Competition
Thank you for your interest in joining us and pushing the mechanical keyboard community forward!
BE THE CHANGE
About The Competition
Elements Workshop calls upon the mechanical keyboard community around the world to enter the community’s first global recurring design competition.
2023 will mark as the first year of this international design competition, providing the chance of a lifetime for an up-and-coming community member to win the award for creative excellence.
Winners will be funded to build their prototypes with a world-class manufacturer, and mass production for GB sale to reach the global mechanical keyboard community and media.
The Brief
Design a mechanical keyboard in any layout; from 40% to 1800 and from ergo to splits layout. Concepts must anticipate the challenges of manufacturing and CMF (Color, Material, Finish), address those challenges with a creative solution, and captivate the imagination with exceptional design.
The Mission
The mission of the Mechanical Keyboard Design Competition, or MKDC in short, is to provide a fair, ethical, and competitive platform for beginners, designers, and innovators with different experience levels and diverse disciplines to compete in while providing them with a global audience to showcase their success and talents.
Open for Entries From Dec 1, 2023 to jan 8, 2024
Entry deadline is on January 8th, 2024 at 11:59pm (Pacific Standard Time ; UTC-8)
Prizes Come As
An Award Package
Prototype & Production Unit
Trophy
Certificate
Winner Label
All winners will receive a prototype of their mechanical keyboard concept and a production unit.
After the competition, Elements Workshop will host workshops and help winners develop prototypes. There will be continual follow-ups as the winners develop their designs from concept to paper, and finally into physical prototypes.
Funding includes a prototype valued up to USD5,000 is covered.
All winners will receive a specially made trophy to symbolize your excellent design capabilities, unlimited creativity, and communication skills.
Display them at your home, office, and even keyboard meetups!
All winners will receive a certificate in both physical and digital form.
We’ll mail you a printed certificate for your award-winning concept. Feel free to display them at your home, office, and even keyboard meetups!
A digital version of the certificate is available for you to print or use for marketing purposes.
All winners are granted the specially designed digital seal to communicate their involvement, honor, and success.
This is the start of a new tradition within the mechanical keyboard community to communicate your success throughout time and impressions worldwide in a variety of media.
Honorable Mention Award Tiers
Most Community Voted
Most Creative
Best CMF
Best Presentation
Judging Panel
Elements Workshop works with a panel of esteemed Judges to select Winners. The Judges are some of today’s most influential figures within the mechanical keyboard community.
Judging Criteria
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
Design / CMF (Color, Material, Finish) | How unique and visually appealing is the keyboard design? Does it engage the user? |
DFM (Design For Manufacturing) | How feasible is the design for manufacturing? Can it be made with ease or complicated? |
Market Value / Differentiation | Would people buy this keyboard? How does it compare to keyboards within the hobby now? |
Innovation / Impact | How innovative is the design? Does it push the boundaries of what's currently available in the mechanical keyboard market? |
Presentation | How well does the submission communicate the design concept? Are the design elements clearly presented in a compelling way? |
Timeline
Please check on desktop or tablet devices.
Supporting Vendors
Supporting Sponsors
If you have any enquiries, please feel welcome to check out the FAQs or
drop us a message in the chat box or email at [email protected]