as technology evolves, new innovations are constantly replacing old ones. this cycle is repeated over and over until old technologies are almost completely forgotten. whether this is good or bad is really in the eyes of the beholder, but the pace of technological innovation is unavoidable. in the past this technology turnaround was slow and measured, but it has been steadily increasing to a rapid clip today. so fast in fact, that many of us have trouble keeping up.
in spite of these hurried times, some of choose to stick with what we know or look back in history. rather than listening to music on an mp3 player, some choose to listen to lp records and rather than design a poster using the latest computer software, some choose to use an antique letterpress. this burgeoning trend of anti-digital activity can perhaps be attributed to a form of technology nostalgia but there is clearly
something more. for starters, many of the people turning to retro-tech weren’t even born when these original products were around. there is something else at work, perhaps something is missing from the future-forward disposable technology of today? with each new generation of technology we lose something from the past, the comforting sound of the needle on vinyl or just getting our hands dirty
instead of messing around with a mouse.
high technology may be the zeitgeist of today, but every trend has its adversary. today this adversary takes the form of vinyl records, film cameras, typewriters and other relics form the past. perhaps we seek comfort in the familiar or just need a break from our digital lifestyles. no matter what the reason, there is a clear movement at work that can be seen throughout contemporary culture. looking into the future, the products and tools we use today may soon be added to this list of antiquated technology, awaiting a resurgence of
there own
cassette tapes
like records, cassette tapes have made their own resurgence. while it is no longer used for new releases, the popularity of the classic mixtape remains. designboom featured an depth look at the cassette tape resurgence in our article, ‘cassette tape culture’
screen-printing
in an era where its seems that everyone has a copy of photoshop and a colour printer, screen printing has made an unlikely resurgence. this production method never truly went away, as it is a common process in manufacturing, but a new generation of printers and designers are using it more and more. from t-shirts to posters and flyers, the simplicity and reproducibility of screen-printing is find a niche in today’s design toolbox.
letterpress election posters by yeehaw industries
credit by designboom
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