Shaun Wellens imagined the ‘CGI P1 Terminal’ as a shared computer for communal living, pairing a cream-colored clamshell with a phosphor-look screen and a bright blue trackball. Cast as a ‘Push / Pull’ concept from a fictional 1972 rollout, it handles mail, bulletin boards and shopping from a single mounted station.
The trackball sits below the keyboard at center, giving left- and right-handed residents equal reach, while an articulated arm lets the unit drop down, tilt and tuck back when space is tight. A camera notch and an exposed metal hinge keep the alternate-history styling from reading like a sealed prop.
Shaun Wellens shows how a center-mounted trackball and wall-style arm can turn the P1 into a model for shared digital access, closer to a catalog terminal than a personal PC, widening retro computer concepts from collector decor to communal hardware for dense living spaces.
Image Credit: Shaun Wellens
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Communal Computing Stations
- Shared terminals in residential spaces reveal potential for accessible digital hubs that reduce device redundancy while supporting everyday communication and services.
- Retro-futurist Interfaces
- Alternate-history hardware aesthetics can differentiate modern connected products by blending nostalgic visual cues with contemporary utility.
- Space-saving Mounted Devices
- Articulated, wall-mounted technology formats open new possibilities for compact living environments where flexible access matters more than personal ownership.
Sectors Adopting This
- Consumer Electronics
- Modular shared-device concepts suggest new product categories designed around household collaboration, durability and inclusive ergonomics.
- Multifamily Housing
- Dense residential developments could integrate communal digital infrastructure that supports tenant services, local messaging and shared resource access.
- Interior Design
- Functional retro terminals create opportunities for technology to serve as both spatial utility and distinctive decor within compact communal interiors.
