Sparkpad has been available for just over 6 months now. In that time we have worked hard to improve upon our initial design, rewrite software and offer more personalisation options.
But I hear you, why would I choose Sparkpad over the Elgato Stream Deck?
Well, let me tell you...
Personalisation
For us, this is the biggest thing that sets us aside from the competition. From humble beginnings, Sparkpad is now available in 7 different colours. Moreover, we have the potential to offer nearly limitless options when it comes to colours. So long as we can track down the material, laser cut it and stick it together, we can make a Sparkpad out of it.
Wooden Sparkpad anyone?
All jokes aside, this is incredibly important to us. We're all individuals with our own likes, dislikes and tastes. So why not choose something that can show that off?
Be unique and stand out!
Logo and Branding
This goes with personalisation but deserves its own little section. We have the ability to engrave your Sparkpad case with your brand, logo or an image of your choosing (respecting copyrights ofc!). What better way to show off your brand than having it displayed on your very own Sparkpad? Or if you like memes, stick one on there. (Yes, this has been done, see below!) We will also work alongside you to ensure your design is exactly how you want it to be and take pride in this part of our process.
We love seeing your designs and logos come to life on our cases!
Building a Sparkpad
Did you know we livestream all of our builds over on Twitch?
This is arguably one of the best parts of the Sparkpad process as we get to chat with you guys as we assemble your Sparkpad live. This allows everyone to see how it all comes together and have the opportunity to ask questions. Plus, this isn't scripted or pre-recorded, if something goes wrong or needs tweaking, we will deal with it there and then! This honesty and transparency is key to making sure our customers get exactly what they want. And it makes for great and sometimes hilarious content!
We also livestream coding sessions, general updates and in the near future, tutorials.
Software
Sparkpad has always been completely open source. This was a decision we made early on as we wanted people to be able to do what they wanted with the software. We have effectively provided a canvas for developers to tweak settings and change software to better suit their goals. We wanted to avoid a scenario where you must download this software or you must use ours and only our applications.
That's no fun and doesn't give people the freedom to make Sparkpad work for them.
On top of this, it helps us to collaborate and work with others on the software. Building this community is important to us and we want to build it around a shared goal of improving and making content creation easier.
If you'd like to take a look at the source code, check out our github.
Final Thoughts
I started this article with the hopes of converting you to the Sparkpad way, but I know it's not that simple. The Elgato Stream Deck is an incredible piece of kit but it doesn't have to be the default option for streamers. After all, variety is the spice of life and we want to offer something that's a little bit different.
Something a little bit quirky, interesting and with heaps of personality. Thank you for reading and as always, if you have any questions or want more information on Sparkpad, get in touch!
Pretty, right?