A talk presented on 12 Dec in the Asia-Pacific International Schools Conference on Making and Design (http://www.ltexpo.com.hk/aisc/portfolio/clifford-choy/)

1. Meaningful Making
Dr. Clifford Choy
12 Dec 2015
School of Design
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

2. Outline
• What is “making”? Who are “makers”?
• Why “making”?
• “Making” and Design
• Infrastructure to support making
• Design for disadvantaged

3. Making? Makers?
What? Why?

4. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/macgyver-cbs-reboot-james-wan-829154

6. Makers
• Those who make things. We are all makers.
• Those who take ideas and turn them into reality.
• Not just mere production or fabrication, but also apply critical thinking and
problem solving skills
• Explore materials, tools, processes
• 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

7. Who are makers?
• Some create enabling technologies (tools, materials, components,
algorithms, …)
• Some use technologies creatively (applications, processes, …)
• Some do both
• They are
• Kids
• Hobbyists
• Entrepreneurs
• Inventors
• Educators
• Artists
• ….

8. 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
Doughherty, D. (2012). The Maker Movement. Innovations, v7, n3, pp11-14

11. FabFest Boston (8-9 Aug 2015)

12. Maker Faire Hong Kong (28-29 Nov 2015)

13. Make = DIY with Technology
• Online platforms for learning, sharing and acquiring resources

14. Make = DIY with Technology
• Personal and digital fabrication

15. Make = DIY with Technology
• Materials, components, modules, systems
http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/08/softkinetic-brings-depthsense-
range-sensor-to-gdc-hopes-to-put/

16. “making”
The Experiential Learning Cycle [Kolb and Kolb, 2005]
Kolb, A., Kolb, D. (2005, May 15) The Kolb Learning Style Inventory – Version 3.1 2005 Technical Specifications. Retrieved from
http://learningfromexperience.com/media/2010/08/tech_spec_lsi.pdf

17. Why “Making”? (1)
• Re-connect us to the material world
Crawford, M. (2006). Shop Class as Soulcraft. The New Atlantis. Retrieved from
http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/shop-class-as-soulcraft
Skilled manual labor entails a systematic encounter with the material world, precisely the kind of
encounter that gives rise to natural science.
This history provides a nice illustration of a point made by Aristotle:
Lack of experience diminishes our power of taking a comprehensive view of the admitted
facts. Hence those who dwell in intimate association with nature and its phenomena are
more able to lay down principles such as to admit of a wide and coherent development; while
those whom devotion to abstract discussions has rendered unobservant of facts are too
ready to dogmatize on the basis of a few observations.

18. Why “Making”? (2)
• Sustainability
• Consume less, produce more
• Locally produce, locally consume
• Self-sustainable community and city (e.g. Fab 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

19. Attributes developed through Making
• Tinkering, hacking
• Hands-on approach in learning by doing
• Exploration and Experimentation
• Cross-disciplinarity
• Learning through peer and community
• Collaboration
• Skills, craftsmanship, patience
• Learning through sharing to community
• “can-do” mindset
• Live with failures

20. 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
• Making is not just about production or fabrication, but also involve creativity, critical thinking,
self-learning, exploration and experimentation and more, which helps to develop life-long
learning skills
(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

21. http://www.thecreativeindustries.co.uk/uk-creative-overview/news-
and-views/view-what-is-design-and-why-it-matters
“making”

22. 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”

23. https://sheilapontis.wordpress.com/2015/06/04/design-thinking-revised/

24. How to make?
What can be made?
What to make?
Why to make?
Conceptual strategy to promote Design thru
Making
• Knowing possibilities with personal and
digital fabrication technologies (strength
and limitations with each technology,
what can be done by combining multiple
of those)
• Develop tacit knowledge in using these
technologies
• Understanding “users”, identifying opportunities
• Evaluation, identifying issues and improve
STEM/STEAM
Design

25. 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, ….

26. STEM/STEAM
• Knowledge from Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and
Mathematics (STEAM) to support making
• Science – e.g. understanding of properties of materials
• Technology – e.g. availability of tools (hardware, software, …) and processes
• Engineering – e.g. programming, electronics
• Art – e.g. aesthetics
• Mathematics – e.g. simulations, algorithms
• “Making” provides an engaging way for individual to learn and apply
STEAM knowledge

28. http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/faq-for-maker-portfolios

29. Infrastructure to Support Making
• Space, tools, machines
• Tinkerspace, Makerspace, Hackerspace, Fab Lab
• Digital Fabrication lab, techshop
• Software (e.g. Blender, GIMP, Rhino, …)
• Traditional tools
• Materials, kits, platforms
• E.g. Material Resource Centre (PolyU JCIT 5-th floor)
(http://www.sd.polyu.edu.hk/en/j.c.-innovation-tower/material-resource-
centre), Strawbees (www.strawbees.com), Arduino
• Learning resources
• Blogs, tutorials, discussion forums, youtube, ….
• E.g. Instructables, Adafruits, Stackoverflow, …
• Sharing and collaborative platforms
• Git, wordpress, youtube, vimeo, …
• Events for sharing of knowledge
• Exhibitions, science fair, fun fair, Maker Faire

30. Makerspace

31. Makerspace, Hackerspace, Fab Lab
• A space for all people to come to access to tools, usually under a
membership system, and may have membership fee
• Organize workshops/seminars for knowledge sharing
• Attract talents and those who are willing to learn
• Promote physical interactions, exchange of knowledge and ideas,
collaborations
• A community of practice of makers, which in turn attracts people who
would like to get help from makers (e.g. those represent local needs)

32. Futureward, Taipei

33. Some Use Cases for Makerspace/Fab Lab
• Talk and demo
• Different types of privilege and abilities
• Volunteers willing to work in exchange for free use
• Come to explore and have fun
• Come to look for collaborators
• Want to prototype for a potentially commercial product
• Want to share what they have learned, and/or have made

34. Fab Labs
• Fab Lab program from Neil Gershenfeld, