Have you ever looked at your keyboard and wondered why all the keys are in that order? There is a reason, but the so-called QWERTY layout has become so familiar that you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s the only one there is. For people that spend a great deal of time typing every day, there is in fact an alternative keyboard layout that can help increase typing comfort by improving ergonomics and reducing necessary finger movement. And that layout is called…
Dvorak
The Dvorak layout was developed in the 1930s by August Dvorak, an American educational psychologist and professor at the University of Washington. At the time, QWERTY was the key arrangement being used by mechanical typewriters. In it, commonly paired letters were intentionally separated to reduce the risk of mechanical jams. Rather than preserving that layout, Dvorak reorganized the keyboard around the frequency of letters in the English language instead. His goal was to place the most commonly used letters where they are easiest to reach.
Unlike QWERTY, which spreads common letters across the keyboard, Dvorak places many of them on the home row, where typists naturally rest their fingers. As a result, one of the main benefits of Dvorak is that it requires less finger travel during typing, since you can press more keys without moving your fingers far from their resting position.
Here is the Dvorak home row:
AOEUIDHTNS
Compare that to the QWERTY home row:
ASDFGHJKL;
Not only does the Dvorak home row include every vowel, but it places them all in the left-hand space to encourage alternating between the left and right hands when typing words. The goal with this is to create a smoother back-and-forth rhythm while typing. Additionally, common letters are assigned to stronger fingers, while less frequently used letters are placed in positions that are harder to reach.
Switching to Dvorak
Trying Dvorak is easier than many people realize. Most modern operating systems including Windows and Mac OS support the layout without requiring any special hardware. If you’re interested, you can search online for step-by-step instructions for your specific operating system.
The greatest challenge, of course, is the learning curve. Years of QWERTY muscle memory can make the transition slow and sometimes frustrating, but repetition and practice can make all the difference just like when learning a new language. For beginners, it can also help to purchase a Dvorak overlay that goes atop your keyboard so you can visually learn the new layout as you’re typing.
Keep in mind though that there are practical considerations when switching. Most public and workplace computers use QWERTY, and many keyboard shortcut positions (e.g. Ctrl+X, Ctrl+Z) were designed with QWERTY in mind. As a result, Dvorak users sometimes need to switch between layouts depending on the situation. However, for people who type extensively, experience discomfort during long typing sessions, or simply enjoy learning something new, Dvorak is worth exploring.
Steve Shannon has spent his entire professional career working in tech. He is the IT Director and Lead Developer at PromoCorner, where he joined in 2018. He is, at various times, a programmer, a game designer, a digital artist, and a musician. His monthly blog "Bits & Bytes" explores the ever-evolving realm of technology as it applies to both the promotional products industry and the world at large. You can contact him with questions at steve@getmooresolutions.com.