• Activity
  • Votes
  • Comments
  • New
  • All activity
  • Showing only topics in ~design with the tag "technology". Back to normal view / Search all groups
    1. Piano key dimensions are a math puzzle

      Piano keys are familiar and easy enough to draw if you're not trying to be exact, but if you want label the dimensions with their exact measurements (like in a CAD drawing), it turns into a math...

      Piano keys are familiar and easy enough to draw if you're not trying to be exact, but if you want label the dimensions with their exact measurements (like in a CAD drawing), it turns into a math puzzle. The problem comes from the groups of two and three black keys.

      This article explains it like this:

      If you've ever looked closely at a piano keyboard you may have
      noticed that the widths of the white keys are not all the same
      at the back ends (where they pass between the black keys). Of
      course, if you think about it for a minute, it's clear they
      couldn't possibly all be the same width, assuming the black keys
      are all identical (with non-zero width) and the white keys all
      have equal widths at the front ends, because the only simultaneous
      solution of 3W=3w+2b and 4W=4w+3b is with b=0.

      To unpack that a bit: in that equation, 'W' is the width of each white key at the front (which should all be the same), 'w' is the width of a white key at the back, and 'b' is the width of a black key.) The first equation is for the group of two black keys (separating C, D, and E) and the second equation is for the three black keys separating F through B.

      Since it's mathematically impossible, a constraint needs to be relaxed. The article describes ways to make the white keys have slightly different widths at the back.

      If we set c=e=(W-5B/8) and a=b=d=f=g=(W-3B/4) we have a maximum
      discrepancy of only B/8, and quite a few actual pianos use this
      pattern as well. However, the absolute optimum arrangement is to
      set c=d=e=(W-2B/3) and f=g=a=b=(W-3B/4), which gives a maximum
      discrepancy of just B/12. This pattern is used on many keyboards,
      e.g. the Roland PC-100.

      When actually building a musical instrument (instead of just drawing the keyboard), there is a further constraint, described in this article:

      The black keys on a piano keyboard, instead of always being centered on the dividing line between the two white keys they lie between, are spaced so that the twelve keys which make up an octave are spaced equally as they enter the internal mechanism of the instrument.

      But this means that the "key caps" for the white keys should be slightly off-center compared to whatever rod or lever they're attached to. The author speculates about how to divide this up using various units.

      (They seem quite annoying to 3D print.)

      19 votes
    2. What are online courses could you suggest for starting UI/UX design?

      Hey there, I am asking for a friend who is interested in transitioning from their career of designing print ads (Photoshop and InDesign) to web design. I would imagine they would need some courses...

      Hey there, I am asking for a friend who is interested in transitioning from their career of designing print ads (Photoshop and InDesign) to web design.

      I would imagine they would need some courses on responsive design and Figma? But I'll let the people with experience talk if they're here.

      Free is preferred but willing to pay if needed! And if you have links or specific online courses you really like and helped you, that would be great!

      Thanks in advance!

      15 votes
    3. Not sure where to ask this - early 2000's email printing layout samples

      Unless I'm missing something in my search queries, Google ain't coming up with anything. I'm trying to look for samples of printouts from emails (hosts are irrelevant) made in the early 2000's....

      Unless I'm missing something in my search queries, Google ain't coming up with anything. I'm trying to look for samples of printouts from emails (hosts are irrelevant) made in the early 2000's. It's for a novel project. While I have a vague idea of what kind of layout is needed, it's one thing to guess, and another to actually see it. Any leads?

      17 votes
    4. How are you reacting to the current climate in the product design and UX space?

      I have been a product designer and experience architect since before “UX” even meant anything. I’ve never wanted for work, and I’ve always been confident in my skills as a leader both on the...

      I have been a product designer and experience architect since before “UX” even meant anything.

      I’ve never wanted for work, and I’ve always been confident in my skills as a leader both on the product and business strategy side.

      But especially recently, I’ve started to feel some tremors I’ve never felt before:

      1. A massive amount of young talent has flooded the industry via UX programs and boot camps - and much of them are quite talented!
      2. Layoffs have further upped the available workers
      3. AI and Automation have made good designers even more efficient, and even inexperienced designers can now move at the speed of light.

      I also have some personal situations at play:

      1. I took the last few years to launch and grow my own product business - scaling that eventually to an exit. So I’ve been out of the “product designer” game a bit - as I’ve been immersed in everything that comes with being a founder and startup growth.
      2. I now have a family - I can’t grind as hard as I used to.

      All this gives me some qualms about the ability to find work in the future.

      With an industry now flooded in talent, and AI that commodifies and democratizes UI design - making it easier than ever to spit out good design - is there job security for product designers the next few years?

      What does that look like? How will pay be affected? Where will the opportunity be?

      14 votes