Plushy Revisions: what’s changing, what’s not
Thank you for all of the feedback on my felt mouse, which everyone seems to be calling Plushy Mouse. Instant feedback from people who think hard about things like computer peripherals is invaluable. It’s clear from blog comments that this guy needs a scrolling mechanism and a clear power source. I’m not, however, making Plushy any less boxy.
Here’s why: if you look at how you’re holding your mouse right now, you’ll see that the only contact points between mouse and hand are the tips of your fingers. Nobody smothers the mouse with the entire surface of his or her palm- movement would become sluggish and uncomfortable. Yet mice are designed to look like they fit snugly inside a your palm because people believe that’s how mice are held. This makes the mouse seem more ergonomic, when in fact a rectangular box is just as comfortable to manipulate, and a felt box even more so.
I’ll post the updated design here as soon as I finish. Stay tuned!
5 Comments
November 7th, 2007 at 7:06 pm
You’ve convinced me! When will it be available to purchase?
November 20th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
That’s how I hold my mouse. I also hold all buttons at once though, so I already know I’m in the minority.
November 22nd, 2007 at 5:04 pm
Your assumption that people do not rest their palm on the mouse may be incorrect. Curved mice designed by most companies today have been a result of studies on this matter.
December 15th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
[...] Ontwerper Joey Roth ontwikkelde een wollen muis, gemaakt van vilt en bamboe. Heel natuurlijk, dat wel, behalve dan die vorm. Die is zo hoekig als een baksteen. Uit de vele reacties die hij de laatste tijd op zijn concept kreeg, concludeerde hij dat een scrollwiel inderdaad geen overbodige luxe is. Dat komt er dus nog in. Maar aan de vorm wil hij geen concessies doen. lees verder Florine • 09-11-2007 14:31 • reageer • doorsturenTijdschrift over vormgeving MORF vernieuwddesign [...]
May 9th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
I love the idea of the Golden Rectangle…but have you considered the naturally occurring oils that come from your hands. Won’t plushy begin to look a bit….”icky”…in some spots?
I’m sure you’ve already thought about wood grains …(yeah I know everyone else is doing bamboo)…..and metals? But I’d love a stainless steel model. It’d look great sitting next to my Sorapot.
