After the launch of a particular book, a group of enthusiasts started to experiment with their own electronic configurations to craft DIY devices, frequently for hacking or on-the-go coding. Conventionally, these gadgets, referred to as decks, were akin to sturdy laptops featuring a screen and keyboard, engineered to be practical and packed in a resilient briefcase for survival situations. A year ago, a niche YouTuber presented a video entitled “DIY Doomsday Cyberdeck EMAIL/TEXT without INTERNET,” utilizing the “prepper” hashtag.

Tan’s cyberdeck is distinctive for its aesthetic. Within a redesigned clamshell handbag is a Raspberry Pi computer equipped with a petite keyboard and display. It adheres to standard hardware, yet the deck’s feminine facade and intricate design defy conventional expectations. “I haven’t seen anyone create a hyper-femme version before,” she remarks, while appreciating the tactical designs of existing decks but desiring one that reflects her own style. “I have always been quite anti-minimalist,” she continues. “In my life, I crave color, and I want everything I possess to express that it represents me.”

To reduce reliance on the internet, Tan filled her mermaid cyberdeck with an array of files from her computer, such as songs, books, maps, Wikipedia entries, and cat pictures. When linked to a custom mouse, it can even operate Doom.

Tan also showcased a solar panel-equipped deck on TikTok. The majority of her TikTok viewers are female. “Many reacted with, ‘Oh, I didn’t realize you could create a computer like this. I thought it needed to be a gray box, like every other Mac or Dell or whatever,’” states Ling Lu, a product designer from New York City, who was motivated by Tan’s videos to develop her own unique gadget, the “cyberduck” audio journal, a bird-shaped recording device for personal use.