Rotate the knobs to explore

Patternflow

An LED synthesizer.

Play light patterns with your fingertips.
An open-source reinterpretation of Nam June Paik's
Participation TV (1963).

Making interactive media art something anyone can make.
If Nam June Paik brought participation into art,
Patternflow puts creation in everyone's hands.

All source files are on GitHub.
Build one now, or join the kit waitlist.

GitHubWaitlist
Firmware & web — MIT License.
Hardware & designs — CC BY-SA 4.0.

Patternflow is a trademark of SeungHun Lee.
The Patternflow series: LED Synthesizer (2026) · Origin (2026)

Build your own.

Two enclosure paths, two electronics paths, one firmware.

Step preview
01
Print the case
3D print the current PLA enclosure.
02
Solder the PCB
Hand-solder the custom Patternflow PCB.
03
Assemble
Encoders, matrix, power wiring, and case fit.
04
Flash and power on
Browser flash the release firmware, then insert the ESP32-S3.
Choose your build

Pick one enclosure path and one electronics path. The current guide is the complete route today; the other combinations are being prepared so you can start with the tools, budget, and space you actually have. The custom PCB is stable; PCBA may come later as an easier assembly option.

ElectronicsEnclosure
Custom PCB
Breadboard
3D print
PLA printHand solder
PreparingPCB-free wiring
Laser cut
PreparingFlat enclosure
PreparingLowest fabrication path
Open the assembly map

Flash or make patterns.

Preview presets, flash from the browser, or open the Live Editor when you want to make your own.

Connect Patternflow over USB, then flash the official release firmware from the browser.

Browser flashing is available on desktop Chrome or Edge. On mobile, preview the built-in patterns below.

Browser flashing works in desktop Chrome or Edge.

Pick a preset below to change the 3D preview. Custom patterns require an Arduino IDE build.

Inside the work.

How to get involved.

Start anywhere

Patternflow is a way to play light with your fingertips. You do not have to be special to make one, and you do not have to start with the most polished version.

Start with what you have, ask when you get stuck, and pass help on when you can.

Build mapTotal: 3+

The goal is simple: cover this globe with Patternflow.

Select a point on the globe to explore build details
Join in

Most of the day-to-day help happens in Discord. Instagram is for showing patterns in motion. GitHub is where the files, issues, and contribution notes live.

DiscordAsk build questions, show finished builds, share custom patterns, and find the pattern code from the Instagram posts.InstagramSend a clean video of your pattern. If it fits Patternflow, I'll usually share it as a collaboration post.GitHubStart with the contributing notes, then open an issue or pull request for docs, firmware, hardware, or web changes.
Story
  1. Patternflow: Origin began as my first work as a new media artist, built around 3D-printed forms and the seed of what became Patternflow.
  2. The Origin pattern was tested on a physical LED matrix with four knobs.
  3. Instagram and the Arduino subreddit responded strongly, so Patternflow turned into an open-source project. The first PCB was made with PCBWay sponsorship.
  4. Patternflow reached 100 GitHub stars, and the first collaborator joined. Preparing for small-run sales, we initiated a precise BOM cost calculation, estimating roughly $120 in pure material cost for the worst-case scenario.
  5. Order the first PCBA batch and test whether Patternflow can be sold in a small, practical run.
  6. Launch properly at the lowest sustainable price, send Patternflow further out into the world, collaborate with more artists, and earn academic recognition.
  7. Before I leave for military service, make Patternflow into a community and ecosystem that can keep growing on its own.
Read the journal for the fuller story, including the thoughts and feelings along the way.