Craftsmanship & Niche Technology

A lot of the research I do is influenced by my belief in what imagination can do. I love science fiction, history, and especially the imaginative power of the arts as a whole. It is why—unsurprisingly—I like niche technology. The beauty of niche technology is the “taking back” of technology as a skill and art form, it is both a refreshing of old tech, and a curiosity that challenges technological determinism with craftsmanship. Niche technology that is “old” or seemingly obsolete like the famous iPod, Alphasmart Neo 2, Nintendo 3DS, or I’ll argue, pen and paper. Or even technology that is niche now, such as E-ink or open source projects going back to the foundations of dedicated single-use technology. These two examples of niche tech are often used by those who follow Cal Newport’s idea of digital minimalism. The idea of using technology deliberately and if possible for a single purpose. I’ve skimmed Newport’s book Digital Minimalism, it is a rather popular idea for anyone and everyone who is either: One, wanting to be more productive, or two, wanting to be more present. I tend to see conversations about the best note taking applications, the best e-ink tablets of such-and-such year, or even what is the best planner and what should people put in their “journaling ecosystem.”¹

The most concerning aspects of these communities is the unhelpful conversations of “over-consumption” and also the blind belief in “productivity.” Particularly in the analog stationery community (notebooks/pens/stickers/etc) there is a rather mind-numbing conversation about “overconsumption” a term I am sure other hobby spaces have felt the presence of. The issue of the conversation is that it only bubbles down to: “Let people be happy” or “We need to be more mindful to what we put in our lives,” all while a majority of YouTuber’s who spearhead the conversation then do a sponsorship deal. I don’t think there is an issue of “over consumption” when it feels like that is what is supposed to be happening.² The only remedy is in craftsmanship, and the respect for the time it takes to truly make something. Which means, being patient and steadfast in using what we have. It is hard to be mindful of what we buy when most people only share what they buy and not what they do. Yes, be mindful of the things we use, but who really challenges themselves to do that?

This brings me to productivity. The idea that we need to output consistent work on a regimented basis, and that anytime not optimizing, is a waste of time. Which means people can blaze through their options by introducing new tools and tech too soon and abandon them just as quickly. It is also a great way to procrastinate. I’ve done it countless times, and it is also one of the ways in which I feel I have wasted money. Not overconsumption, we are always overconsuming (and I do think that should change) but I am investing in an idea that will never be: perfection. That is a waste. Perfection is the issue at stake here for both “overconsumption” and “productivity;” perfection is the antithesis of the future. If we can only imagine ourselves in the future as perfect, there is no real way of progress. We are missing out on a lot more.

I love the “seasons” of a year. I actually often use things more when I put my life in that way of thinking. Not just a way of counting time, but being aware. I only truly look forward to seasons. When it comes to stationery, that is one way I have been consistent in documenting my life and using up the items I’ve purchased. When it comes to the electronic devices I use, those are for experimentation and skill-building. But I try to keep an element of humanity in all of them. I use ‘em up. There was a great conversation on how “human” eink technology is, which I agree with. While they discuss how e-ink is a technology that aims to blend in rather than stand out, all while bridging the gap of digital output and analog thinking—it is actually human because someone thought to ask, what would digital paper look like? Community led-design is pivotal in developing solutions that are impactful, considered, and human. It is the designer going to the community and asks “what problems do you wish to solve” instead of identifying the problems for them and finding a solution. The problems are truly considered from those who experience them. The seasonality of life requires various technologies to get certain things done, to answer the problems that arise throughout the year. To be with our loved ones, and to be with ourselves. These technologies are tools, we must be craftsmen of our own lives to be skilled enough to use them.

I’ll end with an anecdote of a tinkerer I admire. On the subreddit of r/writerDeck, you will find the many curious creations by Un Kyu Lee, an innovator in the space creating dedicated, unique devices towards writing, what he calls the Micro Journal. He made the Micro Journal for himself, but has since developed various versions which have come from the input of the community. Lee’s ability to merge his love of the typewriter form as well as the needs of contemporary writers to use digital word processors away from the distraction found on the internet is unparallel in comparison to Apple-clone’s surrounding e-ink and writing solutions today, like Astrohaus’ FreeWrite or the ReMarkable team. Unlike them, he provides the Micro Journal, with open sourced files both in printing and gathering the resources of the hardware as well as the software he has made. For limited runs Lee will make a custom Micro Journal for you and ship it from his home and tinkerspace in Italy. Recently, in a post ironically titled “Looking to buy my dream writerDeck” Lee laments that he has been dejected to see Micro Journals he has made be immediately put up for sale once they have been delivered. Lee, feeling cynical, “farted around” and made an ironic, sort-of basic “dream writerDeck” with an LCD screen that closes onto a ortholinear keyboard. This ironic tinkering lead to people continuing the cycle he once thought was encouraging, people going in the comments of this post with the “meta-ironic” writerDeck he made, stating “this is my perfect writer deck.” When thinking about the work Lee puts into his creations, the efforts he makes in detailing the process of making it, and even providing an accessible labor for those who do not have the necessary tools to make the Micro Journals themselves, it is such a sadness he has to witness his craft get dumped down the toilet of the perfectionists and the over-productives of the world. Niche technology is overwhelmingly lucky to have such dedicated craftsmen both new and seasoned, working on producing solutions together. We must foster a culture that respects the craftsman, especially the craftsman invested in open tech and community directed design. No one seems to know the gifts of conscious and inspired creation, they can hardly chew it as they gulp it down with the fizzy stuff of dopamine and novelty.