For those not deeply involved in the realms of keyboard enthusiasts or gamers, purchasing a keyboard often means selecting the first available option on a store shelf, such as those at Best Buy, without much thought to its specifics beyond its functionality. However, the company Nuio, which was cofounded by brothers Tom and Greg Wilson, seeks to revolutionize the standard perception of keyboards with their new offering, the Flow Keyboard. This product is branded as a premium, fully wireless, ergonomic, and split keyboard.
As an ergonomics accessories firm, the Wilson brothers have introduced an ecosystem specifically designed around the Flow Keyboard. In addition to the keyboard itself, Nuio provides a variety of magnetic attachments such as a trackpad, deskpad, adjustable stands, and wristpads, allowing users to customize their setup for optimal comfort. The entire setup is wireless, offering flexibility to be used in various locations, whether at a desk, during a flight, or on a lap.
Nuio’s Flow Keyboard, despite being fundamentally a split keyboard, aims to redefine the standard keyboard paradigm by offering customization options ranging from the shape of the base to the keys. This product has been noted to notably change perspectives on everyday keyboard use. The Flow Keyboard, available for preorder on Nuio’s website at a starting price of $399, is set for shipping starting December 1.
Nuio was established by Tom Wilson, CEO, and Greg Wilson, CMO, who both have substantial backgrounds in design and technology. Tom Wilson is an ex-Apple executive who contributed to the development of portable devices including MacBooks, while Greg Wilson previously worked as a designer at the well-known industrial design firm Frog Design and also operated his consultancy, Wilson & Co.
The Wilson brothers aimed to innovate an area that had seen little change over time, leading them to focus on the keyboard. Citing the unchanged rectangular design of keyboards prevalent for the past 40 years, Greg Wilson questioned during a virtual briefing why such outdated designs persisted in the current technological age, emphasizing that keyboards don’t naturally fit anyone and are merely vestiges of typewriter constructions.
In the creation of the Flow Keyboard, the brothers intentionally moved away from the conventional rectangular keyboard design. Their aim was to develop a keyboard that conformed to the natural hand rest position, achieving this through a 3D wave design and contoured keys intended to offer a tactile fit for fingertips. Both the enclosure and the keys of the keyboard are unique and proprietary to Nuio.
