羽(Feather)-HHKB by YCC Studio

The HHKB keyboard is compact and exquisite, making it highly appealing. We wanted to keep this simplicity, but also bring in a touch of beauty.

With that in mind, we began searching for a design that could embody our love for freedom and ideals, while enhancing the tiny, refined design of the HHKB. After exploring various design elements for over a month, we finally settled on the feather.

Its light and graceful shape perfectly suits the HHKB’s delicate layout. Historically, feathers have symbolized freedom, and the image of wings made of feathers soaring into the sky reflects our pursuit of dreams and ideals.

The next step was figuring out how to seamlessly integrate the feather element into the HHKB layout.

At the very beginning, we considered placing the feather design as a emblem in the bottom right corner of the keyboard, which is a safe and simple option. But when we sketched it out, it didn’t have the impact we were looking for.

We wanted the feather to be more than just a decoration—it should be an integral part of the keyboard, creating something even greater together.

So, we tried incorporating the feather as a design on the top of the keyboard. However, the HHKB’s compact layout left no perfect space for it. Expanding the top area to accommodate the feather would have compromised HHKB’s small and minimalist style.
We hit another roadblock and realized why most HHKB layouts are so simple. But our determination kept us from giving up.

After many attempts and designs across different surfaces of the keyboard, we finally decided to place the design on the sides. While the sides are less eye-catching than the front, their symmetry and ample space provided us with greater creative possibilities.

In addition, the two sides of the keyboard symbolize wings, and placing the feather design there gives it a sense of soaring. It perfectly complements the feather theme.
In the end, we faced the challenge of choosing the perfect feather shape. Our design had to be both dynamic and elegant striking the right balance without feeling too lighthearted.

Due to the shape and size constraints of the keyboard’s sides, we encountered even more limitations in our design options. As a result, we explored several proposals to find the best fit.

Initially, we tried out a curled design, which featured strong curves and a rounded appearance.
Well, given the narrow dimensions of the keyboard’s sides, accommodating such a near-circular design would surely increase the keyboard’s height, which goes against our goal of creating a compact keyboard. If we limited the design to fit within the height constraints of the sides, the curled feather would appear small and lack the expressive quality we wanted.
So, we turned our attention to another classic design approach: a simple, fully extended feather.
This smooth curve evokes a sense of nature, relaxation, and grace. When applied to the keyboard, it not only retains the feather’s agility but also adds a soft, which made the metallic keyboard much more pleasant—something we didn’t anticipate.

Moreover, with the feather’s sleek design stretching along the narrow edges of the keyboard, it feels even more natural and fluid, almost as if a feather is truly soaring through the world of the keyboard.

Once we drew feathers on both sides, the keyboard seemed to have wings, ready to lift our dreams into the sky.
Bringing a design to life is a challenge every designer faces, especially when aiming for something intricate.
The more refined the design, the more precise the production process needs to be.

After exploring several manufacturing techniques, we still found it difficult to make the decision. To capture the delicate transparency of the feather, we opted for frosted transparent PC material, delivering both a tactile quality and a mesmerizing clarity — as if it’s gently floating in air.

We took it a step further with the PCB design. We installed RGB lights on the sides, taking advantage of the material’s translucency. The changing colors create a cloud-like or sunset glow effect. In this way, the keyboard comes with a sense of lightness and motion, as if it’s truly floating.
For the back of the keyboard, we first considered using the same feather design from the sides for the external back weight. What should noticed is that, when viewed from the back with an angle, the feather designs together felt a bit too much.

We then tried replacing it with a text logo, but it seemed too plain. We also experimented with a large rectangular weight, but that didn’t look appealing either.

After comparing several geometric shapes, we ultimately decided on a circular back weight. The moment we sketched it, the entire back felt balanced and visually pleasing.

The surface of the back weight features a relief design of three feathers swirling around, creating a sense of dynamic movement. So, the feathers seems to be swirling and floating down.