"Invisible Makers of the World" - Ryan Norbauer

Norbauer has been one of my best friends and mentors in the keyboard community. Had the chance to chat with him regarding his sentimentalism for keyboards and the concept of luxury and creating a brand around it.
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시청해 주셔서 감사합니다! (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡
#norbauer #luxury #startrek

[@qlavier]

" A keyboard is our physical connection to the rest of humanity." This is so true, countless times i had to explain to people why i like keyboards and for some people its just not an essential tool and for some people it truly is the way we communicate with friends, play endless games for entertainment and connect with the the rest of the world. Now more then ever... thanks corona.

[@user-bm4gb6lr8d]

Where my trumpbucks at 😭😭😭

[@pegasusdoesmc]

LOL

[@adrestiaeagerton4069]

more *than ever

[@meursault.1984]

hmmm no, you can apply this concept to any man made product (architecture, food and other crafts) and this will still be true. Norbauer is too pretentious LMAO

[@eskimodot]

I'm an architect/designer and he speaks from the bottom of my heart. Minimum 5 years of university, dozens of internships, countless sleepless nights to hit the deadline or make the product 1% better and when you present it to your boss / client they like "k." and life goes on. We are truly invisible to the "outside" world.

[@williamlee0]

There is a sadly limited market for critical and aesthetic intelligence.

[@lndndr18]

@@williamlee0 Same. I felt that.

[@user-yk1cw8im4h]

eskimo architects are pretty privileged in having the ability to flex their creativity, which 95% of jobs don’t even have that luxury. It makes no sense to bitch about being an architect, you sounds like you’re living in a vacuum your whole life.

[@theOtakuCyclist]

Architects genuinely work some silly hours. It’s definitely an underpaid profession and the reality of the role is very far from what the public think it is. Don’t worry Eskimo, you’ll get promoted at some point and then not get to design anymore XD.

[@meursault.1984]

I am also an Architect and the fault is that most Architects tend to take Architecture more than what it really is. We waste so much time perfecting our drawings when there are a lot of other factors that can affect our designs, we strive too much for perfection which is irrational.

[@ChrisPang05]

I met Ryan at Keycon NYC in the summer of 2019. I can say he's as easy to get along with as you imagine. A very humble and well spoken man who I personally greatly respect. Ryan, thanks for spending the time to chat and I look forward to your next project(s).

[@superiorfps7224]

This video is actually really well made.

[@poptik]

It was shot on a $8,000 camera.

[@TaehaTypes]

Still learning but I tried haha

[@miklschmidt]

​@@poptik This required much more skill than an expensive camera can fake. The lighting and composition in the majority of these shots are great. No camera can fake that. Then you need audio recording and processing, interviewing skills and editing. Don't assume anyone with an $8,000 camera and little to no skill could make this, they certainly couldn't.

[@gundamOPS]

@@miklschmidt it's an inside joke among his viewers.

[@basiccomputing4221]

Yeah fells like an abed film

[@techow]

Hey, I like this type of content my dude. See you on twitch

[@AlexanderChen25]

The care and effort that went into the production are evident from the lighting, composition, and shots and I'm excited to see these evolve and improve as you hopefully continue to do more of these. I was intrigued by some of the other items used by Ryan in addition to keyboards. I believe I saw a 3DConnection CAD mouse and Wacom tablet on his desk and would love to see how he uses these tools and more in his creative process as an "Invisible Maker."

[@RyanNorbauer]

You correctly spotted those two items! I use the Wacom tablet mostly as an aid in photo retouching (closeups of keyboards invariably reveal a mote-verse), though I've been playing around lately with learning how to draw properly, and digital drawing stresses me out less because it has an Undo button. :) And I can't imagine using CAD software without a 3D mouse.

