Within the 40s community, there are few designers that stick out in my mind as being the most influential and popular. Being that the layout is a niche within a niche, the audience and therefore designer community has remained relatively small in comparison to the vastness of the mechanical keyboard hobby. Though for some, the usage of small boards is seen as advantageous for a clean setup and portable keyboard, to others, the draw lies in the aesthetics of the layout itself.
For me, every board I invest in is an art piece. I find myself constantly searching for designers who go in directions I had never considered. Though usability is somewhat an aspect, I feel that adjusting to the layout will always be more worth my time than trying to fit every board I buy into a small box of what my needs are. It’s from this that I stumbled upon the TK40x, designed by LazyDesigners, and released in early 2024. Inspired by the ZX Spectrum keyboard, the TK40x features a mesmerizing RGB forehead, rounded sides, and QAZ layout. It immediately drew me in with it being such a beautifully done rendition of an infamous vintage board. The TK40x takes advantage of its source material and size to the greatest extent, and has the markings of what I’d come to learn are signatures of LazyDesigners’ style.
Despite being top mount, the board’s plate has very subtle relief cuts placed near the mounting points, which, in combination with a PC plate, makes for a soft typing experience. Everything about the typing feel of the TK40x made me realize what I had been missing in all my other boards.
Having such an amazing experience from a $230 board with an MOQ of only 40 shifted my whole view of not only price to value, but also what can be accomplished when such simple edits on a seemingly minimalist design are made. This led me to look through his catalog of designs in order to understand where he started, and what motivates his designs.
Back in 2018, LazyDesigners, run by Jacky, released his first keyboard design known as THE50. The board, being a 40% with a numpad, sold only 25 units. However, THE50 eventually made a comeback in 2022 with THE50r2, which had around 100 units made. Using the same PCB, the r2 featured a large, polished internal weight, making the board quite hefty despite its size. In some ways, the board has clear indicators of being an older design of his. The simplistic geometry of the side profile, the resonance in the corners of the board, and unevenness of the layout; even with these nitpicks in mind, I still found the layout useful and enjoyed my time with the board. It was after this second round that his “THE” series was put to rest as he made room for newer designs.
However, when I asked Jacky which design of his was his favorite, to my surprise, it wasn’t the TK40x, or the fan-favorite Duo board. For him, the Dimple is the one he’s the most proud of. Designed some time after the release of THE50, the HHKB-style Dimple has almost perfect symmetry, and in Jacky’s opinion, the best combination of compactness and functionality. After he graciously sent out a Dimple to review, I decided to give it a spin. Unlike the QAZ layout of the TK40x, the Dimple took almost no time at all to get used to. I only needed two layers of keys, and the first layer had pretty much every necessary key that I find myself using. Built with an aluminum plate and top mount structure, the typing feel is much stiffer, which I can see some people really appreciating. With Shenpo PBT keycaps, no plate foam, and BSUN Hepburns, the tone hits a sweet spot of not too bright but not completely mute either. It’s a pleasant clack that I’ve come to really enjoy. The overall design is still very minimalist, but it has some character to it that I felt was somewhat missing in THE50. With his signature back reading “Dimple”, thinner bezels, and extremely compact body, I found myself bringing this board with me everywhere. The appeal of the Dimple quickly became clear to me, with the board becoming a staple in my rotation of daily drivers.
Even with all of that being said, I still find the TK40x to be Jacky’s most refined design yet, showcasing his years-worth of design experience in the culmination of the perfect QAZ board. He noted that it’s not uncommon for him to “retire” older designs, and that even the Dimple has been undergoing notable changes while he prepares for a third round of the board.
For Jacky, “balance, stability, and durability” are what stay in the forefront of his mind when he designs new boards. While his designs may not feature patina’d brass weights or complex side profiles, what he does deliver on is well-thought out layouts for those who prefer the compactness of 40s, for a price considerably reasonable given the low MOQs. The manufacturer that he tends to rely on surprisingly does not specialize in keyboards, he mentioned to me. Having worked with them since the very beginning, he’s been able to increase the complexity of his designs alongside the advancements his manufacturer makes. Designing keyboards though has remained only a piece of his life, being that he is self-taught and has a full-time job outside of keyboards.
In regards to growing his platform as a designer, however, Jacky is less interested. Keyboards are “more than just a product,” he says. “A customized keyboard is a very personalized tool.” Most of his marketing comes from purely word of mouth, or the occasional post on his Instagram.
As for the future, Jacky has a number of designs as well as collaborations in the works. Some highlights that LazyDesigners fans seem excited for include the Duo60, TK60x, and A65, all of which have some of the most complex designs seen thus far in LazyDesigners’ lineup. If they’re anything like what he’s made so far, they hopefully will deliver something truly special to the keyboard scene.
The Duo60 currently is in group-buy until December 11th, 2024. You can find more info on the board in his Discord server, as well as on his website.