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Grid Studio specializes in transforming old tech into fine art. It'due south the type of company you see in Instagram ads when a major holiday is approaching — and I mean that in the best mode possible, along the lines of minimalist movie posters and sheet metal artwork. Simply the final product goes far beyond being some other frame you can hang on your wall.

Only seeing i of Grid Studio's pieces can bring dorsum a bounding main of memories, simply nostalgia isn't all Grid Studio is gunning for. In honor of Earth Day, I spoke with 1 of the co-founders of Grid Studio and got my hands on a couple of frames to sympathize how the company keeps forgotten tech from ending upwardly in the trash.

From landfill to frame

Someone hanging the Game Boy Grid Studio on the wall. — Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

Information technology's one thing to take a device autonomously and put it into a frame, but that'southward not the indicate of Grid Studio. The company'due south tagline, "every classic deserves to be framed," sets the mark for what types of products Grid Studio goes after and the purpose they serve when they're turned into fine art.

"I'm a crazy tech fan. To me, a device that doesn't work anymore is not trash. Information technology'south notwithstanding precious," said Joe Allen, one of three co-founders of Grid Studio. Instead of going after new products, Filigree Studio focuses exclusively on devices that would finish up in a landfill, and those that can strike a particular vein of nostalgia.

The business concern functions on the back of old devices that no longer work. Allen said that all devices that are eventually transformed into frames come "from repairers and retro collectors," ensuring that Grid Studio isn't ruining a device that is however functional.

These are device that were used and loved, and now that they have reached their stop of life, they tin exist appreciated.

When one user asked if Grid Studio still used working devices, the response from the company was clear: "That's insane."

Information technology was something I noticed fifty-fifty on the frames Grid Studio sent out to me. The PSP grand frame, for example, came with a joystick that was broken. And although Grid Studio goes a long way to clean up devices earlier framing, the Game Male child'south mainboard showed corroded capacitors and rusted edges. Information technology isn't a deterrent; it's a celebration. These are device that were used and loved, and now that they have reached their end of life, they tin be appreciated.

Although Grid Studio has grown since it launched in 2020, the business started equally a side projection. One of the 3 co-founders took apart a device on "a whim," carefully painting and gluing the components to paper. After seeing the final issue, the three went in to make a business out of the hobby.

The process remains the same — Grid Studio takes apart broken devices, carefully lays out the components, and packages them equally art. And they're built to hang on your wall for years. Grid Studio uses all original components, only the company opts for models in the case of batteries, which may pose a risk down the line.

A flood of nostalgia

PSP and Game Boy Grid Studio frames on a table. — Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

Grid Studio helps salve discarded tech, but the company goes a long way beyond preservation. Each piece feels like a piece of work of art, and the fine details pulsate up a flood of nostalgia.

For me, that nostalgia is for handheld gaming devices, though Grid Studio focuses primarily on mobile devices and Apple products. Information technology cropped up in the strangest spots, as well. The PSP grand'south UMD tray brought back memories of sliding inMetal Gear Acid. The behind of the Game Boy's frame helped me remember road trips when I filled the Pokédex in Pokémon Crimson and moved up levels in The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle with a pack of AA batteries by my side.

Components of the Game Boy inside of a picture frame. — Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

The devices do the heavy lifting, simply Filigree Studio is careful to support the nostalgia trip. The Game Boy frame, for example, is furnished with NES-era labels for each of the components that brought back the endless sounds of flake-crushed audio. Contrast that with the iPhone 4s frame, which features a minimalist design accented with Steve Jobs' famous "connect the dots" quote.

Grid Studio may exist preserving devices, just information technology's the critical juncture of turning them into works of art that "can bring memories, surprises, and happiness." From themed and meticulous labeling to the wax seal that holds the embrace of each frame, these pieces work to celebrate devices beyond making sure they take a life outside of a landfill.

An evolving era

A PSP Grid Studio frame on a counter. — Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

When I spoke with Grid Studio, this is what stuck with me most: "They will as well be a gentle reminder of this evolving era." It'due south no secret that e-waste poses a massive threat to the climate, and Grid Studio conducts itself with that in mind. "We conduct out our business with the aim of saving resource and protecting the environment."

It's not a solution, though. It's important to call back that e-waste is only a small-scale part of how the tech we dearest impacts the surround — nigh of the problem comes from manufacturing, which is something that Grid Studio can't solve. No affair how many frames Filigree Studio ships, new devices volition still be made and sometime devices volition still end upward in a trash pile.

While you take a trip down memory lane, hopefully Grid Studio can be a reminder of that — even when a device has worn out its welcome, it's still something that can be historic. Grid Studio isn't solving the e-waste crisis. Just it shows that a footling creativity can have a positive impact.