Conventionally electronics that are built from a kit-of-parts have been optimized for speed, efficiency and repeatability of assembly. While this approach demonstrates the power of modular systems that have made many of the technologies we rely on possible, it also constrains us to particular styles of building, influencing what we build as well as impacting how we come to think about electronics. A Kit-of-No-Parts demonstrates a new approach to building electronics that emphasizes the expressive qualities of diverse materials as well as the skill and creativity of the builder. I believe that a more insightful and skilled process is also capable of producing more intelligible and personal results. In order to promote a different approach I have developed a series of techniques that allow us to build electronics using a variety of craft materials and tools. This website documents these techniques in the form of “recipes”. Besides containing instructions on how to build electronics these recipes are also detailed accounts of my development process that aim to promote further exploration and material investigation, instead of straightforward replication. This website is both the documentation and result of my thesis work towards a masters degree in the High-Low Tech research group at the MIT Media Lab. My thesis describes A Kit-of-No-Parts as an approach to crafting electronics, rather than designing discrete components. While the thesis has been written and handed in, this website remains a work in progress. I continue to add new information and update the existing. >> Download Thesis
Kit-of-No-Parts
Conventionally electronics that are built from a kit-of-parts have been optimized for speed, efficiency and repeatability of assembly. While this approach demonstrates the power of modular systems that have made many of the technologies we rely on possible, it also constrains us to particular styles of building, influencing what we build as well as impacting how we come to think about electronics. A Kit-of-No-Parts demonstrates a new approach to building electronics that emphasizes the expressive qualities of diverse materials as well as the skill and creativity of the builder. I believe that a more insightful and skilled process is also capable of producing more intelligible and personal results. In order to promote a different approach I have developed a series of techniques that allow us to build electronics using a variety of craft materials and tools. This website documents these techniques in the form of “recipes”. Besides containing instructions on how to build electronics these recipes are also detailed accounts of my development process that aim to promote further exploration and material investigation, instead of straightforward replication. This website is both the documentation and result of my thesis work towards a masters degree in the High-Low Tech research group at the MIT Media Lab. My thesis describes A Kit-of-No-Parts as an approach to crafting electronics, rather than designing discrete components. While the thesis has been written and handed in, this website remains a work in progress. I continue to add new information and update the existing. >> Download Thesis
(PDF) A Kit-of-No-Parts Poster2
PDF | When we build electronics from discrete components our designs are shaped by their standardized forms and func- tionalities. While datasheets... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate
Principles for crafting software
My principles for deciding what to work on and how to build it.
A corner of the web for builders.
My name is Will King, and I am a design engineer...among many other things. You can find all of that work below and if you see something you like then let's be friends.
Atomic Design by Brad Frost
Learn how to create and maintain digital design systems, allowing your team to roll out higher quality, more consistent UIs faster than ever before.
Design Kit
Design Kit is IDEO.org's platform to learn human-centered design, a creative approach to solving the world's most difficult problems.
Everything is ugly, so go build something that isn't — Raiza Martin, Huxe (ex NotebookLM)
Lego Brick Commons & Spontaneous Collaboration - Wesley's notes
A funner way to talk about nerdy stuff like Semble and modular science
DesignABetterBusiness.tools | Tool Overview
Search and download all of the tools from the book Design A Better Business
Bao To - Design Engineer & Product Maker
Portfolio of Bao To. Building AI-focused products, design systems, and innovative tools.
Designing Systems | Atomic Design by Brad Frost
Learn how to create and maintain digital design systems, allowing your team to roll out higher quality, more consistent UIs faster than ever before.
Powercircuits - Custom Mechanical and Electrical Engineering - Open Source Electric Mid-Drive
The build videos playlist
BIS Publishers | Convivial Toolbox
This book introduces an emerging domain of design research that is of immense interest today: Generative design research. This is an approach to bring ...
Paul In The Lab
Electronics Projects For Hobbyists Makers And Hackers With Stripboard Layouts
Design Engineering Knowledge
Great articles and other media on design engineering
The physics behind spring animations - The Blog of Maxime Heckel
Interfaces › Cheat Sheet
The Making of Cursor's Icons
Performance
React handbook
Teaching agents product design at Vercel