Sticker Details
Interviewee: Mike Spicer (@d4rkm4tter)
Sticker: WiFiKraken
Artist: Baylee Rapier
Printer: Sticker Mule
# of stickers printed: 300
Distributed at: DEF CON
Interview
Today’s sticker is the ‘WiFiKraken’ sticker from Mike Spicer (@d4rkm4tter).
This sticker made its debut at DEF CON 27 along with Mike’s new project, the WiFiKraken.
The inspiration for the WiFiKraken sticker was drawn from the WiFiKraken project itself, Mike’s interests in topics such as mythology and Dungeons & Dragons, and the various communities that Mike is a part of. These inspirations led to a collection of keywords such as ‘kraken’, ‘cyberpunk’, ‘hacking’, ‘computers’, and ‘cyborg’. Mike eventually gave these keywords, and a request for bright colour, to the sticker’s designer, Baylee Rapier, so she could develop a sticker that was representative of the project and the community that it was about to enter into. If you are looking for someone to design stickers, Mike would certainly recommend Baylee. From the first time he saw her artwork Mike has been working with Baylee to create graphics for stickers, a badge, and a hackerspace.
An important part of the sticker creation process for Mike was vetting the sticker across a trusted friend group. Some of the people that vetted the WiFiKraken sticker were from the infosec, hardware, and hacking communities and others were not. The makeup of this group gave Mike the opportunity to make sure that the sticker represented his project well and that some of the more subtle sticker details were not lost on people outside of the tech scene.
While stickers help Mike spread word about his project, they are also a way that he chooses to give back to the community. When people collect stickers they might grab extras to distribute amongst friends or to trade for other stickers they might want. As stickers proliferate throughout the community they start conversations and help build up memories. For Mike, the sticker community is represented by a sticker wall in his house. Each sticker he puts on that wall comes with its own story. I look forward to asking him about these sticker stories in the future!
LINKS
https://twitter.com/d4rkm4tter
https://www.instagram.com/bayleearts/
https://www.stickermule.com/
https://www.defcon.org/