[tuffff]

Looking into layouts may have been a "waste of time" for you, but it definitely wasn't for me or some colleagues. I learned to type on a German QWERTZ layout on a terrible laptop keyboard, where one shift key didn't really work. I accustomed myself to a terrible technique which did hurt my hands after some years.

I tried improving my technique, but wasn't really successful - learning a new layout on a radically different keyboard was easier for me than changing old habits. So I created my own layout for a split orthogonal keyboard, based on neo 3.

I took about two weeks to get to my previous speed. Until today, I did not get much faster - and I don't really need to, I can type about as fast as I think. But a) it's much more comfortable, especially when typing code. Most diagrams are rolls and I don't need to stretch to any number row. And b) I didn't expect it, but it took some mental load of me. I don't need to think about the correct bracket or anything.

So yeah, looking at a new layout to improve speed (especially at plain text) is seldom successful, but there can be great benefits.