BRIDGE 1- Object Impressionism
Object 1: Calculator
In the 1980s, Hewlett Packard gave birth to the HP-15C scientific programmable calculator. This calculators was seen as one of HP’s biggest achievements at the time, and help solidify their place in the technology industry. With the HP-15C, the designers and engineers at HP were able to create a sleek, handheld, scientific pocket calculator capable of handling complex numbers as well as matrix operations. Part of the design that made this calculator insert itself so effortlessly into the business world, was its look and casing. Each calculator came with a black, leather sleeve that went perfectly with leather wallets and briefcases. The combination of being the most innovative calculator at the time, its handheld structure, and seamless design has led to many clones and a lasting legacy with vintage models still being sold today.
Object 2: Tech Deck
Finger-boarding has been a novelty of skateboarding for years, but with skateboarding’s rise in popularity in the late 90’s through the 2000’s, it began to garner more public attention. Toymakers such as Spinmaster looked to make skateboarding toys to sell to young skateboard enthusiasts. The sole skateboard toy was already the fingerboard, but Spinmaster knew they could innovate the fingerboard by making an scale replica of skateboards down to the branding. The branding was the best design aspect, giving them a real and collectible feel. This line of fingerboards became know as Tech Decks, and because of its functionality and branding, the toy became very popular, being fun, decorative, and discreet toys.
Object 3: Snapback Hat
The snapback hat originated in the 1950s, when the Brooklyn Excelsiors first wore them in a baseball game. The snapback design improved the system of fitted hats, by providing a quick method of changing the size of a hat. Previously, caps had belt loops on the back to change the size, which often lacked precision given you couldn’t see the exact amount of tightness you were applying. With the snapback, people didn’t have to worry about this because of the designated fits the hat provided. The flat brim style of the snapback also became popular with rappers wearing the hats in photoshoots and on stage.
Object 4: Coin Bank
The design of coin banks have been pretty straightforward for most of their existence. Generally, coin banks can be clear jars, or decorative containers with slots, but there isn’t much more to them than meets the eye. Although given that the inside is concealed, it makes you think why people haven’t looked into this concept. This coin bank has. This coin bank has applied an optical illusion to its design, using mirrors to make you think the inside is empty space, so when you put a coin inside of the bank, it looks as though it has disappeared into another dimension.
Object 5: Micron Pen
The design of micron pens gives you the options of having very thin, exact lines when writing or drawing. The thin tips of these technical pens combine with thick ink cartridges make this the first choice of pen for many artists looking to upgrade their utilities in a cost effective manner. The pens are also great for drawing straight lines, since they are so thin that two repeated strokes can look like one straight stroke.
