Cassidy Williams' Micro Journal Build — Custom Keycaps and Layout
Developer Cassidy Williams documents her Micro Journal build experience, featuring custom DSS Tecla keycaps, lubricated NK Dry Black switches, a personalized keymap, and a custom loading screen on the ESP32-based writerDeck.
Overview
Cassidy Williams, a well-known developer and mechanical keyboard enthusiast, documented her experience building a Micro Journal writerDeck — a distraction-free writing device from the open-source Micro Journal project by Un Kyu Lee. Her build showcases the customization possibilities of the platform.
Hardware Choices
- Switches: NovelKeys NK Dry Black — lubricated by Cassidy for a smoother typing experience
- Keycaps: DSS Tecla — a keycap set personally designed by Cassidy Williams
- Case: Custom-printed by Un Kyu Lee, the original creator
Customizations
Cassidy made several personalizations to her build:
- Custom loading screen — designed a personalized boot splash for the device
- Modified color scheme — adjusted the text editor's background and foreground colors via SD card configuration
- Custom keymap — created a layout optimized for writing, published as a public GitHub Gist
- Plate modifications — used a razor to adjust the plate for proper switch fit
Build Experience
The build process involved:
- Flashing the firmware
- Creating SD card configuration files
- Installing switches and keycaps
- Iterating on the keymap layout to find the right configuration
- Setting up Google Drive sync for file backup
Despite some initial challenges with layout configuration, Cassidy describes the overall experience as "pretty smooth" and reports strong satisfaction with the final product for distraction-free writing sessions.
Key Takeaway
The blog post demonstrates that the Micro Journal platform is accessible to builders of varying skill levels, and the SD card-based configuration system makes customization straightforward without needing to recompile firmware.
