"The dial is divided into three stacked layers, reducing the overall size of the device while still allowing for full character coverage. A single rotation cycle can be faster than pressing across a wide surface of keys, and the layering also allows parallel inputs. Function keys and cursor keys are placed on smaller independent dials around the main dial, so users can operate multiple rotary controls depending on the task."
"Google Japan's Gboard Dial Edition draws influence from rotary phones, which used circular motion for dialing numbers. The buzzing sound produced during rotation is a deliberate reference to the mechanical feedback of those devices, and the three-layer dial system adapts this influence by compressing a large number of inputs into a smaller physical space. The design also references the 101-key standard keyboard, a format introduced in the 1980s."
Gboard Dial Edition replaces traditional key presses with a main circular dial that accepts finger insertion and rotation to select characters. The dial is composed of three stacked layers to compress extensive character coverage into a smaller form factor and enable single-rotation cycles and parallel inputs. Smaller independent dials surround the main dial for function, cursor, enter, and number keys, allowing multiple rotary controls for different tasks. The buzzing sound evokes rotary-phone mechanical feedback and the October 1 release date links the design to the 101-key keyboard standard. The design is released as an open-source blueprint rather than a commercial product.
Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine
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