Meet Flowo, a typewriter designed for the 21st century. A purpose-built machine that’s designed just for writing and editing, Flowo comes with a qwerty keyboard and a cylindrical screen on the top that automatically scrolls as you type. To rewind, just rotate the knob (as you would on a regular typewriter) and the screen scrolls upwards or downwards. It’s a perfect example of using just the right amount of text to enrich a product experience, without turning it into something else entirely!
Designer: Jody Del Bianco
A portmanteau of the words Flow Word, Flowo is a typewriter that focuses just on the writing aspect rather than being an internet-connected device with an app store and a large 11-inch screen. It’s designed to do one thing, and one thing well – enable typing. Built on the template of a typewriter, Flowo ditches the analog typing system for something more contemporary, replacing the clackety-clack keys with an electronic backlit keyboard, and a paper tray with a scroll-shaped electronic ink display. Whatever you type appears on the display in real-time, with the option to transfer it to another device using Bluetooth or via a data cable. The left knob allows navigation on the device’s menu (create a new document, save a document, open a document, etc.), while the right one allows scrolling the document.
For writers who need to be in their ‘zone’ while crafting narratives and storylines, Flowo provides the best of all worlds. It’s better than a laptop or tablet, which costs more, has a lower battery life, and can distract with just how many features it houses. It’s also better than a typewriter, judging by how it’s much more compact and lightweight, and how documents can be edited and updated retroactively (unlike a typewriter which doesn’t let you ‘backspace’).
The Flowo Typewriter is a winner of the A’ Design Award for the year 2022.
