Forecast looking bright for Melbourne tech invention

A Melbourne start-up has invented an updatng weather poster that aims to reduce people’s

screen time, with Australians now spending almost 6 billion hours per year on social media and a

further 16 billion hours online for other purposes.(1)

Typified’s Weather Poster is believed to be the world first updating paper poster – using smart

ink that is activated by the poster’s internet-connected frame. As the weather forecast changes

so does the ink on the paper, altering the design to reflect whether it will be sunny, overcast or

rainy outside.

Inventor and designer Oli Woods said the goal of Typified was to find less intrusive, screen-free

ways of expressing the daily information we all rely on – with a focus on art, design and smart

technology.

“I was sitting around the kitchen table with my family one day and the conversation turned to

weather. Everyone immediately pulled out their phones to check and the human connectivity

disappeared in an instant. They’d gone down the rabbit hole through their screens,” Woods said.

“I wanted to create something that gives people an alternative to intrusive, addictive tech. The

Weather Poster only takes a fraction of a second to check as you go through your day, doesn’t

require anything from you, and doesn’t risk lengthy distractions like phones do.”

A campaign has been launched on Kickstarter to bring the first exclusive print run of Typified’s

Weather Poster to life. The goal is to raise $50,000 to pay for certfication and the first order.

“All of our updating posters will be exclusive print runs of 500 before we change the design,” said

Woods.

“The posters are screen-printed in Collingwood and deliver a quality and richness of colour that

is far superior to regular printing methods. They make a beautiful aesthetic addition to both

home and office environments.”

Smart ink has been around for 15 years, but until now has generally been limited to novelty food

and alcohol packaging. Typified’s new technology allows a computer to interface with the smart

ink, allowing it to activate and deactivate in response to electrical signals. Woods has spent two

years developing the technology.

The Kickstarter campaign will end on 2 March, with posters starting from $169AUD.

To support the campaign visit http://kickstarter.typified.io/weather-poster or go to

www.kickstarter.com and search for ‘A Poster That Knows The Weather’.

For more information, interviews or photos/video:

• Oli Woods: (61) 481 014 146

or oli@typified.io

• Website: www.typified.io

• Photos and videos of the Weather Poster: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1bOrJ99Zl2c-61c2YU9FSZ9sg0fy65Y0c

(1) Roy Morgan: http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/7665-time-spent-working-and-media-march-2018-201807200811