Podcast Summary
Creating Presentations with Canva's AI and Custom Keycaps by Tiny Makes Things: Canva's AI presentation tool simplifies and quickens the process, while Tiny Makes Things creates unique, pop culture-inspired keycaps
Technology, in this case Canva's AI, can significantly ease anxiety and save time when it comes to creating presentations for work. Meanwhile, in the world of independent creators, Tiny Makes Things, a keycap artist, uses her passion for pop culture and creativity to build a community and make adorable keycaps. Canva's AI presentation tool allows users to generate slides quickly and customize content with ease, making the process less daunting and more efficient. Whether it's a sales presentation, marketing deck, or HR onboarding plan, Canva presentations can provide a head start. Tiny Makes Things, on the other hand, is an artisan keycap creator who uses her skills to bring joy and creativity to mechanical keyboards. She started by making custom keycaps based on commissions and draws inspiration from pop culture and trends. Her work includes keycaps made of clay and resin, as well as novelty designs. Her journey began on Twitch, where she built a community by sharing her process and passion for keycaps. Tiny Makes Things is a reminder that creativity and passion can lead to unique and adorable creations, even in the world of mechanical keyboards.
From gaming to personal passion: The evolution of mechanical keyboards: Mechanical keyboards offer a customizable, collectible, and long-lasting typing experience, appealing to various individuals for different reasons, from improved typing experience to keycap collecting and community engagement.
Mechanical keyboards offer a highly customizable and collectible typing experience that appeals to various individuals in unique ways. Originally, mechanical keyboards were often associated with the gamer aesthetic, but as the hobby grew, it became clear that they were for everyone. The interviewee's journey into mechanical keyboards began as a way to connect with someone and later evolved into a passion for the hobby. The customizability of mechanical keyboards draws people in, with some focusing on keycap collecting, while others appreciate the improved typing experience and investment in a high-quality, long-lasting keyboard. The creativity and artistry within the mechanical keyboard community add to its allure, making it a captivating and enduring hobby for many.
Customize your typing experience with mechanical keyboards: Mechanical keyboards offer unique customization options, from sound and feel to appearance, driving their popularity during the pandemic for personalized workspaces. Preferences lean towards marbly, thocky sounds, but quieter options exist for those seeking a denser typing experience.
Mechanical keyboards offer a high degree of customization and flexibility for users, allowing them to tailor their typing experience to their preferences, from the sound and feel of the keys to the appearance of their workspace. The hobby has seen significant growth during the pandemic as people sought to make their home workspaces more personal and comfortable. The trend in keyboard preferences currently leans towards marbly, thocky sounds, which can be difficult to accurately capture through recordings. The Mr. Suit keyboard, for example, is popular for its marbly thock sound, but some users prefer to mute the sound with foam for a denser, quieter typing experience. Ultimately, the appeal of mechanical keyboards lies in their ability to provide a unique and customizable typing experience, enhancing productivity and personal satisfaction.
Streamlining tasks with technology like Canva and discovering opportunities through free giveaways: Technology like Canva simplifies tasks and custom keycaps can be started as a free giveaway and grow into a business
Technology, such as Canva presentations, can significantly streamline and simplify various tasks at work, including creating employee onboarding plans or sales presentations. The user-friendly interface and wide range of customizable options make it an invaluable tool for different departments. Meanwhile, in the world of custom keycaps, an initial project led by Tiny Makes Things evolved organically. Starting with a pair of Link and Zelda keycaps, the creator discovered a potential market by offering them for free to interested individuals. Over time, this led to a combination of self-initiated creations and commissioned projects, eventually growing into a more established business.
Finding consistency and passion in a hobby leads to personal growth and potential monetization: Passionately pursuing a hobby or side project can lead to personal growth and unexpected opportunities for monetization.
Finding consistency and passion in a hobby or side project can lead to personal growth and potential monetization. The speaker, who started making custom keycaps as a way to pass the time and express creativity, initially struggled with maintaining consistency due to feeling unfulfilled with his full-time job. He found that streaming his keycap-making process on Twitch helped him stay consistent and improve his skills, as well as expand his audience and gain potential clients through social media. The speaker emphasized that he didn't initially set out to sell his keycaps, but rather enjoyed the process of making them and practicing his craft. Over time, his passion and dedication led to a growing audience and demand for his custom keycaps. This experience demonstrates the importance of staying committed to a passion project and allowing it to naturally evolve and potentially provide new opportunities.
Consistency is key to success on live streaming platforms: Maintaining a consistent presence on live streaming platforms or short-form video content can help creators stay motivated and grow their audience.
