🐦 bird

Layout

Visuals generated with keymap-drawer

text version

x c l f ~   ~ y o u '
r s n t p   k h e i a
~ w m g b   j d , . ~

text version

x c l f v   z y o u '
r s n t p   k h e i a
q w m g b   j d , . /

text version

x c l f v z y o u '
r s n t p k h e i a
 w m g b q j d , . /

Optimized Punctuation: swap , -> '

Design

Goals

• Hummingbird-like physical layouts (variants for other layouts)
• Low same finger bigrams (SFB)
• Low lateral stretch bigrams (LSB)
• Low scissors
• Low redirects
• Low pinky movement
• Low pinky rolls
• Low-er upper index usage
• Upper middle and lower index preferred off home row positions
• Traditional punctuation placement

Outcomes of the above goals

• High alternation
• Low-er one hands
• Top row gravity

Credits

• Alan: The Hands Down family of layouts were a big inspiration. I used a variation of HD Neu for almost 2 years before it evolved into the bird layout.
• Eve: Many of Eve's layouts and experiments were an inspiration and she actively helped with ideas that resulted in this layout.
• whoa: Was the first person outside of myself to try the bird layout and some of his feedback and ideas were incorporated into the layout.