[IC] Think6.5 v2 - Gasket 65% Keyboard // GB July 19 | Live stream | giveaway

[StanleyLelnats]

Not trying to be pedantic or anything but isn't having an anchor representing "Refusing to sink" a bit of a contradiction?

[Zeelobby]

Not trying to be pedantic or anything but isn't having an anchor representing "Refusing to sink" a bit of a contradiction?

Stopping to sink? I think maybe the idea is that the keyboard is a boat?

[Tree_]

The story behind the design choices: Why do I choose anchor, sailboat, and compass to replace the gear and lightbulb?


There is always some sort of story behind a purposeful design, I like reading those stories with I join a Group Buy, but this time I was a bit hesitant in sharing the story as it can sound a bit corny. Now I feel it is important that I share why I made the choices, given the divergent opinions on the 'drastically different looking board' here being discussed. I do believe everyone has provided a lot of value in their feedback, and I am sure some will be taken into account as I keep finetuning things. Some of the comments are confirming my prior beliefs about some additional changes. As I am not in a hurry to run a Group Buy given CyberVoyager production is in progress,  more feedback sparks more thinking, and is always beneficial to the board design as well as future owners of the board.

With the preamble out of the way, here are mainly two rationales behind this design choice.

First, I have no intention of replicating Think6.5 R1 because it is not fun and not challenging as an enthusiast. Further, I do not participate in the group buy profit sharing and replication of Think6.5 R1 will not make sense for me. Therefore, the question is, do I change the design elements for R2, or keep the design elements and just modify the structure (to gasket)? I opt for a refreshing design that has the potential to be aesthetically more pleasing than the R1 design.

Second, back to the meaning of the design. It was not meant to be a "nautical" theme. In a literal sense, it is nautical; yet at a higher level, the thinking process has little to do with nautical. To start off, I already had a replicated design last year for R2 based on the R1 design with a new gasket structure added. But as I pick up the project now, I want to divert from the original design to add elements that are more meaningful for 2020. The anchor came from my wife's idea of "refuse to sink," as the world is sinking to some extent; and then the sailboat and compass are lucky icons in many cultures that symbolize peace and success in life, be it the status quo or your new adventures. And the symbolic value is that I hope everyone's life will anchor in a safe haven. In terms of the design, the anchor is made to shape like a "T" in Think, and I have designed other original Think elements (e.g., lightbulb badge) that are not yet shown here. To be honest, I feel 2020 is a special year and it may never get old. But I do consider removing 2020 from the 2U badge. With all the above said, the overall design flavor is actually very close to Think6.5 (same angle, similar chamfers, and trying to be a good looking minimalist design).

In anyway, this design story is not intended to change your opinion of the design. Aesthetics can be a tricky thing, particularly design elements that pop out visually. So apparently this sequel to Think6.5 will not be in everyone's taste. But with me sharing the context and design thinking process, at least you are aware that these are not random elements placed together. And as more badges are released and some are perhaps modified, I hope they will at least salvage some friends' love for the original Think6.5.

Lastly, quite a few people DM'd to ask me about whether I have any plan to do a replication of Think6.5 R1 version as a group buy. Regretfully, I will not. As I mentioned above, I am not interested in running the same GB twice, particularly as I am not participating on the financial side (e.g., profit-sharing) of the Group Buys. I am happy enough and grateful that AirPotter and Gray Studio help me materialize my design visions into actual products. I have released all my parts of the copyright of Original Think6.5 to AirPotter so it is up to him if he chooses to run in the future.

In that case following the train of thought from other makers releases, shouldn't this be V2 instead of R2 given that this is a completely different board?

[CrazyAssMonkey]

Not trying to be pedantic or anything but isn't having an anchor representing "Refusing to sink" a bit of a contradiction?

Stopping to sink? I think maybe the idea is that the keyboard is a boat?

Yeah that was the train of thought I was following. Yeah of course an anchor sinks    but I was looking at it from the perspective of riding out a storm and refusing to sink which is what I believe the intention of that quote was.

[oldcat]

Been waiting for this. That new badge placement looks gorgeous.

I think you should get crazy and do a beige version..

Potter is working on it actually, if it works out well it will be added to the Space65 Schrondinger pool and definitely we can consider the color for R2 Think

[oldcat]

Considering removing 2020 from both the bottom and the 2U badges, any thoughts?

[KingsofLeon]

+1 on zero 2020s anywhere

[woyaodapian]

Same here. prefer without 2020.

[Vadurr]

no 2020 pls

[enjoidis]

I really like both badge layouts. I feel like the mid-right badge both looks great and is more functional than the top right one. So if given the choice, I'd without a doubt go with the mid-right badge layout. The whole case looks amazing though!

