The Production Room was commissioned by the Variable-D Gallery for the October 2001 issue of Flux magazine. The full page image taking the form of an advertisment for a gallery show of digitally manufactured 3D work, was actually four columns of VRML code. The reader of the internationally distributed magazine was encouraged to type this code by hand into simpletext before being able to see the architectural space developed for the exhibition. The author referenced a support industry that emerged during the eighties to help home users understand their computer in the form of computer magazines that contained columns of code. In those days readers were encouraged to type the code by hand into their ZX Spectrums before pressing ‘run’ to see and experience what the programmer had intended; a game, utility or crude application. Whilst nurturing the growth of what turned into a huge industry, the same magazines were educating a generation to program and understand code. Through the actions of copying printed lines of basic and reflecting upon what happened when run was pressed, users learnt to program. Modifying the routines, adapting the syntax and eventually writing their own software, exemplifies a personal development through action and reflection.

This process of action and reflection is present in many forms of navigation as we find are way through places, reading maps, asking for directions and following signs. Using code as a medium to parallel social activity is helpful is identifying the alternative models of navigation that we adopt to get around. However computer code is only useful to identify alternative models if the code is visible and useable, something that in a culture of black box technology and graphic user interfaces, is no longer available for home users or school kids to play with, and is restricted to computer scientists and software developers.

The Production Room went on to be exhibited at the Castlefield gallery in Manchester along with other works from the Variable-D gallery during June 2002.

Out of the project print run has been born, a publishing project for software artists.