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In this article
Start with Real Behavior
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Start with Real Behavior
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Testing Real Work, Not Ideal Conditions
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Refining the Design Through Iteration
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From Lab Research to Everyday Comfort
How Is an Ergonomic Mouse Designed? Inside the Science Behind INFTYLAB M Mouse
After a few hours of using a mouse, do any of these feel familiar?
- A tight wrist
- A dull ache in the forearm
- Soreness when bending your fingers after long periods of use
These discomforts are common, and many people simply learn to live with them. At INFTYLAB, we wanted to understand where they come from—and whether better design could help.
In this article, we'll take you inside the lab to see how nearly two years of research, measurement, and iteration shaped the design of INFTYLAB M Mouse into a mouse that fits the hand more naturally.
Start with Real Behavior
Most mouse designs begin with appearance or features. We started somewhere else—by observing how people actually use a mouse, to understand where fatigue begins.
Before designing anything, we observed and recorded how people use a mouse in real working environments. Participants completed everyday office tasks—organizing spreadsheets, creating presentations, browsing the web, and handling email—while we captured and analyzed their behavior through:
• Synchronized dual-camera recording
• Movement and behavior analysis
• User interviews
Although each application involved different interactions, one pattern quickly became clear. The most frequent actions weren't moving the mouse—they were left-clicking, click-and-hold actions, and scrolling. These actions also accounted for most of the time users spent interacting with the mouse, followed by lifting and repositioning it.
Individually, these movements seem insignificant. Repeated thousands of times throughout the day, however, they keep the forearm muscles under continuous load, gradually leading to fatigue and discomfort.
Testing Real Work, Not Ideal Conditions
Since fatigue develops through everyday use, our testing had to reflect everyday use.
To achieve this, we developed dedicated testing software that simulates common office workflows, including:
- Heavy scrolling in Excel
- Zooming and panning in Figma
- Editing video timelines
Rather than focusing only on speed or accuracy, we wanted to understand how muscle load changed during prolonged use. That meant looking beyond what users were doing—we also measured how hard their muscles were working.
To do this, we combined several measurement methods:
1. Movement and Posture Analysis
Using high-speed motion capture and image analysis, we observed how people interacted with the mouse in detail, including:
- Whether the fingers bent excessively because of the mouse shape
- Whether the wrist maintained a stable, supported position
- Which areas of the hand required additional force
These observations helped identify where the design needed further refinement or additional support.
2. Electromyography (EMG)
We then measured muscle activity in the forearm to understand:
- Which designs kept the muscles under sustained tension
- Which actions accelerated the buildup of fatigue
- Which shapes allowed the muscles to relax more quickly
This allowed us to compare each design based on muscle load
3. User Experience Validation
Finally, we compared the objective measurements with users' own experiences, recording their feedback on comfort, ease of use, and how fatigue developed over extended use.
Cross-checking objective data with subjective feedback gave us a more complete understanding of each design, helping ensure every design decision reflected how the mouse actually felt to use.
Refining the Design Through Iteration
Over the course of development, we designed and tested more than 100 mouse prototypes across five major design iterations. Each new version was shaped by insights from the previous round of testing. Some refined the curves and contours, while others adjusted weight distribution, balance, or surface materials and friction.
Through this iterative process, several core design principles gradually emerged:
• A natural grip: Shaped to let the hand rest naturally, rather than requiring users to consciously adjust their posture.
• Optimal button force: Clicks that feel responsive without requiring excessive force, while remaining quiet during use.
• A secure surface finish: Provides a stable grip, even during extended use or when the palm becomes sweaty.
• Balanced hand support: Helps reduce wrist strain caused by excessive outward or inward rotation
From Lab Research to Everyday Comfort
At BenQ Innovative Human Workspace Lab, we translate the scientific expertise developed through esports research into ergonomic solutions for everyday work. Through continuous testing and user feedback, we keep refining every design.
There are countless mice on the market. But we believe a truly great mouse is one you barely notice—because it follows your hand, moves with your natural rhythm, and never adds unnecessary strain.
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