paperbagel's breadboard infuses farm aesthetics to electronic circuit design

farmboard: a circuit board topped with faux-grass coating

Cutting-edge technology meets old-fashioned farm flair with Paperbagel’s whimsical Farmboard Kit — a circuit board adorned with a fuzzy faux-grass coating. In the realm of electronic circuit design, functionality has long overshadowed aesthetics, as modern electronic devices have shed vibrant exteriors in favor of standardized, monochrome components. Seeking to infuse a sense of artistry back into this domain, designers Taylor Tabb, Adnan Aga, and Andres Kim have realized a prototyping breadboard that unveils a more playful side to circuits. ‘It’s art first, hardware second, but it remains a fully functional breadboard ready to be used by engineers,’ notes Tabb.

all images courtesy of Taylor Tabb

paperbagel revives whimsy in electronic circuit design

In the pursuit of hardware standardization, making it easier for new devices to be built quickly and reliably, the visual allure of hardware development has become somewhat mundane. The eccentric, colorful contraptions reminiscent of 1970s electronics have been replaced with more sleek designs such as small, gray SMT or SMD packages usually found in a Macbook.

The eccentricity, tangled web of wires, massive capacitors, and quirky geometric forms now can only be found within the electronics prototyping breadboard. Absurd, colorful, and full of life, creative studio Paperbagel’s Farmboard circuits are thus a maximalist redesign of the half-size breadboard, leaning into the absurd aesthetic of electronic prototyping.

‘This is for any electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, creative coder, or prototyper who has ever looked at their traditional electronics breadboard and wanted something more exciting. While Farmboard is a functioning breadboard, it’s prime focus is an art piece, so don’t use it for anything important,’ shares Taylor Tabb.

Each of the 50 pieces of the limited edition series have been crafted by hand. For a full farm-to-circuit experience, each Farmboard kit contains everything needed to enliven the prototyping process, including a half-sized breadboard, a breadboard holder, a variable 10K potentiometer controlled by a rotating cow, an LED bulb, a battery, and a jumper wire. The first run will be available Tuesday Sept 12 at 11AM ET.