Also, think the 2020 isn't needed

[oldcat]

New badge position is definitely better! Will there be a gasket mount option?

It will be a gasket-mount design yes. More details on the specific gasket design later.

[oldcat]

For the Think6.5 R2’s 2U badge size and position, which one do you like better? Top one or bottom one? Let us know!

[beekey]

Considering removing 2020 from both the bottom and the 2U badges, any thoughts?

R.I.P. 2020, you will not be missed.

[beekey]

For the Think6.5 R2’s 2U badge size and position, which one do you like better? Top one or bottom one? Let us know!

(Attachment Link)

Bottom

[woyaodapian]

Bottom seems more natural.

[Vyndem]

For the Think6.5 R2’s 2U badge size and position, which one do you like better? Top one or bottom one? Let us know!

(Attachment Link)

I personally like the bottom one more. Although the top one gives you more room with design since it’s a little bigger, so this wouldn’t be a huge deal to me, both will work and look great in the end I’m sure.

Edit: The more I look at the top one the more I’m starting to like it.

[Ultimatum]

For the Think6.5 R2’s 2U badge size and position, which one do you like better? Top one or bottom one? Let us know!

(Attachment Link)

Top!

[TheMegaSean]

For the Think6.5 R2’s 2U badge size and position, which one do you like better? Top one or bottom one? Let us know!

(Attachment Link)

Both are nice. I prefer the bottom one.

[vaf1en]

I would say 70/30 in favour of the top one.

[Evo_Spec]

I prefer side placement because it avoids mispresses for me since I tend to hit the key above the right arrow a lot so actually owning a 65% made me realize how good of a design the side badge placement is for a 65%

[hottrout]

I prefer the top badge as it more in proportion to the board.

[50ATE]

The bottom one looks better imo. I think it's because it makes the seperation about the same size as the blocker.

[cadrev]

For the Think6.5 R2’s 2U badge size and position, which one do you like better? Top one or bottom one? Let us know!

(Attachment Link)

I like the top more, simply because I find the bottom one to have lots of negative space. Also is it possible to align the badges to the keys? It's kinda protruding a little bit outside the "imaginary" column between the arrow keys and the page up buttons. Not sure If I make sense hahaha 

[Vyndem]

For the Think6.5 R2’s 2U badge size and position, which one do you like better? Top one or bottom one? Let us know!

(Attachment Link)

I like the top more, simply because I find the bottom one to have lots of negative space. Also is it possible to align the badges to the keys? It's kinda protruding a little bit outside the "imaginary" column between the arrow keys and the page up buttons. Not sure If I make sense hahaha

Hmmm I think he did that on purpose so the badge would be in the center of that space, which I like. Also if he’d make the badge parallel with the arrows and page keys it would be pretty small in widht imo and it not being center might trigger my OCD haha

[oldcat]

For the Think6.5 R2’s 2U badge size and position, which one do you like better? Top one or bottom one? Let us know!

(Attachment Link)

I like the top more, simply because I find the bottom one to have lots of negative space. Also is it possible to align the badges to the keys? It's kinda protruding a little bit outside the "imaginary" column between the arrow keys and the page up buttons. Not sure If I make sense hahaha 

For the Think6.5 R2’s 2U badge size and position, which one do you like better? Top one or bottom one? Let us know!

(Attachment Link)

I like the top more, simply because I find the bottom one to have lots of negative space. Also is it possible to align the badges to the keys? It's kinda protruding a little bit outside the "imaginary" column between the arrow keys and the page up buttons. Not sure If I make sense hahaha

Hmmm I think he did that on purpose so the badge would be in the center of that space, which I like. Also if he’d make the badge parallel with the arrows and page keys it would be pretty small in widht imo and it not being center might trigger my OCD haha

Indeed with the specs of the board aligning the right edge of the badge to the keys will make the badge very small.

[oldcat]

The story behind the design choices: Why do I choose anchor, sailboat, and compass to replace the gear and lightbulb?


There is always some sort of story behind a purposeful design, I like reading those stories with I join a Group Buy, but this time I was a bit hesitant in sharing the story as it can sound a bit corny. Now I feel it is important that I share why I made the choices, given the divergent opinions on the 'drastically different looking board' here being discussed. I do believe everyone has provided a lot of value in their feedback, and I am sure some will be taken into account as I keep finetuning things. Some of the comments are confirming my prior beliefs about some additional changes. As I am not in a hurry to run a Group Buy given CyberVoyager production is in progress,  more feedback sparks more thinking, and is always beneficial to the board design as well as future owners of the board.

With the preamble out of the way, here are mainly two rationales behind this design choice.

