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We now move into the actual means by which you will design and create your keycap set. A relatively good place to begin, before even getting involved, is to check whether your idea or something similar has been done before. There are a number of sites that you can use to check this including: Keycapsets.com, Keycaplendar, Matrixzj's github, Mechgroupbuys.com
The workflow of designing a keycap set is set out below. This will take you through conceptualising and putting your idea into a design before asking for structured feedback from the community. We will then move onto Interest check which will inform further revisions to design and finally the group buy itself. Conceptualise/Design It is at this stage that you should consider a number of aspects of your design. This includes; Your colour palette, kitting, profile and material. The recommended starting point is Keyboard-Layout-Editor, this is a tool that already has a lot of built in options and should be thoroughly explored.
When starting a design there are a lot of things to take into consideration right from the start. We have already covered some of these aspects above in the marketing section. Keep in mind each decision you set in stone will have an affect on all of the other options that you have available. For example, if you are set on SA profile keycaps, either Maxkey or Signature Plastics/ABS/Double Shot (Manu/Material/Process) are the only other options you have. If you are set on PBT, GMK is out of the question but Signature Plastics DSA and DCS profiles can be used. (See the Manufacturing Shopping List for more information). Once you’ve mocked up your idea you can move onto looking for feedback.
PLEASE NOTE: When designing a keyset, you can’t use generic hex colors such as #FFFFFF or #020202. Manufacturers are unable to produce these colours because they are not industry standard. Whilst it is fine to use Hexes as a starting point for the concept of your design do not become attached to them as you will need to replace these with either Pantone, RAL or a physical reference through a process of colour matching. Asking for feedback There are a number of places you can ask for feedback, however you're likely to get different levels of response dependent upon the chosen platform. Reddit: Able to gain attention, however due to the upvote/downvote system you aren’t likely to get many in depth responses. (/r/KeycapDesigners, /r/MechanicalKeyboards) Discord: Structured responses, will likely point out issues that could hinder you later if not resolved. Geekhack: ONLY post on the Interest Check forum if you have a completed draft, otherwise you will be subject to harsh criticisms. For feedback you are better posting in Keyboard Keycaps.
There are other communities such as Facebook groups, Keebtalk, ZFrontier and so on that are also worth exploring or making use of.
At this point in time, what you want is a good solid foundation. Be it a set of colors, or simply an inspiration, you can receive inspiration from others and shape your set to be the best it can be. This is also a good place to get a name/settle on a name for your set. The name is one of the few things I would not recommend changing after starting an IC. This just helps people keep track of your set easily and gives some sense of identity. Interest Check (AKA, The IC) At this stage you should be nearing a “final draft” in terms of your design. If you haven't done so already, now is the time to look into having someone do a render of your set (or creating a render yourself) to showcase it. Likewise, if you haven’t considered or undertaken, now is the time to start considering some accompanying items such as novelties and deskmats.
An IC is, essentially, your market research. It will give you tangible numbers of interest for your set as well as what people want to see added into it. Likewise, you may find that there is a lack of interest for one aspect of your set and is not worth running.
You can run your interest check form however you like (Recommend: Google Forms) but it is recommended you ask, at the very least: Are you interested in buying this set? Which kit(s) would you purchase during group buy? Any changes (Additions/Removals) you would like to see? Additional Comments You should monitor and make sure you are flexible to change things based on community input. However, know what you won’t compromise on because people will try to make your set their set.
You should make time to go through the interest check forum of Geekhack and note what other successful IC’s have done. Your IC shouldn’t just encompass the gathering of interest, it should also be a project log of changes. Have a running work log with what you are currently or planning to work on, and strike through them after you are done instead of deleting them. This is to show so what has been done. A rushed IC will only hold you back and the community will be more than happy to point out a rushed job. Please take your time and try to get everything as close to perfect as you can.
You can post your Interest check to other sites but many people use Geekhack as their central location for updates and/our progress reports. IC Feedback & Finalizing This may seem self-explanatory however it's now time to go through the feedback you received from your IC and identify what you should and shouldn’t be working on and making revisions accordingly.
Before we move on there are some things we need to do. So what else do you need to consider? Well, you should have an idea of when you want to run your set either by month or financial quarter, what regions you want to cover, and a final decision on your chosen colours. Once you have finalized your kitting this would be a good time to start asking for quotes from manufacturers either through vendors or directly (See: Manufacturers shopping list for further details).
Typically, the best way to contact a vendor is via Discord DMs or email. All vendors and designers have different preferences, and may want you to email them or use a different way of contact.
Some vendors require you to sign a contract, and some do not require it, but if you are required to sign a contract, read it over multiple times and loop other people in. Family, friends, lawyers, and other designers are all good choices. As I’m sure you are aware, and if you aren't, contracts are very important to any business as the written out specific terms and condition between two separate parties. It is your responsibility to check over your contract so that you know what you are agreeing to. If you run in and sign a contract without first reading you may be agreeing to terms or conditions that unknowingly favour one party heavily, leading to unfavorable scenarios one might not have considered. Where you are unsure about any aspect of your contract ask questions to seek clarification in writing. If you don't like something, negotiate for better terms before you sign it. If you are a minor, please take the steps to protect yourself by being open about your age with whomever you are signing the contract for, so they can change the contract accordingly. This protects both yourself and the vendor
Profit split varies by vendor -- it's reasonable to expect to walk away with 30-50% of the net profits. Some vendors offer sliding scales, others pay flat rates per kits, and yet others offer a percentage of net sales. There's no right or wrong pay scale and this should not be the determining factor when selecting vendors. Don't shy away from making deals with large vendors because they typically have a smaller profit split, as they typically bring in many more sales.
There's no rule to selecting vendors, honestly. I recommend looking at vendors you feel that you and your set are a good match for... not just the biggest ones. Often, smaller vendors sell just as well as larger ones. Likewise, there is more to working with a vendor than sales and profit splits -- think of it more as a partnership. You should want a vendor that will support you and do everything they can to make sure your set will happen. Also, consider finding a vendor you'd like to work with on future products.
At minimum, you should have vendors covering US, Canada, UK, Europe, Oceania, and Asia. Asia can be further broken down into Korea, SEA, Japan, China, etc if you so choose. All other regions are optional and are up to you whether you should include them.
A lead vendor is the vendor that will be handling communications between you and the manufacturer, such as sending in your kits for quoting, setting MOQ's, etc. Your lead vendor will typically be the vendor you've selected in your region, but there are certain circumstances where you may have a different region as your lead vendor, such as if your regional vendor does not meet the requirements to be a lead vendor. For ePBT, KBDFans will be your lead vendor, as they are the only ones who communicate with them.
Note: This list is by no means exhaustive, and does not contain all vendors. Do your own research before choosing vendors.
1.NA
- Cannonkeys
- Dangkeebs
- Drop
- Kono
- Mechs and Co
- Panc
- Minterly
- NovelKeys_
- Originative
- Prime Keyboards
- Project Keyboard
- Space Cables
- Switch Mod
- The Key Company
- Mekibo
- Vala Supply
- EU
Add sections to the list following this example:
- [This Page](./index.md)
List of subsections