Typing Interface Overview

Detailed breakdown of the TypeQuicker typing interface

User experience is our top priority at TypeQuicker. Our vision for TypeQuicker typing interface was that it had to be minimalistic, intuitive and contain all the features and configuration options that a user may need while not being too obtrusive.

In this section, we'll give you a detailed breakdown of the TypeQuicker typing interface.

Keyboard Hand Placement

Many people who visit our site were never taught the correct hand placement for typing. Touch typing is still one of the most effective ways to build speed and accuracy, yet only 4.5% of high schools teach keyboarding courses. That gap is exactly why we built the hand indicators into the interface.

As you type, a pair of on-screen hands hover over a keyboard - highlighting the correct finger position for the next character so you know exactly where to move your fingers while typing without having to look down at the keyboard. Additionally, the keyboard key that you need to press next also lights up. This feature was instrumental for me when I learned touch typing and many of our users love that it is available in every single mode across TypeQuicker.

With this feature, you can learn touch typing very quickly because it makes it easy to not have to look down at the keyboard.

Real-time Speed and Accuracy Gauge

Having real-time feedback during typing practice is important and a speed and accuracy gauge is a standard feature across all typing websites. It lets you see your performance in real-time with live WPM and accuracy metrics displayed as you type. Our gauge shows you the current typing speed in word-per-minute and the accuracy of your typing.

If you activate distraction free mode, the gauge is automatically hidden. Also, the gauge can be toggled on/off via the controls panel in the bottom right corner of the page.

It is worth noting that a live text-based gauge is not an ideal UX feature for typing practice. When practicing typing, you have to look at the text you're typing (as well as the text that's ahead) - looking at the speed gauge can actually slow you down while you're checking whether you're hitting your top speed or not. We are currently exploring alternatives to the text-based speed gauage. Mostly visual elements that can give you a sense of your speed and accuracy while it's in your peripheral vision, without you have to look at it directly.

Controls Panels

The controls panel is located in the bottom right corner of the typing interface and this is where you can toggle various features on and off.

You can also navigate to the next typing exercise or restart the current one.

ControlFunction
Toggle on-screen keyboard visibility with highlighted keys
Toggle real-time speed and accuracy gauge display

Toggle hand position indicators showing correct finger placement

Toggle live performance graph tracking your speed over time

Toggle distraction-free mode that hides all interface elements besides the text

Restart the current typing exercise from the beginning - resets all typing metrics for the current text

Continue to the next typing exercise

Content Controller

Every single typing mode has a content controller button. This is how you can access the content selection menu for each mode.

For example, in the custom typing mode, you can access the custom content section where you can create your own typing exercises, select which one to type, edit them and delete them. In the snippets mode, you can choose between various general topics such as text snippets from books, quotes, trivia and more.

If you hover on the content controller button, you'll see a tooltip with the keybindings for the content controller.

Tip

Most actions across the app can be activated with keyboard shortcuts. Discover them in user settings or by hovering over any button that you click frequently.

This shortcut can be used to quickly access the content section for whichever typing mode you're on.

The shortcut itself can be edited in the user settings menu but by default it is:

Windows: Ctrl + 5
Mac: + 5

Mode Selection Bar

In both the Text and the Code typing practice sections, there are multiple modes you can choose from and the mode selection bar is a quick and convenient way to switch between them.

Text Typing Modes

Available practice modes for text typing

ModeDescription
SnippetsPractice with curated text snippets from books, quotes, trivia, and more
CustomCreate and practice with your own custom text content
DrillsFocused practice on specific typing patterns, combinations, and techniques
SmartPracticeAI-powered personalized practice that adapts to your weaknesses and progress
TargetPracticePractice targeting specific typing metrics and improvement goals
TypeAnythingGenerate custom typing content on any topic using AI

Code Typing Modes

Typing practice for programmers

ModeDescription
Code SnippetsPractice with real code snippets from various programming languages
Custom CodeCreate and practice with your own code snippets and projects
TypeAnythingGenerate custom code typing content in any programming language using AI

You can navigate to a specific mode by clicking on the mode and you can also quickly cycle through the various typing modes with keyboard shortcuts:

Next Mode:

Windows: Alt +
Mac: +

Previous Mode:

Windows: Alt +
Mac: +

Smooth Cursor

TypeQuicker's ethos is that the typing experience should feel as natural and represent actual typing as much as possible.

And so, we wanted TypeQuicker's cursor to accurately mimic how cursors behave in all other applications. So we had initially launched the typing interface with a standard cursor behavior - it would instantly jump from one character to the next. However, many of our users had become accustomed to the smooth cursor behavior in MonkeyType and we received many, many requests to add it to TypeQuicker.

This is probably the only case where we deviated from our original vision for the user interface.

But we do like having a smooth, animated cursor and so do our users. It provides clear visual feedback as you progress through the text and it feels incredibly satisfying to see the cursor just glide across the text as you type - especially when you're typing fast.

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