Who is ArqKeebs?

Nov 13, 20231819 VIEWS

ArqKeebs has been around in the mechanical keyboard hobby for some time now, and has taken an impressive number of keycap sets from idea to fruition over that time. It would seem that the only thing he hasn’t done until now is introduce himself to the Drop community! So, we wanted to help get that out of the way with some questions for Arq, starting with who he is and what he’s all about (an interview more specific to the DCD Bird Jungle keycap set and his design process is coming in the next Story). Thank you to Arq for letting us peek behind the curtain!

Render created by Bingo. Model created by werk.technica.

We’ll start easy—tell us a bit about yourself and your history, mech keys related or not. Where are you from, what is your day job (if applicable), what are your other hobbies and interests outside of keyboards? My name is David, but everyone calls me Arq. I was born in Peru, but I came to New York City when I was thirteen. I graduated a bit over 2 years ago from CUNY with a Bachelors in Computer Science. So I feel I'm still fresh out. There are so many hobbies that I would love to try out and experience, but right now I’m very deep into Gunplas, clay sculpting, and of course keyboards. I really like working with my hand so building model kits and sculpting are very relaxing to me. I tried getting into drawing back when I was a teenager, but I never got the hang of it. I picked up clay sculpting because of the beautiful world of Artisan keycaps. It really opened a world to me and I have been able to meet some amazing people through it. I consider myself very passionate about what I do and I always pour my heart in everything. How and when did you get involved in the mechanical keyboard hobby? Well I got my first mechanical keyboard back in 2016 and it was a Ducky Shine 5 with MX brown. Back then I was in high school and I got it as a gift, which was a highlight for me. After that I got really into the hobby once I started working by the end of 2019. My first custom board was a red Tofu65 with holy pandas and of course GMK Jamon (Red is my favorite color!). I’m a very shy person, but for some reason I wanted to actually meet people in the community and that's how I ended up in a Mexican Facebook group. Getting keyboard parts imported to Mexico can get very expensive really fast. I wanted to help out by making streams to show off switches and keyboards. This way people can pick and see what they are getting. One of the switches I reviewed were U4T and people really seem to like them, so we manage to run a GB just for Mexico, so that the community would get a chance to get them without paying that much on shipping and what not. I’m still very proud of that moment. Could you share a little bit about your current keyboard/desk setup? Photos appreciated if you’re willing. Of course! As you can see my desk is filled with artisan Keycaps. My current keyboard is the Spring with GMK Ishtar. I fell in love with the Alice layout and that's what I usually go for.

What drove you to start designing keycap sets (and desk mats / artisan trays)? Do you have a history in design and the arts, or were keyboards your first major foray into that? I never really saw myself designing anything. The reason that I did Dream Bird was because I saw a gif on Reddit. The gif was about none other than the Hyacinth macaw. The extravagant colors and how huge it was captivated me. That night I had a dream about it and well I just had to try to capture its beauty in a keyset. I started looking into colors and color theory. I had zero background in design and this was my first experience trying it out. Back then I was in college and well I didn't major in graphic design. By this time I had already worked with a designer to make my logo. The designer I worked with was Angel from AM Friends & Co. Dream Bird was our first work together. We went through iterations and styles to get it there. After Dream Bird the itch of designing Keycaps sets didn't go away. Funny enough Dream Bird was a stepping stone for Bird Jungle because the original idea was to make a dream bird but vintage. Clay sculpting started because of the artisans Keycaps and the amazing makers I was meeting. They pushed me to try it out. By the start of 2021 I had a bunch of artisans but not a nice way to display them. This was where I started to learn Fusion360 to make my first artisan tray. It was ugly. Eventually I got it together and made my first prototype mid 2022. I called it Arqtisan Box. At the end of the year I ran my first solo Group Buy and ship it out at the start of 2023 What has been the biggest challenge or learning experience from your time designing in the keyboard space (or elsewhere)? Starting out is always the hard part for me. Getting to actually start from not only doing research but putting the work in. Learning anything from scratch is always a struggle, but it pays off once you get the final product in your hands. Color is a very complex topic and I'm still learning. What is the project (design/building, creative/technical, any field) that you’re most proud of? Well for now it is DCD Bird Jungle. It took so long to get it right, but it totally paid off. This was the first time that I wanted to do something more complex and just a different approach. What is your favorite design of someone else’s? My favorite set is GMK Gregory. It's so bold and funny. I just love it so much. I’m so glad I was able to join the Group buy. I would do it again. 10/10.

Are there any projects or designs you’ve conceptualized but weren’t able to create due to IP constraints? What would be your dream subject matter if you could make anything you wanted to? Well I have worked on some concepts for a keycap set based on Gundam. Like if you were piloting a gundam. A keycap set based on the Sinanju with those shades of red, gold and black. It would be amazing.

Thank you again Arq for allowing us to ask so many questions and your excellent answers! Stay tuned for part 2 of our interview with ArqKeebs as he dives into the Bird Jungle inspiration and design process.

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