[@AlexanderChen25]

@@RyanNorbauer Thank you for taking the time to reply! I can relate to having to manually remove dust and other particles in Photoshop to clean up photos. I have learned it is much easier to clean products with a blower before taking photos than it is to painstakingly save it for removal in post. I'm terrible at drawing but I've found it nice to use previous sketches as reference layers to develop ideas and concepts when sketching digitally. I've never used a 3D mouse to CAD but I remember trying to CAD on a laptop trackpad and the difference having a mouse made so trying a 3D mouse may be a worthwhile investment. Lastly, I remember Nathan mentioning that you were working on an automated switch lubing machine and I was curious if you could share any progress or updates on that project. Thanks again for sharing your process and I look forward to your future product announcements!

[@alexlindblomdonahue9374]

As a engineer with a bachelor degree in product design & innovation looking to go into a master degree in industrial design, this spoke to me on a very deep level. Really appreciate the video and so much respect for Ryans work. Glad to be apart of this community.

[@yeahthatsright33]

I don't rewatch videos like this, but I can easily see myself coming back to this. He's hitting so many cords. This made me realize why I even like keyboards so much. Great video Taeha. Great chat Norbauer.

[@dentalala]

What a nice craftsmanship's approach to this extremely niche business. I am a bit jealous for Ryan that he has an opportunity and extraordinary skills to design and produce such wonderful instruments to communicate with computers and humans. What Ryan says in this video is definitely what I also appreciate very much. I first encountered kind of similar impressions with vintage computers when my friend showed me his Commodore 64. I barely remember anything specific about it except that this thing wasn't what I expected from old computers. Typing on its keyboard (which contained the whole computer inside, wow) was like operating a machine by pressing buttons, but not just casually typing something on a keyboard. I remembered that feeling and was always subconciously tried to achieve it. This was one of the strongest reasons I dived into the keyboard hobby. Thank you so much Taeha for the great video!

[@Rewwgh]

Ryan is stunning and he alongside Nathan rekindled my interest in keyboards that I briefly had in 2013-2014. This community of geeks has some really cool people in it and I'm glad it exists.

[@noahhite1699]

As an aspiring industrial designer and keyboard enthusiast this video is just perfect!

[@D4VIDF]

Ryan is so intelligent and humble. I now truly respect his work even more.

[@m1ssingc0rps3]

ngl who cares abt a bald guy talking and nerding about keyboards lmfaoo

[@Definitely_Melnyx]

I mean, he worked at NASA so he should be at least intelligent

[@pedrocaricchio]

This was one of the best videos I've ever saw about keyboards. Not just for the production value, but the content here is also something else. It's really amazing how Norbauer can approach certain topics with such passion and sensitiveness - and this interview helped him achieve just that. That very bit about the "invisible makers of the world" is something I found myself thinking about a couple weeks ago and how every object we take for granted in our daily lives holds the potency of lots of individuals' work. Glad to hear I'm not the only crazy person reflecting on this hahaha Keep up this great content!

[@westleyvanzant]

Man , I keep coming back to this video every month or two. I have so much respect for Norbauer and it's so cool to hear the thought process behind someone like him who is so deep into the design and world of keyboards. Fantastic video.

[@garrettmaddrill5931]

this video never even showed up in my recommended feed and im glad that you brought it up on stream today so I could hear from a relatively low profile maker in the community.

[@phosphor1911]

Swell video my guy, I'm really liking this this type of different content :o

[@evanwalker1320]

this really shows how well versed content creators like tae are with creating incredible videos, this was fantastic

[@pj316]

How does this video only have 50k views? This is easily the best keyboard related video I've seen to date.

[@thelaughinghuy]

Great video! Always lovely to hear what Ryan has to say and his perspectives. Typing this on a Norbaforce R1, with a Norbatouch as alternate and a Norbaforce PC waiting to be built :)

[@paulewannacrackr]

5:35 proto for hhkb case?? :O

[@TaehaTypes]

Correct

[@alexanderlee3204]

this is a super nice pivot from the regular material. really appreciate getting his perspective on not only keyboards but a bit of his life philosophy. liked the job you did putting this interview together. really hoping for more of this style of content.

