Personal Signage
Many of our students and teachers are interested in creating items in the FabLab to introduce or represent themselves. Stickers, pinback buttons, laser engraved locker nameplates, lanyards, embroidered fabric, carved wood - you name it! Even something like a simple desk sign can be fabricated through use of our machines and used in a variety of formats and ways to represent ourselves.
As we work toward our goals in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, we know that part of our work as makers is spending time learning about and developing our own identities. Whenever we fabricate items that will ultimately represent or introduce who we are, this is a valuable time to consider how these items and materials reveal our identities to others, and check in with our ever-evolving identities.
In this activity, we will focus on the first 3 steps of the "Hawken Design Process:"
Step 1: Understand
Conduct Research
Learn Everything You Can About Your User (yourself!)
Ask Great Questions
Examine Existing Models - what do you already have that you would consider an introductory piece? How does it explain who you are?
Engage in a Personal Interview
Checkpoint: At the end of this step, you should have a stack of examples of items used to identify yourself, and a short list of words, colors, icons, short quotes, even photos that represent you. You may have also examined other materials - like read a book or short essay - about other people to understand how their identity is represented and lives.
Step 2: Ideate
Generate, Generate, Generate! Come Up With As Many Ideas As Possible!
Work Fast - Sketch Quick, Jot Down
Make A Vision Board
Gather Samples That Inspire You
Checkpoint: At the end of this step, you should have a sense of what words and icons you'd like to use to represent yourself on your personal signage.
Step 3: Design
Build A Model
Make A Blueprint
Consider & Try Out Materials
Make 1 Change With Each new Prototype
Start With Easy Materials (Paper) & Work Up To More Complex
Get To One "Really Good Draft" To FABRICATE
Checkpoint: At the end of this step, you will have worked within the constraints of the design space (size, material, texture) to come up with a workable design draft. If using equipment, you will have moved your design into the digital phase via software (like Inkscape) or taken a photo of your work for digitizing.
Finished with Steps 1-3? Continue Here to Move Into Prototyping and Production.
Share your project and making photos with us!
Email to makerspace@hawken.edu to feature on our Instagram
Tag @HawkenFabPlay in your photos/ instastories