OUGD405 - Studio Brief 02 - Final Object Rationale

The production of a series of postcards aims to show homage to several Ancient tools used for calculation before the development of the electronic calculator, in showing some of their obscure history and how some are still very relevant today.
A different tool would referenced in each postcard, including the Slide Rule, the Abacus and Napier’s Bones. These postcards would feature an interesting or obscure fact about these tools which aims to engage the audience with their history.

These postcards will have direct references to designer Kenneth Knowlton, computer-graphics pioneer and developer of ASCII art, and ‘A Digitial Suicide’ by Liam Scully. This is a body of work by the London-based artist, whose choice of materials and creative processes have clear links to coding and mathematics. The approach towards the production of each postcard design will be informed by much research into these artists/designers, providing links to new graphic design techniques, such as ASCII art and concrete poetry.

The audience for this set of postcards is a wide range of people. Their aim is to help others engage with various methods of calculation rather than always thinking about the use of an electronic device. They give small lessons into the history and development of the electronic calculator from such tools referenced in their design and shows how we underestimate these within society today. The audience and clients would include Science and Maths Museums for potential use in exhibition promotion.