Build.Log 1: WTF is a Macropad?

Welcome to the very first Build.Log, I’m writing these as a sort of journal for myself as I attempt to turn a simple idea (“keyboards don’t really seem to be optimized for creators/makers/builders”) into a full-fledged business (InputZen) where we make killer keyboards specifically for those who build.

I’m also hoping that by sharing the work that goes into building keyboards, as well as the opinionated thinking and logic behind some of the hardware, software and business decisions that we make, you (the reader) will get invested in our little keyboard venture, maybe decide that what we’re doing resonates with you, and perhaps buy one of our keyboards or other products once they’re available for sale. Or maybe you’ll tell a friend or colleague or family member about what we’re doing here, and they’ll buy. Whatever, you get what I’m trying to say: hopefully if I share enough of my failures, readers will take pity and buy something.

…and I’m only half-joking about that ;-)

Who’s behind InputZen?

Quick introduction: my name is Lewis Q and I’m the founder of this InputZen Keyboard operation. I’ve been building digital things (websites, businesses, hacked-together scripts and simple software, videos, 3D prints, animations and a little art) for a couple of decades. I’m originally from the UK, I love cake, and I own more keyboards and input devices than I care to admit.

What I’ve been working on

I finally managed to get the InputZen YouTube channel going, which you can check out at YouTube.com/@InputZen (Like & Subscribe while you’re there) and published our first video, all about how we can all ‘build’ our way out of AI Anxiety and what I call the ‘AI Gloom’. This felt especially relevant this week after reading Matt Shumer’s Something Big is Happening article and the Citrini Research 2028 thought experiment article. I needed to clarify my own thoughts on why I feel like building things is more important than ever in the face of “AI took our jerrrbs” and why I picked now to launch this InputZen brand. Check out the video for more:

InputZen Macropad

Apart from putting this website together, I’ve mainly been laying the groundworks for the first product we will be releasing under InputZen; a macropad. I’m calling it the ‘BuildBox’ for now, a name I really like, but it may be changed in the coming weeks.

The BuildBox is a 16 key macropad, with a rotary wheel and, what I believe is the most unique feature, a sharp LED screen showing what all of the keys on your macropad do as well as what layer you’re in and some other nifty functionality that I’ll talk more about as we get closer to launch.

If that whole paragraph made no sense to you, and you’re screaming “what the hell is a macropad” right now, then here’s how I’ve been explaining the macropad concept for the last few years:

Imagine a full sized keyboard, not the compact one on your MacBook, but the full-sized one with a separate numberpad that are usually made from a kilo of solid plastic.

Now take just the numberpad of that full-sized keyboard:

Turn it into a separate device:

Now for each key on that numberpad, imagine being able to assign it to perform nearly any action you want on your computer. Want to launch an application, press a key. Want to assign some long hotkey combination like “Shift + Ctrl + Alt + K + T” to a single button action, press a key. And if you get really creative with it, you can ‘cord’ a bunch of actions and/or hotkeys to a single key press, such as “open app, click in field, press tab three times, then type ACTION COMPLETE in the field.”

That’s what a macropad is, and it really shows its usefulness with repetitive tasks where you are entering the same key combinations or running the same actions over and over again, such as video editing, audio production and working in CAD software. But it’s not just for specialized fields, some macros that I’ve set up and use regularly to improve my day to day computing experience include:

• Changing songs and playing or pausing current songs in your audio app of choice
• Muting your microphone during Teams & Zoom calls
• Moving and/or placing multiple windows on your screen to specific positions
• Activating your microphone to capture audio for a Speech to Text app like WisprFlow
• Quickly launching your calendar app and creating a new entry

You get the idea. The options really can be endless once you start thinking about it.

Now macropads are not a new concept, and there are some commercial solutions available already that are decent for more niche purposes like the Elgato Streamdeck, which is essentially a macropad where all of the buttons are small screens. It’s designed for, as the name implies, streamers and it is a good device for that purpose. But when you start trying to use devices like this for productivity and other purposes, the limitations start to show up quick, and it really becomes apparent that you’re trying to get the device to work for you despite it not being made to work for your purposes.

And that’s what initially made me start thinking “Why don’t I create a macropad that is specifically made for builders… like me.”

I will be sharing more about the building process of the BuildBox macropad and everything that’s going into it, but it’s still in the messy building phase to the point where I want to present it in a clearer and slightly more complete form, and hopefully that way our lovely readers will have a clearer idea of whether this is a device they want enough to open their wallets and purses (basically I don’t want to scare you off with our current rough concepts).

If you want to keep up with our process, then get signed up to our YouTube channel and our newsletter, where we’re sharing the whole process and offering our day-one audience some juicy discounts!