Keyboard-First Design
The Principle
Every primary action in Loomline should be reachable without touching the mouse. Not because mice are bad, but because flow states are fragile, and reaching for the mouse breaks them.
A writer in the middle of a thought shouldn’t have to visually locate a button, move their hand, aim, and click. They should press a key combination and keep writing.
Core Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut | Context |
|---|---|---|
| New Weave | Cmd+N | Global |
| Find in Editor | Cmd+F | Weave Mode |
| Find Next | Cmd+G | Weave Mode (search active) |
| Find Previous | Cmd+Shift+G | Weave Mode (search active) |
| Toggle Inspector | Cmd+I | Weave/Threads Mode |
| Switch Workspace | Cmd+Shift+W | Global |
| Move Thread Right | Cmd+] | Threads Mode |
| Move Thread Left | Cmd+[ | Threads Mode |
| Toggle Tips | Cmd+Shift+/ | Threads Mode |
These follow macOS conventions wherever possible. Cmd+N for new, Cmd+F for find, Cmd+I for inspector — a Mac user should be able to guess most of these without reading documentation.
The Formatting Toolbar
The editor’s formatting toolbar provides quick access to markdown formatting: bold, italic, headings, lists, checkboxes, links, code blocks. Each button inserts the appropriate markdown syntax at the cursor position.
For keyboard users, the toolbar is secondary — you can type markdown directly. **bold**, - [ ] task, ## Heading. The toolbar exists for users who haven’t memorized markdown syntax, and for actions that are faster with a click (like wrapping selected text in bold).
Slash Commands
Type / at the beginning of a line to open the command palette. This provides quick insertion of:
- Headings (H1, H2, H3)
- Task checkboxes
- Blockquotes
- Code blocks
- Dividers
Slash commands are the keyboard user’s toolbar. They’re contextual (they appear where you’re typing), fast (type a few characters to filter), and dismissable (press Escape).
Navigation Without the Mouse
The sidebar is navigable with arrow keys when focused. The mode switcher responds to its segmented control keyboard behavior. The workspace picker is a standard macOS sheet with keyboard navigation.
Within the editor, standard text navigation applies: Cmd+Arrow for line/document boundaries, Option+Arrow for word boundaries, Shift+Arrow for selection.
The Menu Bar
Every action in Loomline is discoverable through the menu bar. This is a macOS requirement that Loomline takes seriously — the menu bar is where users go when they’ve forgotten a shortcut or want to explore what’s possible.
Menus also teach shortcuts. Every menu item that has a keyboard shortcut displays it. Over time, users migrate from menu to shortcut naturally, without needing to read a help document.