Design

Note the Same finger points:

 Letter: | ideal 0-4 | acceptable 5-9 || too high >= 10

E: Q1 Z2 J3 | O6 U9 || X12 K18 Y21 F26 G28 I35 W36 P37 B41 A50 C60 M72 V74 T91 L94 D127 S136 N138 H237 R250 A: Q0 Z1 X1 J1 O4 | K9 || U13 F17 Y17 G22 B22 V24 P30 I36 W39 D42 C48 E50 M54 H81 L82 S85 R100 T113 N147 I: J0 Q0 Z1 Y1 X2 | U7 || K10 B10 P12 G25 F26 V26 W29 E35 A36 O37 M41 C45 D45 L61 R62 H71 S101 T126 N160 O: Q0 Z0 X1 J3 A4 | E6 K6 || Y13 G14 V15 B18 D24 P32 I37 H41 W42 S45 L46 C47 M54 U73 T98 F107 R113 N130 R: J0 Q0 Z0 W3 K4 V4 | L6 H6 B9 || N10 M11 C14 F16 Y16 G17 D21 P24 S25 U42 T43 I62 A100 O113 E250 U: Y0 W0 Z0 V0 K0 X0 J3 | H6 I7 F8 Q8 E9 || D12 A13 M14 P16 G16 C19 B20 N29 L31 R42 T43 S47 O73 S: Z0 J0 X0 V0 Q0 F1 B3 G3 W4 | K5 Y6 C8 D8 M9 || L10 P14 N24 R25 H27 O45 U47 T79 A85 I101 E136 T: J0 Q0 V0 K0 D0 Z0 M0 G1 B1 X2 | W5 P5 F6 || Y13 L15 C20 R43 U43 N52 S79 E91 O98 A113 I126 H274 L: J0 Q0 X0 Z0 H0 M1 V2 W2 K2 N4 | G6 R6 C8 F9 || S10 P14 B15 T15 D24 Y30 U31 O46 I61 A82 E94 N: Z0 X0 P0 B0 J0 Q0 M1 H1 V2 F3 L4 | W7 Y7 K9 || R10 C23 S24 U29 T52 G65 D95 O130 E138 A147 I160 C: J0 V0 Z0 B0 P0 G0 W0 F0 D0 M0 Q0 Y1 X2 | K8 S8 L8 || R14 U19 T20 N23 H40 I45 O47 A48 E60 H: J0 V0 Q0 Z0 F0 K0 X0 B0 L0 D0 M1 N1 Y3 P3 | U6 R6 || G21 S27 W35 C40 O41 I71 A81 E237 T274 P: Q0 V0 J0 Z0 C0 G0 F0 K0 B0 D0 W0 N0 Y1 X2 H3 | T5 || M11 I12 S14 L14 U16 R24 A30 O32 E37 Y: Q0 J0 X0 Z0 U0 F0 W0 V0 K0 G1 P1 C1 I1 H3 D3 | S6 N7 M7 || B12 T13 O13 R16 A17 E21 L30 D: Q0 X0 Z0 K0 C0 P0 T0 J0 B0 F0 W0 H0 V1 M1 G2 Y3 | S8 || U12 R21 L24 O24 A42 I45 N95 E127 G: Q0 J0 V0 X0 Z0 C0 P0 F0 B0 K0 W0 M0 Y1 T1 D2 S3 | L6 || O14 U16 R17 H21 A22 I25 E28 N65 M: J0 X0 Q0 Z0 V0 W0 K0 C0 F0 G0 T0 H1 D1 N1 L1 B4 | Y7 S9 || P11 R11 U14 I41 A54 O54 E72 B: Q0 F0 X0 Z0 C0 K0 G0 W0 P0 V0 D0 N0 H0 J1 T1 S3 M4 | R9 || I10 Y12 L15 O18 U20 A22 E41 F: Q0 V0 Z0 B0 J0 G0 P0 C0 X0 K0 W0 H0 D0 M0 Y0 S1 N3 | T6 U8 L9 || R16 A17 I26 E26 O107 W: Q0 V0 J0 X0 Z0 B0 C0 M0 P0 G0 F0 K0 U0 Y0 D0 L2 R3 S4 | T5 N7 || I29 H35 E36 A39 O42 K: Q0 J0 X0 Z0 V0 B0 T0 G0 P0 M0 D0 F0 H0 W0 Y0 U0 L2 R4 | S5 O6 C8 A9 N9 || I10 E18 V: F0 P0 Q0 W0 J0 G0 H0 C0 K0 Z0 M0 T0 S0 B0 X0 Y0 U0 D1 L2 N2 R4 | || O15 A24 I26 E74 X: Z0 K0 J0 M0 B0 G0 S0 D0 R0 W0 Q0 L0 Y0 F0 V0 H0 N0 U0 O1 A1 C2 P2 I2 T2 | || E12 Q: B0 F0 G0 J0 K0 P0 V0 W0 Y0 Z0 L0 M0 T0 D0 H0 R0 A0 X0 O0 I0 S0 C0 N0 E1 | U8 || J: Q0 C0 K0 V0 W0 Z0 M0 T0 L0 Y0 G0 H0 P0 X0 F0 S0 R0 D0 I0 N0 B1 A1 E3 O3 U3 | || Z: Q0 X0 F0 J0 K0 M0 S0 B0 P0 C0 V0 G0 D0 W0 H0 R0 Y0 L0 T0 N0 U0 O0 A1 I1 E2 | ||

