Looking to escape a long workday? This optical illusion Esc keycap lets you leap down the rabbit hole

Designed as a part of the Render Weekly Design Challenge, this ESC keycap from Vivaan Singh (aka Designmaybe) takes the term escape rather literally, with its uniquely designed form that’s both ergonomic as well as visually symbolic. Unlike your conventional concave keycap, Vivaan’s ESC key comes with a warped surface, looking like the key’s falling down a rabbit hole. “It can get real frustrating looking for the escape you need,” Vivaan says. The ESC key is a wonderful reminder for you to indulge in some escapism yourself, just to make life a little more interesting!

Designer: Vivaan Singh

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The ESC keycap has a wonderful way of conveying its meaning without screaming for attention. The keycap features a continuous upper surface that cascades off at one corner, like a waterfall of sorts. The word ‘esc’ printed on the keycap warps too, reinforcing the illusion!

Outwardly, the ESC keycap looks like your standard keycap, with the SA R1 design. This allows it to blend right in with the keys on your mechanical keyboard, while being just different enough to just stand out so that it grabs your attention. Even when you’re not looking at it, the keycap’s unique shape is recognizable enough that your finger knows when it’s resting on or pressing the escape key.

The ESC Key was created as a part of an Instagram design challenge in partnership with HIBI, an Australian keyboard/keycap-making company. The keycap creates a fun optical illusion to symbolize escaping, but if you’re in the mood for something a little more literal, these mini terrarium-inspired transparent keycaps will literally give you the escape you need to greener pastures!