Rick Dickinson
The look of British computing
Industrial designer Rick Dickinson gave Sinclair's computers their iconic appearance—the ZX81's wedge, the Spectrum's rainbow stripe.
Overview
Rick Dickinson designed the look of a computing revolution. Working with Clive Sinclair, he created the industrial design for the ZX80, ZX81, and ZX Spectrum—machines that shaped British computing culture. His work was functional, distinctive, and immediately recognisable, giving cheap computers an identity that transcended their price point.
Fast facts
- Background: trained in industrial design; joined Sinclair Research in 1979.
- ZX80 (1980): white case, blue membrane keyboard—Britain’s first sub-£100 computer.
- ZX81 (1981): black wedge design, cleaner lines, influenced by Braun aesthetics.
- ZX Spectrum (1982): the rubber keys and rainbow stripe became cultural icons.
- Later Sinclair: designed the QL’s angular case and various peripherals.
- Post-Sinclair: continued industrial design work; later worked on the ZX Spectrum Next.
- Passed away: April 2018.
The Sinclair aesthetic
Dickinson’s designs shared common principles:
- Compact: small footprint for bedroom desks and home use.
- Affordable to manufacture: minimal parts, simple assembly.
- Distinctive: each machine had instant visual identity.
- Braun influence: clean lines, purposeful forms, European modernism.
The ZX81’s wedge profile—black plastic sloping away from the keyboard—became the template for “what a computer looks like” in early-80s Britain.
The Spectrum’s rainbow
The ZX Spectrum’s design choices became iconic:
- Rubber keys: membrane keyboard under rubber chiclets—cheap, distinctive, controversial.
- Rainbow stripe: the multicoloured band suggested the colour graphics inside.
- Compact case: fit beside a television without dominating the room.
Critics mocked the “dead flesh” keyboard. Users defended it. Either way, it was unforgettable.
The ZX Spectrum Next
Decades later, Dickinson returned to the Spectrum:
- Crowd-funded FPGA recreation of the Spectrum
- Dickinson designed the case, bringing modern manufacturing to classic aesthetics
- Completed before his death in 2018
The Next demonstrated that his design sense remained sharp and that the Spectrum community still valued his vision.
Legacy
Dickinson proved that affordable computers didn’t have to look cheap. His designs gave Sinclair machines personality and presence, contributing to their success. The ZX81 and Spectrum weren’t just functional—they were objects with identity. That mattered to the teenagers who saved up to buy them.