[Idea] I want to run a keycap set, but I'm only a student

[chemba]

Hi everyone!
I joined geekhack super recently but have been in the hobby for a lil while now. I own a couple of group-buy sets and I have an idea of a set I'd be interested in designing, but after a lot of research and reading a lot of guides I kind of have info overload. I don't have an engineering background; in fact, I'm an 18-year-old high school senior. Here are some questions I have.

1) Around how much capital is needed to run one of these sets?
2) What is the order leading up to manufacturers and vendors? Is the order pre-IC/feedback, IC, contact vendors, then contact the manufacturer? None of the guides I've read have been clear about this. I've joined servers of some vendors + Milkyway, but I was too scared to ask them anything in light of sounding stupid.
3) Should I even attempt to use Blender with no experience or should I seek out the services of someone with design experience?
4) Are novelties usually made in Adobe Illustrator? Any good references/ guides for designing them?
5) I know Infinikey helps companies with the actual design of keycaps. Do they provide the same service for group buy sets?
6) Do you contact one vendor to be the head and they partner with other regional vendors, or do you contact them all yourself?
7) Am I getting in over my head given I am starting at basically 0?

Any info helps. Of course, this is just an idea I'm really excited about and I wanted to be very cautious before putting time and money into anything. Thank you for reading

[Fraaaan]

I can't answer all questions in full detail because I've never designed a keyset myself but I hope I can point you in the right direction.

1) Anywhere from nothing to hundreds of dollars. Most IC expenses come from renders. If you make the renders yourself they cost nothing, but if you're not comfortable with doing that you can commission someone else.

2) This is the way I'd do it: Figure out what colorway/design/inspiration I want to base my keyset off of > decide on ABS vs PBT and doubleshot vs dyesub depending on my design and colors > find the exact manufacturer I want > tweak design/colors based on manufacturer's production limitations and/or stock color choices > post IC looking for feedback > contact vendors, they will speak to the manufacturer. Your vendors should be able to help you figure out the rest.

"Pre-IC" is a bit of a meme IMO. Anything you do prior to an IC shouldn't involve making a public Geekhack post, just talk to your keyboard buddies or reach out to some keyset designers for some feedback. Not subjective stuff like "is this shade of red good" but asking about kitting, vendor choices, the consistency of the keyset etc. There's been some "pre-ICs" posted and it's usually super underdeveloped stuff. In 2023 it's pretty much expected to show the final product when posting the IC. The community gives feedback but usually it's only small things that need to be corrected.

3) You can learn it yourself or reach out to someone with a bit more experience and commission them to make renders for you. The latter will cost you money, though.

4) Make sure you follow your manufacturer's guidelines. If you wanted to run a GMK keyset, you would look at this and design your novelties according to their limitations/specifications.

5) I have no reason to believe your vendor (especially lead vendor) would refuse to help you with your keyset. Maybe not stuff like picking colors but rather making some decisions about MOQ, number of child kits, inclusion of less popular layouts etc. It's in the vendor's interest to make the keyset as good as possible because they make more money if the keyset does well.

6) You'll appoint one vendor to be the lead vendor and they'll do all the communication with the manufacturer and be your proxy for color samples and/or prototypes if needed. Some vendors like working some specific regional proxies but you should be able to pick and choose which vendor you want for each region. Make sure to ask the people which vendor they'd like to see proxy the keyset for their region. Unfortunately there's some vendors out there that don't do a good job so it would be best to avoid those.

7) Instead of starting at 0, enjoy the hobby for a bit and you'll learn lots along the way. Watch content creators, chat with some people on Discord, check out other threads on Geekhack. Especially check out other keycap ICs and GBs here on Geekhack and look at the renders, look at the kitting, look at everything and compare it to other keysets you've seen. What do you like or dislike about some keysets, why is that? You can learn tons just by participating in the community for a few months while just having a good time instead of joining and immediately being overwhelmed about your keyset.

[chemba]

I can't answer all questions in full detail because I've never designed a keyset myself but I hope I can point you in the right direction.

1) Anywhere from nothing to hundreds of dollars. Most IC expenses come from renders. If you make the renders yourself they cost nothing, but if you're not comfortable with doing that you can commission someone else.

2) This is the way I'd do it: Figure out what colorway/design/inspiration I want to base my keyset off of > decide on ABS vs PBT and doubleshot vs dyesub depending on my design and colors > find the exact manufacturer I want > tweak design/colors based on manufacturer's production limitations and/or stock color choices > post IC looking for feedback > contact vendors, they will speak to the manufacturer. Your vendors should be able to help you figure out the rest.

