New Developments

In the interest of being completely transparent with everything I do on this website, I would like to announce my newly established involvement with Mode Designs and what it means for the future of Material Journal. 

What is my involvement with Mode Designs?

As of May 17, 2021, I am now working with Mode Designs as an independent contractor. Prior to this, I had no monetary or professional relationship with Mode. I first began discussions regarding this position following the conclusion of my Mode Eighty review. 

In terms of my role, I will be contributing to Mode’s product marketing and business development plans. This is a long-term interest of mine, and I am looking forward to evolving my personal career path by taking this step.

What does this mean for keyboard content on the site?

Moving forward, I will not be publishing any new reviews of Mode products on Material Journal due to the inherent conflict of interest. 

However, I will continue in my efforts to create written content about keyboards and other products that I find interesting. It goes without saying that the opinions published here are my own and not the views of Mode Designs. 

Those who have been reading my reviews over the past couple of months know that I put a lot of time and energy into my articles. My insights are primarily informational; the subjective portion always consists of what I like about each product and what I would like to see improved. I have no intentions to speak poorly of another brand or to shill a product for financial gain on this platform. 

What about the future of Material Journal?

With all this being said, I want to be upfront about the implicit biases that may exist given my working relationship with a keyboard manufacturer. As an enthusiast, I greatly enjoy creating content for the keyboard community. However, if at any point I feel that I can no longer be fair in evaluating keyboard products, I will stop writing about them. 

Material Journal was created for me to share my insights about various material goods that I enjoy, so the content will continue – even if I ever feel the need for keyboard editorials to be phased out at some point. 

As always, I appreciate each of my readers and all of your support!