ANALOG ARCADE
Bridging digital and analog nostalgia through play.
ASSESSMENT
After buying my Casio, I assessed the affordances and most compelling elements of the experience using this product. I determined that there were two main affordances which were most satisfying: slicing and rolling out paper.
PROCESS
DESINV 211: Designing Emerging Technologies | Duration: 2 weeks
Tools: Arduino, Computation Design and Fabrication
CHALLENGE:
Find an existing object (use something you already have or buy used) which can be disassembled and reassembled. Consider the entire brief before selecting your starting object. Design the new function with particular attention to the affordances that the object already possesses.
APPROACH:
Many electronics from the late 90s and early 2000s have a signature “beige box” aesthetic, meant to blend inconspicuously into the work or home environment, to not stand out in any way. I chose to convert a Casio label printer into an analog Pac-Man video game. I was particularly excited to add a twist to this nostalgic vibe by making it into a playful video game, something that juxtaposes the idea of work, predictability, and order.
