Show your hands honor for the power they bring you
The article discusses the capabilities of human hands and fingers, particularly in relation to typing and interacting with technology. It highlights the history of typewriters and the development of keyboard interactions, including the concept of overlapping and the importance of respecting finger independence. The article also touches on the role of designers in creating interfaces that accommodate the unique abilities of human hands and fingers.
- ▪People were able to type faster than what was thought to be physically possible, with some reaching speeds of 70 words per minute or more.
- ▪The QWERTY layout was designed to allow for fast typing, and fingers are capable of moving independently, allowing for overlapping and efficient typing.
- ▪The development of computer interfaces has not always respected the capabilities of human hands and fingers, with early terminals and keyboards often creating unpleasant typing experiences due to delays and limitations.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Marcin Wichary 18 June 2026 / 7,700 words / 38 playgrounds Show your hands honor for the strange power they bring you On designing finger-friendly interactions A hundred or so years ago, there was a problem. People were simply typing too fast. I know what you’re thinking: they were typing too fast for the primitive typewriters of that era. But contrary to popular belief, typewriters were never that primitive. You could type really fast on even the first popular typewriter, and the QWERTY layout was actually designed to allow you to do just that. No, people were typing too fast for what we thought our bodies were capable of.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Aresluna.
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