Digital Handmade: Craftsmanship in the New Industrial Revolution

While the industrial revolution of the nineteenth century diminished the role of the craftsperson in the manufacturing process, the digital revolution has had a less devastating effect. Today’s digital technologies have given rise to entirely new working methods, skill sets, and consumer products that don’t eliminate, but enrich traditional hand techniques.

Digital Handmade presents seventy international designers, artists, and craftsmen who combine the precision and flexibility of computing and digital fabrication with the skill and tactility of the master artisan to create unexpected and desirable objects and products. These pioneers include Louise Lemieux Bérubé, a Canadian artist whose work integrates photography and weaving; Australian jewelry designer Cinnamon Lee, whose designs explore the relationship between hand and machine; and Japanese artists Nendo, who produce ceramic pieces that employ both digital fabrication and ancient traditional methods.


Profiles of the designers explore the unique, multifaceted process behind their creations, illustrated by lush photographs of the products themselves. From affordable jewelry, ceramics, and lighting to priceless sculpture and textile art, these works demonstrate that digital technology can support and enhance artisanal techniques with highly individual and innovative results.

Lucy Johnston is a cultural trends commentator, writer, and curator. She was previously executive editor of the Global Innovation Report, and is the founder of The Neon Birdcage, a curation studio that creates pop-ups, brand experiences, exhibitions, seminars, and publishing ventures.