👋 About Erik Jan
Hi! I’m Erik Jan de Vries, based in the Netherlands, and I work as a Freelance AI / MLOps consultant.
I love playing the piano (find me on YouTube 😉). Most of the time, I work from home, but when I go to the office, I travel by public transport to make the most of my commute. One of my dreams is to replace my laptop with a minimalist setup — phone, full desktop VM, AR/XR glasses for display, and my Dygma Defy as the input device. Unfortunately, we’re not quite there yet!
🥰 Erik Jan’s Keyboards
Before the Defy, I used a Logitech MX Keys together with the MX Master mouse. A solid combination, but I began to struggle with tech-neck and wanted to open up my shoulders more. That’s when I realized a split keyboard could be the answer. While I was at it, columnar layout also seemed more natural than row-staggered. And honestly — the Dygma Defy just looks awesome!
“I switched to the Defy, because I had issues with tech-neck and I thought a split keyboard would help open up my shoulders.”
Now, I love the split form factor and the comfort of tenting. I keep my mouse on the outside of the keyboard halves, which feels natural even with a wide setup. The real game changer, though, is Bluetooth connectivity with multiple devices, which makes it easy to move between desks and laptops.
🚀 Erik Jan’s Ergonomic Journey
I hadn’t anticipated it, but tenting feels really comfortable. Many people place their mouse in between the keyboard halves, but that doesn’t work for me. I prefer my mouse on the outside, even with a wide setup. Ultimately, I’d love to ditch the mouse completely, but that means learning how to manage my Windows/Linux desktops without it.
“The split form factor and Bluetooth are absolute game changers for me.”
The flexibility of the Defy allows me to switch devices on the fly, move between workstations, and always keep a comfortable posture. It’s been a real shift in both workflow and health.
🖥️ Erik Jan’s Setup
I often use a standing desk — small, easy to move around — and sometimes switch back to a regular desk with chair. At the standing desk, I like to connect my TV via HDMI as an external monitor. The Defy gives me the flexibility to walk around and even use a comfy chair or sofa without losing productivity.
Day to day, my workflow is about comfort, mobility, and adaptability. I’m also looking forward to Android 16 updates, which may allow me to run a full Linux VM on a phone. At that point, my Defy could become my main keyboard everywhere — paired with AR/XR glasses for the ultimate portable setup.
Outside of consulting and tech, I love playing the piano — you can even find me on YouTube. Music is one of my main creative outlets alongside my work in AI and ergonomics.
🤖 Erik Jan’s Layers
I’m using fairly standard layers, with home row mods and some small tweaks. My layout includes QWERTY, a navigation/numpad layer, a symbols layer, media/function keys, and a mouse layer. I’ve also experimented with Colemak, modifying it for Dutch and English compatibility.
My navigation layer includes keys for virtual desktop management. On the symbols layer, I even added a macro that pastes code snippets into ChatGPT between triple-backticks — super handy for coding.
What really makes my keyboard mine is the LED colouring. I use colour to indicate which layer I’m on: my base QWERTY layer matches my blue keyboard with black keycaps, highlighting the home row keys. I try to avoid the inner-most column, since it feels hard to reach.
🌐 Connect with Erik Jan
You can find Erik Jan on LinkedIn or on YouTube where he shares his piano performances. Feel free to connect if you’d like to chat about AI, ergonomics, or even music 🎹.
Thanks, Erik Jan!
Your story shows how a passion for technology and ergonomics can combine with music and creativity. From tech-neck struggles to a Bluetooth-enabled Defy setup, you’ve crafted a workflow that’s both healthier and future-forward.
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