Since this software is the foundation of our current project I thought it might be interesting to learn more about it. Processing was developed by MIT Media Lab members Casey Reas and Ben Fry. The two set out in order to develop a software that would be able to teach non programmers programming basics in a visual and artistic way.
The software is backed by something called the Processing Foundation, which was developed in 2012. In its mission statement the Processing Foundation claims to work towards promoting software literacy and to “empower people of all interests and backgrounds to learn how to program and make creative work with code, especially those who might not otherwise have access to these tools and resources.” The foundation organizes fellowship programs to bring research opportunities to artists, and supports multiple advocacy programs to seek out groups that are less likely to have access to the fields of technology, code, and art, and to work with these groups of people to bring them into these fields of work and study.
I had no idea so much went into this user friendly software and I am now even happier to be using it. Fun fact: when the company was first developed, the domain name processing was taken so the original URL was proce55ing.net!
Foundations of Art, Design, + Digital Culture 