QWERTY Keyboards: Ergonomic Design

Typing on a keyboard is an integral part of our ability to communicate and experience computers. We have trained each finger to know which key to hit in order to indicate certain letters, creating words on the computer screen. The arrangement of the letters, the spacing between each key, the symbol keys, or tools like shift, enter, or delete. These elements of the keyboard work together and are geared towards user-centered, efficient design. Considering the importance of the keyboard's function, it is crucial to examine the ergonomic research or design criticism of its form. As a product, it should be safe, comfortable, easy to use, productive in its performance, and simple in its aesthetic appeal.

As far as safety, the keyboard does not have the capabilities to cause any serious physical harm to a user. However, studies have shown that some people have experienced soreness, and even carpal tunnel syndrome, a result of bending the wrist at a certain angle. As a reaction to these problems, split keyboards were designed, which have the keys oriented in different ways, allowing the user to more comfortably type at angles that may be better suited for them. To maximize comfort, some keyboards are made with the option to raise it or lower it, adjusting the unit to fit one's needs, according to their individual muscle strain. It is important to adjust the hands and wrists to be in a comfortable position that is not bent in a harmful way, especially when typing for a long period of time.

The earliest form of a keyboard that we know of is the typewriter, an attractive piece of machinery which shares the same QWERTY arrangement of letters as they keyboards we use today. So, where did the idea for QWERTY come from? There are theories that lay claim to its origin, like the ones found in this article here.

The most common myth is that early typewriter models were prone to getting jammed by writers who typed too fast. As a reaction to this problem, QWERTY was invented by C.L. Sholes. The design strategically places most commonly used letters on different sides of the keyboard in an effort to slow down the typist's fingers to eliminate jamming as a mechanical limitation. Of course, this notion has been questioned and debated.

(Photo taken by me at Jack London's cottage in the "Valley of the Moon," Glen Ellen, CA)

After much research on the matter, another story seems to be closer to the truth. In 1868, Sholes worked with manipulating letter pairing and arrangements in an effort to reduce noise and jamming that his first typewriter model produced. In effect, QWERTY was made and it reduced "annoying clashes" as well as being successful in its ability to "speed up typing rather than slow it down."

A glimpse into Sholes' creative process of 142 years ago, showcases an example of design that has proven to be classic and timeless in its efficiency as a crucial tool in modern communication. The fact that we still use the same QWERTY arrangement of letters speaks to the power of smart, productive, easy-to-use and efficient design and its ability to transcend time and space. While QWERTY was born for a typewriter, it is now used on cellphones. See below, a concept design for an iPhone QWERTY keyboard. Who knows, could be the next big thing.

Considering the QWERTY keyboard's ergonomic design, including its safety, comfort, ease of use, performance, and aesthetics, it is certainly a successful and long-lasting design. Aesthetically, the keyboard is generally simple and straightforward, with no colors to speak of, that aren't white, gray, silver or black, and no patterns that clutter the keyboard. Personally, I like it that way. (Although some companies make sleeker keyboards than others... Apple versus Dell, par example). Through observation and years of personal use with different keyboard styles (one main distinction being laptop versus desktop), the design is an easy to use mass-produced item that is proficient in its task. Thanks for sticking around for so long, QWERTY.