"Pre-IC" is a bit of a meme IMO. Anything you do prior to an IC shouldn't involve making a public Geekhack post, just talk to your keyboard buddies or reach out to some keyset designers for some feedback. Not subjective stuff like "is this shade of red good" but asking about kitting, vendor choices, the consistency of the keyset etc. There's been some "pre-ICs" posted and it's usually super underdeveloped stuff. In 2023 it's pretty much expected to show the final product when posting the IC. The community gives feedback but usually it's only small things that need to be corrected.

3) You can learn it yourself or reach out to someone with a bit more experience and commission them to make renders for you. The latter will cost you money, though.

4) Make sure you follow your manufacturer's guidelines. If you wanted to run a GMK keyset, you would look at this and design your novelties according to their limitations/specifications.

5) I have no reason to believe your vendor (especially lead vendor) would refuse to help you with your keyset. Maybe not stuff like picking colors but rather making some decisions about MOQ, number of child kits, inclusion of less popular layouts etc. It's in the vendor's interest to make the keyset as good as possible because they make more money if the keyset does well.

6) You'll appoint one vendor to be the lead vendor and they'll do all the communication with the manufacturer and be your proxy for color samples and/or prototypes if needed. Some vendors like working some specific regional proxies but you should be able to pick and choose which vendor you want for each region. Make sure to ask the people which vendor they'd like to see proxy the keyset for their region. Unfortunately there's some vendors out there that don't do a good job so it would be best to avoid those.

7) Instead of starting at 0, enjoy the hobby for a bit and you'll learn lots along the way. Watch content creators, chat with some people on Discord, check out other threads on Geekhack. Especially check out other keycap ICs and GBs here on Geekhack and look at the renders, look at the kitting, look at everything and compare it to other keysets you've seen. What do you like or dislike about some keysets, why is that? You can learn tons just by participating in the community for a few months while just having a good time instead of joining and immediately being overwhelmed about your keyset.

Thank you so much for the info! This is extremely helpful. I've been building custom keyboards for only about a year, so I'll be sure to keep getting inspired by others here and out and about. I'm hoping to go to some meetups this year as well, given there are quite a few around where I live. I will definitely keep all this advice in mind if/when I decide to pursue this. Thanks again!

[anawilliam850]

I will try to respond some of your questions,

1- The amount of capital needed to run a group-buy set can vary depending on the size and complexity of the set, as well as the number of units being produced. In general, you will need to have enough capital to cover the costs of designing and prototyping the set, as well as the costs of producing and shipping the final product to customers. This can include costs for materials, tooling, and labor. Some group-buy organizers may also set aside funds for contingencies, such as unexpected delays or production issues.

2- The order for running a group-buy can vary depending on the specific project, but a common order is: pre-IC/feedback, IC(Interest Check), contact vendors, then contact the manufacturer. In the pre-IC/feedback phase, you would gather input from potential buyers to gauge interest and make any necessary adjustments to the design before moving on to the IC phase. In IC phase, you would open up a thread in a platform such as Geekhack to get more concrete interest and also get a rough estimate of the final quantity of the set. Then, you would reach out to vendors to discuss prices and availability, and finally, contact the manufacturer to produce the keycaps.

3Blender is a powerful 3D modeling and animation software that can be used to design keycaps, but it can have a steep learning curve for those without experience. If you're not familiar with Blender, you may want to consider hiring a designer who has experience with the software.

[Doris Welker]

Hi there! Welcome to the hobby and the geekhack community! It's great to see someone so enthusiastic about designing a group-buy set. To answer your questions:

1)The amount of capital required can vary, but it's typically several thousands of dollars. It's important to have a solid plan in place and to budget carefully.

2)The order can vary, but a common approach is to gather feedback and interest through an IC (Interest Check) post, then reach out to vendors and manufacturers once there's enough interest to justify a group buy.

3)If you have no experience with Blender, it may be challenging to use it effectively. It's a complex software, so you might want to consider seeking the help of someone with design experience.

4)Novelties can be designed in Adobe Illustrator or similar software. There are tutorials and guides available online that you can use as references. Or you can check this site https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/college/ I found there a lot of useful content.

5)Yes, Infinikey does offer design services for group-buy sets. They have a lot of experience and expertise in this area, so it's worth considering their services.

6)You can either reach out to one vendor to be the head, or you can contact them all yourself. It depends on your preferences and the specifics of your project.

7)Designing a group-buy set is a complex and challenging task, especially if you are starting from scratch. However, with hard work and determination, anything is possible! Don't be discouraged, and keep asking questions and learning as much as you can. The community here is supportive and knowledgeable, so feel free to ask for help. Good luck!