There’s no shortage of keyboards and mice available in the market today, each of them trying to cover an equally wide range of needs and tastes. There are keyboards designed for gamers, mice made for artists, and all sorts of designs claiming to deliver the perfect ergonomic experience. Mechanical keyboards, in particular, are quite popular among heavy computer users, but the majority of the options available lean more toward gamer aesthetics with their hard edges and psychedelic RGB lighting. Fortunately, there are exceptions, like this collection of computer peripherals that make use of big, chunky keys, soft colors, and plenty of gold accents that earmark them for a different and more appraising clientele.
Designer: AIZO
It’s actually not that easy to design a correct and usable keyboard. One has to consider performance first, with comfort usually following it. Aesthetics often takes a back seat, as if it was mutually exclusive from a good technological product. The visual and tactile experience of a product, however, can make or break its success, and devices are no different. The IZO keyboard, mouse, and numeric keypad try to prove that by delivering a design that is not only functional but also luxurious.
Unlike your typical keyboards, the IZO wireless keyboard and numpad use rather chunky and big keycaps that look more like smooth pebbles than the usual trapezoidal shape. Even the choice of white color for the keys gives it a softer aura, which complements the colors of the frame which is treated with a glistening pearl finish. The most eye-catching parts, however, are perhaps the gold accents on some of the keys and on the mouse, elevating the objects from being tools to fashionable accessories.
The devices do have a few tricks up their sleeves beyond just looking sophisticated. The keyboard, for example, has a knob that actually houses two different dials to control different things. The numpad has its own display and functions as a calculator on its own. These aren’t mind-blowing additions, but they help assure buyers that the devices are more than just pretty faces.
The AZIO IZO wireless keyboard, numpad, and wireless mouse present not only a unique design but also a challenge to manufacturers. At this point in time, we have already perfected the essentials of performance, ergonomics, and features for these peripherals, so it’s about time that we start focusing on materials, aesthetics, and the human experience that these products provide. Why should you settle for plain dark accessories when you can have the same performance wrapped in elegant and luxurious designs that better match your style.