[@MatthewEncina]

The intro is really raw. I really love this interview, and can really relate to what Ryan is saying. Thanks for doing this and sharing this perspective with the scene.

[@rodok3836]

This is a really really well made video. Both camera and host are amzing. This gave me a really really valued opinion.

[@shmaxyYT]

Stunning. This is exactly what the community needs.

[@0Metatron]

My outlook on small run niche luxury products is mainly the appreciation of someone else’s passion, skill, eye for detail and design. The choices and materials that went into it and the experience of interacting with all of this and the community that surrounds it and goes into making it exist. A lot of ppl don’t get it at all and think it is all just about the flex and while some ppl are into it because of that most ppl who get into these weird hobbies are the complete opposite 😂

[@_silverword]

I really like his comments about luxury. I super agree that artifical scarcity is often unpleasant

[@Diablo_-yk3bd]

Awesome cinematography. Also patreon gang represent

[@lndndr18]

Nathan, thank you for this precious gift.

[@trosc]

Nathan just wanted to chime in and say this is a fantastic contribution to the community. From the outside we seem like we're daft adults spending mountains of cash on stuff made of plastic (that apparently should cost minus five cents to make) and disregard the real costs and the real passion involved, from designer to manufacturer to the one doing the assembly to the final user, not to mention people making artisans, cables and other accessories that enrich our senses and lives in such beautiful ways.

[@jaydnsmiley]

This is such a well put together video. I came only expecting to watch a few minutes and now I wish it was longer

[@nyaberry]

In fact, I didn't think I would meet such a well-made video on this channel. Let's be clear, I like this channel. I used my 23 minutes beneficially. Thank you.

[@str4yf0x]

The keyboard is both the mightiest tool and weapon, it's an essential mechanism for interacting with the 21st century. This is such a great video and the attachement to a time when we were hopeful of a technologically driven future really resonates with me. Thanks for putting this together Nathan!

[@bodythetan]

Just watched this for the first time. What an articulate dude Norbauer is and this is a great documentary - thanks for making it

[@Testerinopelinokinosjwizldid]

Such a strong persona.

[@Snoigel]

How did you comment this 13 hours ago when the video was released one hour ago

[@jadencho3105]

Nigel lol hax

[@Testerinopelinokinosjwizldid]

@@Snoigel Patreon squad :^)

[@j7a7m77]

the 15 people who downvoted have zero appreciation for those truly in love with what they're doing, honestly so much respect for this man

[@cohesive_glue]

The concept behind the work is truly inspiring and his passion is clearly expressed in his art.

[@AgeentOO7]

As a career systems integrator in manufacturing, this hit me in the feels. I don't think I've ever heard of someone speak with reverence about design and manufacturing who wasn't in the field. Thank you for sharing.

[@bb_lou]

I think it would be presumptuous of me to suppose that there will be a lasting legacy, but I would want it to fall into the realm of all the things I've been talking about which is for some subset if not all the people who consume what I do to look at things I have made, touch things that I made, use them on a daily basis and have it remind them of or connect with something that they have cared about deeply for a long part of their lives or that allows them to escape their daily life into a kind of aesthetic fantasy about the future or just being able to dream of possibilities of turning what is an everyday object into something that suddenly seems like a universe of potentiality. Being able to create these little sort of micro worlds and having them resonate with people is totally enough for me. It doesn't have to endure or last over time, just that it happens at all or has ever happened is really all that I care about. Everything is fundamentally ephemeral. The notion of endurance is inherently illusory, just take moments of connection. I think that's the best we can ask for. -Ryan Norbauer on his legacy

[@BAUZKII]

Very well made video. Also funny how similar my name is to his.

[@RyanNorbauer]

👊 Bauer power, man.

