Before pixels: Modular industrial dashboards

Marcin Wichary documents modular industrial dashboards he discovered in German and Polish museums, showcasing physical control systems that once monitored air traffic, subway trains, railways, and power plants before being replaced by digital software. These dashboards represent interesting design and interaction systems featuring illuminated status indicators, counters, switches, and modular components organized with distinctive typography. The author presents these as examples of historical system design and invites readers to share knowledge about these largely undocumented industrial interfaces.