4. Making
• Turning ideas into tangible/perceivable form
• Materials, Tools, Processes
• Not merely about production and fabrication, but also involves self-learning,
problem-solving, exploration, experimentation and critical thinking
• Learn, create, share
• Do-it-yourself (DIY) with others
• Not just in local communities in old days, but through Internet to collaborate with people
around the world
• Do-it-yourself (DIY) with technology
• Not just with hand tools, but with digitally-enabled tools
9. Maker Movement
• Growing culture of hands-on making, creating, designing and
innovating
• Despite its diversity [in makers’ interests], the movement is unified by
a shared commitment to open exploration, intrinsic interests and
creative ideas
• When I talk about the maker movement, I make an effort to stay
away from the word “inventor” – most people just don’t identify
themselves that way. “Maker”, on the other hand, describes each
one of us no matter how we live our lives, or what our goals might
be.
Peppler, K., Bender, S. (2013) Maker movement spreads innovation one project at a time. Kappan, v95, N3,
pp22-27. Retrieved from http://www.kyliepeppler.com/Docs/2013_Peppler_Maker_Movement.pdf
Dougherty, D. (2012). The Maker Movement. Innovations, v7, n3, pp11-14
17. Why “Making” is Important? (2)
• Sustainability
• Consume less, produce more
• Locally produce, locally consume
• Self-sustainable community and city (e.g. Fab City, Maker City)
• Maintain local and global views
• Empowerment
• What can be imagined, can be made
• “… see the promise of being the makers of things, and not just the consumers of
things” (Obama, 2009)
• Dare to think big, dare to explore unknown
• “Can we build cars in HK?” “Can we build planes in HK?” “Can we do space exploration in
HK?” “Can we turn HK into a self-sufficient city?”
Obama, B. (2009). Remarks by the President on the “Education to Innovate” campaign. [Press release]. Washington, DC: White
House Office of the Press Secretary. www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-presidenteducation-innovate-campaign
21. Executive Office of the President,The White House,Washington (2014,June) Building a Nation ofMakers:Universities and Colleges in Pledgeto
Expand Opportunities to Make.Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/building_a_nation_of_makers.pdf
23. Why PolyU Design?
• “Everyone designs who devises courses of action aimed at changing existing situations into
preferred ones.”
• “… design … makes ideas tangible, it [design] takes abstract thoughts and inspirations and makes
something concrete.”
• Designers think through making
• More meaningful if making is associated with people, not just making for the sake of making
(Herbert Simon, 1981, as cited by John Hesket, 2009)
(Mat Hunter, 2014)
Heskett, J. (2009). Creating Economic Value by Design. International Journal of Design, v3, n1. Retrieved from:
http://www.ijdesign.org/ojs/index.php/IJDesign/article/view/477/243
Hunter, M (2014) What is Design and Why it matters? Retrieved on 5 May 2015 from http://www.thecreativeindustries.co.uk/uk-creative-overview/news-and-
views/view-what-is-design-and-why-it-matters
25. Analysis-Synthesis Bridge Model (Dubberly and Evenson, 2011)
Dubberly, H., Evenson, S. (2011) Design as Learning - or 'Knowledge Creation' - the SECI Model. Interactions. Jan+Feb 2011, pp 75-79.
Retrieved from https://interactions.acm.org/archive/view/january-february-2011/design-as-learning-or-knowledge-creation-the-seci-model1
“making”
27. Meaning in Making
• “Making” should be based on intrinsic interests
• How to make it meaningful to students when making?
• How to develop their abilities to “empathize”?
• Four Levels of Making:
• Making for self
• Fun, self-use, solve your own problem, …
• Making for someone you are familiar
• For your best friend, for your parents, …
• Making for others
• For your classmates, for your neighbors, …
• Making for social good
• For disadvantaged group, for local community, for sustainability, for change, ….
39. Fab Labs
• Fab Lab program from Neil Gershenfeld, Centre of Bits and Atoms,
MIT
• Since 2002
• More than 672 registered worldwide, some in rural areas, as of 28 May 2016
• A small scale workshop to support digital fabrication
• Provide a physical hub for people to meet
• Provide an online hub for people to contribute knowledge and share ideas
41. Labelec, S.A. (2010) International Benchmarking Study on the Functioning of FABLAB – Proposal for
a Business Model. Technical Report no 836/10-MT. Metrology Department, EDP. Retrieved from
http://www.fablabedp.edp.pt/sites/default/files/uploaded_files/Benchmarking%20report.pdf
52. Supports Three Broad Stages of Makers
• Zero to Maker
• Arouse interest of those with no experience in making to become a maker
• In Maker Faire: Through hands-on activities, through workshops, through inspiring
talks, through inspiring works from other makers
• Maker to Maker
• Sharing of knowledge between makers
• Collaborate and access to others’ expertise
• Work together on shared platforms
• In Maker Faire: Through show-and-tell their projects, through offering hands-on
activities and organizing workshops, through interact with visitors and other makers
• Maker to Market
• Some creations of makers have commercial appeal and get into the market
• In Maker Faire: Through presenting their journey to other makers, through collecting
feedbacks from visitors on their creations
Hagel, J. Brown, J,, Kulasooriya, D. (2014) A Movement in the Making. Deloitte University Press. Retrieved from
http://dupress.com/articles/a-movement-in-the-making/
53. Some Facts on Maker Faire Hong Kong 2015
• www.makerfairehongkong.com
• More than 200 makers participated
• More than 170 exhibits/activities/workshops/talks show-cased/delivered
• Estimated 15,000 per day on average visited
• 4 local primary schools, 8 local secondary schools, and 1 international
school participated; more schools are interested and will join next year
• Makers come from HK, Taiwan, mainland China, Japan, France, Barcelona,
UK
• From embroidery to robotics, from amateur/hobbyists to professionals
54. Some observations
• Most HK people have no concept on a “fair” during which people share
their works and knowledge
• General impression - “Fair” is about selling things only
• We have makers who are good at crafts and would like to apply technology,
but don’t know how. We have makers who are good in technology, but
don’t know how they can be used to create objects which are useful and
appealing.
• Many teachers have difficulties in understanding why they have to
participate in Maker Faire
• This is not a competition. Why join? What benefits? What they may gain?
• Many teachers do not talk to those in different disciplines
• Many teachers do not know what is “Design” (thought that it is about
making things prettier), and haven’t heard of “Design Thinking”
62. Support
• From school of target users
• Speech therapist
• Rehabilitation specialists
• Interviews with target users
• Observations of target users in school
• Prototyping, evaluation and feedbacks
• From PolyUDesign
• Ergonomics, limitations of functioning
• Physical computing