[@BAUZKII]

Heck Yeah

[@laundry1799]

Really well shot video and Ryan is such a great speaker I watched the whole thing to the end without realizing 20min had passed

[@aygwm]

I just enjoy hearing Ryan talk. What a succinct and intelligent communication style.

[@annabturner]

I really enjoyed this video. Particularly what he was saying about being somewhat nostalgic for when the internet and technology was new and seemed more hopeful and magical in a way. I feel like his thoughts of luxury somewhat echo my own. I don't enjoy artificial scarcity for the sake of status, but I think it can be a really special thing when you're part of a small group of people that deeply care about a specific item. Wonderful talk. I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye on his shop.

[@TheBrotesque]

Really high quality content right here. What an interesting and well spoken guy. Nathan you should do more stuff like this, really beautiful work

[@adamw9764]

This was an extremely interesting video, really loved watching it.

[@user-oc8tu9pl3k]

18:47 wow jab hook to my heart right there :) even if you're not a KB enthusiast I think this interview is a must see

[@dizzydave578]

I think this is super cool how one of the most prominent member of the community is so passionate about this tool that takes up so much of our time that most people don't think twice about. Me on the other hand I just love how they look, sound and feel lol.

[@lordwolfy]

If you ever wanna stop making keyboards, you have a good future in making documentaries, Taeha.

[@CombatCactus]

This interview was so well done, thank you for sharing. I really needed an escape today and these 22 minutes were invaluable, thank you.

[@faris5807]

i really like this video. I like the style you chose, feels really open and drawn in, i love it

[@ThePepsiman1000]

I skipped lecture just to watch this, such an amazing video.

[@Goguma-]

This is the type of content I subscribed for

[@TaehaTypes]

Thank you for the patience :D

[@dmshampton]

I don’t know if you read comments on old videos but this one was stellar, Nathan. Truly awesome. A pleasure to watch and listen to. I’ve only recently found this hobby in the last few months, but Ryan has really voiced a lot of my attraction to this community. I’ve recently joined GeekHack and I’m pretty sold out, Hopefully over the next few years I can become more engaged with the community.

[@Otis888]

i really like this direction! hoping to see more and excited for the development of your content!

[@lowkeykeyboards5110]

As a fellow industrial designer, the comments on manufacturing low volume parts really voices my thoughts to this community. Every night I'll get at least 5-10 messages about why this hobby is so expensive haha. But like he said, if you really connect with it on an emotional level of some sense, usually the price isn't a concern, although we really do try not to mark it up so at least we can make *something*! I really dig that sentiment!

[@ianli5394]

Really enjoyed this video! Super insightful and great to see you expand the scope of your content. It'd be really cool this evolved into a series with other makers to better understand their design philosophies.

[@winthardcastle]

Amazing Video, Taeha. Norbauer seems so intelligent and humble. No wonder his work is so beautiful!

[@willthepotato]

This and the GMK Handarbeit essay are great things to show to people that do not understand niche hobbies like mechanical keyboards.

[@ramgundapwar]

This was a really well done video, I really enjoyed it, and it was made by taeha and norbauer which makes it even more cool

[@newtc312]

This video is so well made, making me wanna buy a norbauer case lol

[@LuisFKA]

TBH I love so much interviews with Norbauer.

[@obedfrost7103]

What a great vid and a man with quality and also who appreciate the simple things the connect us

[@Anfernee_G]

That Captain Proton shirt 👌 if you know, you know.

[@rsmith2568]

really have a new appreciation for norbauer

[@PaulNica]

This was a pleasure to watch for me, a person really new to this hobby. Thank you for the content sir!

[@janglad9136]

This was amazing, definitely would love more like it!

[@evanchn1]

Loving the new high quality content! Selfishly I would love to have more b-rolls next time :D

[@TaehaTypes]

Underestimated how much I would need haha, definitely will try to shoot more for the next one

[@stryke1989]

Possibly your best video.