First, I have no intention of replicating Think6.5 R1 because it is not fun and not challenging as an enthusiast. Further, I do not participate in the group buy profit sharing and replication of Think6.5 R1 will not make sense for me. Therefore, the question is, do I change the design elements for R2, or keep the design elements and just modify the structure (to gasket)? I opt for a refreshing design that has the potential to be aesthetically more pleasing than the R1 design.

Second, back to the meaning of the design. It was not meant to be a "nautical" theme. In a literal sense, it is nautical; yet at a higher level, the thinking process has little to do with nautical. To start off, I already had a replicated design last year for R2 based on the R1 design with a new gasket structure added. But as I pick up the project now, I want to divert from the original design to add elements that are more meaningful for 2020. The anchor came from my wife's idea of "refuse to sink," as the world is sinking to some extent; and then the sailboat and compass are lucky icons in many cultures that symbolize peace and success in life, be it the status quo or your new adventures. And the symbolic value is that I hope everyone's life will anchor in a safe haven. In terms of the design, the anchor is made to shape like a "T" in Think, and I have designed other original Think elements (e.g., lightbulb badge) that are not yet shown here. To be honest, I feel 2020 is a special year and it may never get old. But I do consider removing 2020 from the 2U badge. With all the above said, the overall design flavor is actually very close to Think6.5 (same angle, similar chamfers, and trying to be a good looking minimalist design).

In anyway, this design story is not intended to change your opinion of the design. Aesthetics can be a tricky thing, particularly design elements that pop out visually. So apparently this sequel to Think6.5 will not be in everyone's taste. But with me sharing the context and design thinking process, at least you are aware that these are not random elements placed together. And as more badges are released and some are perhaps modified, I hope they will at least salvage some friends' love for the original Think6.5.

Lastly, quite a few people DM'd to ask me about whether I have any plan to do a replication of Think6.5 R1 version as a group buy. Regretfully, I will not. As I mentioned above, I am not interested in running the same GB twice, particularly as I am not participating on the financial side (e.g., profit-sharing) of the Group Buys. I am happy enough and grateful that AirPotter and Gray Studio help me materialize my design visions into actual products. I have released all my parts of the copyright of Original Think6.5 to AirPotter so it is up to him if he chooses to run in the future.

In that case following the train of thought from other makers releases, shouldn't this be V2 instead of R2 given that this is a completely different board?

For sure, V2 should be more accurate!

[aclassynerd]

bottom for me

[asianfork]

Very excited! Missed the first version and regretted it, will definitely go for this one. I did like the design of the older badge a bit more, but this change is a refreshing one.

[nettoxx7]

Design is slowly coming to shape, cannot wait to see the final think 6.5 R2 !!

[of_sam]

Just throwing my two cents in here. It seems there are a lot of new ideas with the think 2020. I think by naming this the "think 2020" people are hoping for a think 6.5 round 2. That's what I was hoping for when I saw it.

Personally, I don't like the new weight/badge placement. So I would only be in if the badge placement is the same as the OG 6.5. I'd like to see the badges backwards compatible with the original think 6.5 badge as well. New weights and badges with different themes (not anchors) + gasket mount are all things I would love to see on the new board.

[Uncle Drew]

I have a basic question: what colors of case do you expect? Just these two i mean white and grey i quess?

[Vaudevi77ain]

For the Think6.5 R2’s 2U badge size and position, which one do you like better? Top one or bottom one? Let us know!

(Attachment Link)

Top. The bottom one feels like it has wasted space, whereas the original top badge proportion feels like a more intentional design decision that fills out the area.

Looking forward to this release. My only feedback is that I'm not too wild about the nautical theme - I appreciate the story, but it seems a bit contradictory. It's a bit ironic to choose an anchor, whose purpose itself is to sink, for a message about "refusing to sink". 

I'd personally prefer the original Think theme (with upgraded hardware design) if it were an option.

[oldcat]

I have a basic question: what colors of case do you expect? Just these two i mean white and grey i quess?

Thanks! Will have more color options, and possibly polycarbonate

Will Try to put together a poll for colors and material.

[sdotlee]

Please please pleaseeeeeee offer PC as an option. I been dreaming about this board in PC 

[Uncle Drew]

Thank you very much, if it's yellow and red, maybe I'll buy two

[Vyndem]

Please please pleaseeeeeee offer PC as an option. I been dreaming about this board in PC 

Yes, I need a polycarbonate version of this aswell.

[jayiskuhl]

I vote for no 2020, the top for badge and yes for PC!

[oldcat]

I prefer old badge location. Every other board out there is doing top-right. Old location was a great way to stand out from the crowd.

Sent from my GM1917 using Tapatalk

A new render will be updated for the old badge location to remove the '2020' word and make it more similar to the OG badge size, given the voting results on Instagram and china group.