The of Workman 2 is work in progress.

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The E: As the most common letter, it would have too much same finger on the index and too much strain on the ring or pinky, so it is best put on the home middle finger. It has a high same finger tendency, whereas punctuation is more neutral in terms of same finger so the E is placed on the right. The U is then the most suitable option for the near-home position above E, as O should be on the home row and QZJ are rare.

---u-; ---e-- ---,./

Next highest same finger tendency has the A. It does not fit well with common letters aside from the O which should be in home keys. It is best fitted on the left pinky with Q and Z (variation for Angle mod is to put Z in the middle of the bottom row).

q--u-; a--e-- z--,./

C and L are somewhat common as well, and out of ETAOINSHR, C has the least same-finger with S. The L should be in near-home as well. The index curl position for L placed alongside N as in Workman is kind of a cheat because it ends up with awkward same finger properties. L fits with R, which has high same finger tendency, and X may also be placed on the bottom completing the left ring finger.

qlcu-; arse-- zx-,./

The next awkward position, the upper left stretch of the right index should be filled with an uncommon letter, being it the J. On the other side, the K, because it is also uncommon, and placing N on the right index avoids the KN same finger. T can be placed on the left index, O is too common for right pinky (extremely overloaded with 0);:/?'"[{]}\|-_=+ though the Angle mod removes 0) from right pinky and the Wide mod removes =+[{]}/? ) so it is placed on the right ring. The D and H can be placed in the curl keys.

qlc-kj-u-; arst--neoi zx-d--h,./

Forcing O to have high same finger, Y is placed. The G can be placed with the T, whereas the PM same finger should be avoided yet the PT bigram is avoided if the P is placed on the right. F is very suitable for right index as well, so by removing L from the right index, room was made for P and F.

qlcmkjfuy; arstg-neoi zx-d-ph,./

The V is placed in the awkward stretch to bottom right of the left index finger, whereas the B fits in the stretch of the right index finger, and the left middle finger can move down for the W.

qlcmkjfuy; arstgbneoi zxwdvph,./

As diagonal stretch to the bottom left of the right index finger is more awkward in matrix keyboards and extremely awkward in column stagger, the matrix mod swaps the B and P.

qlcmkjfuy; arstgpneoi zxwdvbh,./

In the Angle mod, the bottom right stretch of the left index finger is no longer awkward and may be filled with the M. The W can be fitted in the right index finger, as swapping the V and W has a neutral same finger effect (SW+DV has the same score as TW).

qlcwk jfuy; arstg bneoi xvdmzph,./

Apostrophe controversy
The I' bigram of Workman with I on the right pinky instead of O. However, placing the I on the right ring makes I' a stretch bigram analogous to the HE bigram in the banned Colemak layout. Therefore, it has been suggested that like the DH was suggested to be curl movements, the apostrophe might be swapped with the semicolon. An experimental layout makes dp, hm and '; swaps in Colemak to reduce stretches for dh'.