[@nordenvonthule]

pulled the trigger on the Heavy 9 after watching this

[@igortub]

15:17 is what u looking for

[@flare8839]

Taeha this is a very important and nice video, thankyou!

[@seanr8706]

Truly a very interesting video, super awesome concept and thought and as a design student this seems like the right path to follow

[@haiichuu]

This was wonderful - Thank you, Nathan :)

[@captriskybiscuits8785]

Fantastic job! This looks, sounds, and feels great to watch. Great content too which is awesome! 11/10

[@BogdanIonutas]

JEAN-NOEL KAPFERER - if you were also curious :)

[@BlercNet]

Squirel at 20:00

[@goodkavin]

This is the reason why I like this community

[@K3V0M]

Damn, just pressed thumbs up but it was at 1337 so I took it back. This was a really well-produced video with the audio/video quality and the b-roll etc Interesting stuff he had to say. I might have to watch it again later.

[@pryex8565]

Wow. This is a fantastic video Taeha. Ryan is very intelligent and incredibly well spoken.

[@HeSo_71]

Normies: its just a keyboard nothing special. Norbauer: uh

[@BronzeChin]

What a fantastic video. I loved your stream together.

[@Delbs1]

Taeha showing up some sweet cinematography here, great content

[@SamT_RV]

Norbauer: “people aren’t getting rich selling keyboards” Me: looks at Rama works Instagram 🤑

[@dantetal2758]

This video, and his words, made me realize that I want to design things as he described them. Maybe not to the degree of niche-filling he has (perhaps though), but to create things with intention and taste. Now I want to meet this guy and have a chat with him

[@paulhenricksen5728]

Love this

[@alexcorll90]

Great production value and presentation on a big contributor to the keyboard world. Ryan is a beacon of quality and commitment. Totally off topic....but does anyone have any idea what brand of jacket he's wearing?

[@allen6778]

Really great cinematography

[@thepanduuh]

"It's interesting that there's this whole invisible group of people making our lives work that we don't encounter very much or even think about ever. We take so much of our comfortable, material lives entirely for granted and without realizing somehow that if that group of people disappeared we would be very much helpless." Norbauer confirmed 200IQ bigbrane. Listening to Norbauer makes me feel smol brane. The word choices, the enunciation; you can just tell he's intelligent.

[@RyanNorbauer]

Ha. "Norbauer confirmed 200IQ bigbrane." Can I put that on my business card?

[@flue_nc]

what a guy

[@keenanfitzharris7758]

Love this community ❤

[@savular782]

I skipped doing homework for this.

[@_sitonotis]

Truly captivating

[@BlackGoku42]

I enjoyed that, happy 420 everyone.

[@Wonginism]

A gear list for equipment used to create this vid would be dope

[@TaehaTypes]

All shots were filmed with the Canon C200 with the 18-35 f/1.8 Sigma lens and the Sennheiser MKH-416 mic.

[@inigo4119]

more vids like this pls taeha i loved it

[@raymondrosario5789]

more vids like this pls taeha i loved it

[@yeahthatsright33]

I’d love to see more content like this. 3rd time watching this

[@Zambumon]

See, you didn't need THE ASSET for this awesome video. Good job Nathan.

[@TaehaTypes]

I NEED THE ASSET

[@imprevade]

@@TaehaTypes ASSET INBOUND

[@qrlib]

Fantastic video Nathan!

[@RobParkinVideo]

Just a small tip here, I try to use more than one angle or shot of b roll at a time, otherwise it can stand out as a extraneous shot to fill space, I'll also let them run a lot longer on a long format video like this. I really enjoyed the b roll shots otherwise, they were great!

[@TaehaTypes]

Will try to keep this in mind! Definitely learning about cinematography and editing as I go haha, fairly new

[@nicokart6632]

This is very well made! I really enjoyed watching this great video! That first keyboard looks a lot like the DM87 except premium lol

[@drBROner]

Loved this!