Design Journal 4-A Visit to a MakerSpace

We are crayons and lunchboxes and swinging so high our sneakers punch holes in the clouds. ~Laurie Halse Anderson

I visited a MakerSpace today. It was tables and calm and noise and production.

Maker Lab

The lab I visited is located in one of our town’s universities. I am hoping to find some resources and use some tools and see if anyone has done a project like mine.

There is Lots of creative conversations and brainstorming.

There was electricity for the tools and electricity in the air for the ideas.

There was an incredible amount of learning in the space.

TeagueMakerLab4

The folks at the MakerLab talk about lithium batteries and Lilypads one minute and Maker Movement and Dale Dougherty in the next minute. Bring your pen and notepad and wear your Vans if you want to keep up.

One of the MKO’s in the Maker Lab actually constructed this huge 3D printer:

Made in the Maker Lab: 3D printer

This jewel is called a “BreadBoard” which I learn is a board for making an experimental model of an electric circuit.

There’s that word again: experimental. As in “Fail Soon to Succeed Sooner” (Dyer, 2012)

TeagueMakerLab9

On my Christmas wish list:

ceiling electric cord

We have some initial discussions about the projects everyone is working on and designing. One girl is getting ready to use the laser cutter to carve pumpkins for Halloween. A group of engineering students are creating a huge trebucet to fling pumpkins. I ask them if they know a local science teacher who every Halloween hosts a “Punkin’ Chunkin'” contest. Not everyone knows him but all agree that this is a great idea. Another project is a Darth Vadar costume with wearable technology, customized voice and breathing and maybe some sort of lighting. I find out that this is part of Cos-Play, a new word for me.

MakeStuffUp

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Other Design Lab Posts

References
Dyer, J., et al. (2013). The innovator’s DNA: Mastering the five skills of disruptive innovators, Harvard Business Press.