture frame

I recently decided to take an old computer monitor and a Raspberry Pi and make an electronic picture frame. Magic Mirror was the perfect tool for the job. Lots of plugins, and it looks great.

ChatGPT bot for BuyItForLife →

A fun way to get recommendations

r/BuyItForLife is a subreddit worth looking into when you want to buy a quality product. Someone took the whole thing and loaded it as an AI chat model. Like all such things, it may not be reliable — but it certainly is interesting.

Spiral Wishing Wells →

Inspiration - Imagination - Innovation

I love everything about this site, right down to its non-ironic use of a blinking arrow image and the heading “You Tube Movie Clips”. It’s a gem of Web design. The actual product is quite fun in real life, too — we’ve come across a few of these and the kids always get a kick out of them.

AudioPen →

The easiest way to convert messy thoughts into clear text

This browser-based app lets you record up to three minutes of speech for free. It then transcribes your words and summarizes the transcript. Basically turns your meandering rambles into a coherent and concise message. It's a good concept, and it's fairly easy to cobble together your own version of the same thing.