Consistency is key to success on live streaming platforms like Twitch. Many creators attribute their achievements in their field to the accountability and support they received from their viewers. In the early stages, streaming may require a significant time commitment, but over time, creators may find other avenues for content creation that better suit their style and energy levels. For instance, short-form video content on platforms like TikTok can offer the benefits of sharing art with a wider audience without the time-consuming preparation and post-stream recovery time. Ultimately, maintaining a consistent presence on a platform, whether through streaming or short videos, can help creators stay motivated and grow their audience.
Appreciating the Community and Creative Process: Streamers and creators prioritize the value of their unique experiences and the connections they make, whether it's through streaming or creating intricate designs.
For the streamer, the community aspect of streaming is more valuable to him than using it as a platform for growth or making money. He cherishes the connections he's made and considers streaming as a way to relax and catch up with friends. On the other hand, Tiny, a keycap maker, shares that creating keycaps can be a complex process involving multiple prototypes and designs. One of her most intricate designs is a panda keycap, which has multiple layers and is made upside down in the molding process. Despite the challenges, Tiny enjoys her fast-paced design style and has created numerous designs. Both the streamer and Tiny prioritize their unique experiences and values in their respective creative pursuits.
Creating custom keycaps involves pouring resin into molds in a specific order and creating accessories for a playful touch.: Creating custom keycaps is a labor-intensive process with a low yield, requiring attention to detail and patience. Artists add accessories for a playful touch, inspired by modularity from games like Team Fortress 2.
Creating custom keycaps is a meticulous and multi-layered process. It involves pouring resin into molds in a specific order, similar to filling layers in a jello mold. Each layer represents a different part of the keycap, such as eyes, ears, nose, face, arms, toe pads, legs, and the final layer. Any mistakes made during the process require starting over from the beginning, making it a time-consuming and frustrating experience. The yield is also low, resulting in only a few successful keycaps coming out of each attempt. However, the process doesn't end there. The artist also creates accessories or removable parts for the keycaps, adding a playful and toy-like element to them. The inspiration for these accessories came from the artist's experience with hats in the game Team Fortress 2, where the economy revolved around literal hats. The idea of modularity and being able to swap things out or move them around appealed to the artist, leading to the creation of these unique accessories for custom keycaps.
Designing innovative keycaps with magnets: Magnets in keycaps offer easy attachment and detachment, safety, and endless customization possibilities. However, mass production and standardization challenges remain.
Creativity in design, even in small spaces like keycaps, can lead to innovative and meaningful additions to everyday objects. The use of magnets as a design element for custom keycaps was an idea that came from trying to add accessories to a Kirby-themed set. The benefits of this design include easy attachment and detachment, safety, and the potential for collaboration and sharing among creators. However, there were challenges to mass producing and standardizing the magnets for wider use. The original vision was to create a standardized system where creators could make and share magnetic accessories for keycaps, allowing for endless possibilities and customization. While the speaker has not yet released magnetic Kirby keycaps for sale, the idea remains an exciting prospect for the mechanical keyboard community. For those interested in getting into custom keycap creation or mechanical keyboard design, the speaker encourages exploration, experimentation, and collaboration with others in the community.
Explore the mechanical keyboard community through meetups and local shops: Meetups and local keyboard shops offer hands-on experiences and valuable information for newcomers to the mechanical keyboard hobby.
The world of mechanical keyboards offers a passionate and welcoming community for enthusiasts. Meetups are an excellent way to immerse oneself in this community, learn from experienced keyboard users, and explore a wide range of keyboards. These events are open to beginners and are a great place to ask questions and gain knowledge. For those unable to attend meetups, local keyboard shops can also provide a hands-on experience and valuable information. The community as a whole is eager to help newcomers join their ranks and share their passion for mechanical keyboards. If you're intrigued by this hobby, consider attending a meetup or visiting a local keyboard shop to learn more.
Insights from a tech journalist on the evolution of mobile apps and current trends: Learn about the evolution of mobile apps and current trends from a tech journalist's perspective. Canva, a design platform, can help you create professional-looking presentations quickly and easily.
Ashley Carman, a tech journalist, shared her insights from covering the mobile app industry since the beginning of the App Store. With her extensive experience, she provided valuable insights into the evolution of mobile apps and the trends shaping the space. This conversation was enlightening and left us excited for the future of mobile apps. If you're interested in learning more about the latest developments in the tech industry, be sure to tune in to the Vergecast, a podcast produced by The Verge, part of the Vox Media podcast network. And if you have any thoughts, feedback, or questions, don't hesitate to reach out to them at Vergecast@theverge.com or call their hotline at 866 Verge11. Additionally, Canva, a design platform, was highlighted as a tool that can help you create presentations quickly and easily. With Canva's AI and customizable templates, you can generate professional-looking slides in seconds, making it a great time-saver for your work presentations. So, whether you're creating sales presentations, marketing decks, or HR onboarding plans, Canva presentations can give you a head start on your deck. Try it out at Canva.com.