[oldcat]

I have been reading through the comments and making what I feel to be aesthetically enhancing improvements.

There is a new section to track those changes. I will try to reflect on more feedback as I work through the changes. Note that I am not making random changes, I put up polls and quick feedback posts on Instagram to gather quantitative data. Your vote can make an impact on the fine-tuning of the design and how the GB will be run.

Geekhack IC Feedback Items to Incorporate:

1. Remove '2020' from the 2U Badge: working on
2. Remove '2020' engraving from the bottom: working on
3. Rename the sequel to "Think6.5 v2.0": adopted
4. Bring back the lightbulb to the badge design: working on
5. Reduce the size of the 2U badge: working on
6. Polycarbonate option: considering
7. Make an anchor badge: working on

[Slayer77]

I have a basic question: what colors of case do you expect? Just these two i mean white and grey i quess?

Thanks! Will have more color options, and possibly polycarbonate

Will Try to put together a poll for colors and material.

Would love to see Neon green. If not possible at least badge and weight as shown in toxic render. And thanks for doing render on my request

Sent from my GM1911 using Tapatalk

[max_33]

Man I am so excited for this!

I do like the anchor more than the lightbulb, hopefully both options will be present.

[AIRPOTTER]

Man I am so excited for this!

I do like the anchor more than the lightbulb, hopefully both options will be present.

Thanks for your support and interest!

[Shutter_Shock]

If polycarbonate is on the table as a material, I’d be very interested. I was just thinking about making a PC 65% board to carry in my backpack.

In terms of the badge, I am personally in the ‘prefers no badge’ camp, but between the old side location and the new corner, I’d have to go with the side.

[LVNDSCAPE]

really gonna jump in if there is gonna be a polycarbonate option! 

[Hanabi]

+1 for Bottom badge and PC version too!

[spinozsa]

Can the theme be actually something related to thinking? I don't see how an anchor or anything naval is related to deeper thought. It would be nice to have something more brain/philosophy-like out of this next round, not some lame anchor which makes me think of fish.

[oldcat]

Here is an important poll for Think6.5 V2.0 options, please kindly participate and let me know your thoughts: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/13oKtTME2ZrKdjisX2SvZgJdsGjNgS801-dUQcqA1Nzk/

[Moridin]

Oldcat, I absolutely love my Thinks. The e-yellow is my daily driver. It has two problems. One of the keys in the rightmost column and the Caps Lock key are oriented the other way, south instead of north-facing, which makes Cherry profile keys hit the switches on press.

Please consider this in the PCB design and make them all north-facing.

[Shutter_Shock]

Oldcat, I absolutely love my Thinks. The e-yellow is my daily driver. It has two problems. One of the keys in the rightmost column and the Caps Lock key are oriented the other way, south instead of north-facing, which makes Cherry profile keys hit the switches on press.

Please consider this in the PCB design and make them all north-facing.

(Attachment Link)

Quoting because this seems extremely important.

[Shutter_Shock]

My more well-composed thoughts after reading through all the other feedback:

0.) USB-C. Idk if that was mentioned, but I feel like that is a must in 2020. For me at least.
1.) Prefer badge-less, particularly if it means more keys. If there is a badge, prefer OG position

1.) *EDIT* After looking through pics of Think v1, OG badge is growing on me, especially if multiple colors and buying multiple is an option. Swapping out badges for fun/to match keycap sets seems fun.

2.) Absolutely agree with removing '2020.' This is not shaping up to be a year anyone will want to remember / have their board associated with
3.) Polycarbonate (frosted) is my preference by an enormous margin; there are lots of aluminum options but far fewer PC options
4.) I've seen boards with brass plates under frosted polycarbonate, and I love that look. I don't have a huge preference for plate material, but I would very likely go with brass if offered (brass should be sealed or otherwise coated though)
5.) Please don't do split backspace unless it is in addition to normal backspace
6.) VIA compatibility would be an awesome PCB feature. It makes getting started with the hobby much easier (especially when combined with hotswap) and makes it easier to help people get started with the hobby (makes for an easier 'gateway' keyboard if you will)
7.) Hotswap is great, but a previous comment mentioned GMK keycaps were hitting the switch housing on some southfacing switches. That seems bad. I'd definitely rather solder than deal with keycaps striking the switch housing.
8.) If hotswap is done, I would personally suggest something like an ANSI(-ish) layout for the hotswap and then a secondary standard PCB if demand for other layouts is high.


Thanks so much for bringing this back! I'm super excited for it, and am 100% in if frosted polycarbonate is an option! Hope you're healthy and safe, and thank you so much for the engagement with feedback!