Community Memory
Community Memory, launched in 1973 in Berkeley, California, was a pioneering effort to use technology for social connection. As the first public computerized bulletin board system, it allowed people to share messages, ideas, and resources in a communal digital space. Installed in a local record store, the system democratized access to technology and bridged the gap between the counterculture ideals of the 1960s and the emerging potential of computers to foster creativity and collaboration.
Why build Community Memory Gardens?
If we continue to allow platforms to exchange our need for connection for profit, we will end up lonelier than we started.
If we continue to allow platforms to exchange our need for connection for profit, we will end up lonelier than we started.
Front page of the Community Memory publication 1973
A little inside of the Community Memory publication 1973
A little inside of the Community Memory publication 1973
The team behind the Community Memory
In use
In use
In use
In use
A little inside of the Community Memory publication 1973
Our Community Memory Garden
Inspired by the Community Memory, our project reimagines Community Memory for the modern era, creating a digital-physical platform designed for students to connect, share, and grow. We are building a web space that serves as a garden for ideas—a collaborative platform where design students can upload content, create interactive ‘tickets’ and showcase their thoughts, projects, and messages. The garden metaphor reflects a space for nurturing creativity and sparking conversations around diverse topics.
To maintain a balance between the digital and analog worlds, we integrate a thermal printer as a tactile element of the experience. This allows ideas to bloom not just on screens but also as tangible artifacts—bridging the immediacy of digital communication with the lasting presence of printed media.
Our platform embodies the spirit of Community Memory by empowering students to express themselves, engage in dialogue, and shape a community that values both connection and creativity. It’s a space where ideas can grow, voices can be heard, and the boundary between the digital and the physical becomes a point of discovery.
Inspired by the Community Memory, our project reimagines Community Memory for the modern era, creating a digital-physical platform designed for students to connect, share, and grow. We are building a web space that serves as a garden for ideas—a collaborative platform where design students can upload content, create interactive ‘tickets’ and showcase their thoughts, projects, and messages. The garden metaphor reflects a space for nurturing creativity and sparking conversations around diverse topics.
To maintain a balance between the digital and analog worlds, we integrate a thermal printer as a tactile element of the experience. This allows ideas to bloom not just on screens but also as tangible artifacts—bridging the immediacy of digital communication with the lasting presence of printed media.
Our platform embodies the spirit of Community Memory by empowering students to express themselves, engage in dialogue, and shape a community that values both connection and creativity. It’s a space where ideas can grow, voices can be heard, and the boundary between the digital and the physical becomes a point of discovery.
Our Community Memory Garden in use at HAW
Printed tickets created by students
Our Community Memory Garden in use at HAW
Our Community Memory Garden in use at HAW
Our Community Memory Garden in use at HAW
Our Community Memory Garden in use at HAW
Our Community Memory Garden in use at HAW
Our Community Memory Garden in use at HAW
Our Community Memory Garden station at the CoLab
Our Community Memory Garden in use at HAW
The team behind Community Memory Garden
The team behind Community Memory Garden
Under Construction 2025, Gaengeviertel Hamburg
garden