Project update 2 of 2
PocketMage's Design Language
by AshtfA large part of PocketMage’s charm and allure lies with its cozy, quirky, and whimsical software. PocketMage is wizard-themed, and it has magic and fantasy built into its hardware and software design. The result is a device that feels more alive and fun to use than other modern electronics, which tend to be sleek, streamlined, and entirely unextraordinary. So, where did this all start, why is the device called "PocketMage," and why wizards?
PocketMage Before "PocketMage"
In the early days, this project went by the name of E-Ink PDA. Some of you who follow my progress via YouTube may remember videos about the "E-Ink PDA" development. The project started out super simple; the device was simply a clamshell text editor that did little else, making it a very limited system. The major focus of the E-Ink PDA development was the text editor application. However, once it became apparent that a file system manager of some kind was necessary to make the device more functional, development started on an application called "File Wizard".
File Wizard
The "File Wizard" name was inspired by other computer programs that use "Wizard" to mean a program or tool that helps you accomplish a task. Some major inspirations for this at the time were the "hole wizard" tool on the Solidworks CAD program and installation wizards for Windows programs. I noticed that none of these "wizard" programs incorporated an actual wizard mascot. I was amused by the thought of including a poorly-drawn wizard (I’m not an artist) into the file management program who would help you manage your files by casting spells on them.
This basic concept grew into the goofy-looking wizard that we see today in the File Wizard, helping you cast spells on your files to rename, delete, copy, and show info about them. The File Wizard was shown off in one of the E-Ink PDA development log videos, "My Dream Productivity Device Just Got Better," where the device met a larger audience. Hundreds of people chimed in with positive feedback on the File Wizard, the OS design, and the general feelings of coziness and fun that the device brought in contrast to most modern tech devices.
This positive feedback on the design language and personality of the device is what helped to drive the design of the final PocketMage to where it is today. Such overwhelming positive feedback is a signal to me, as a designer, that the product resonated with people. And isn’t that what electronics are supposed to do?
Lasting Effects of FileWizard
Many features of the device include nods to the original and beloved File Wizard, making PocketMage a wizard-themed PDA through and through. From the device’s name, "PocketMage," to the small pixel-art wizard that walks around the secondary OLED screen when the device is idle, to a medieval rat on the silkscreen, to beautiful community-made wizard screensavers - the fantasy influence is a strong part of PocketMage’s core. After all, who doesn’t love a nice wizard?
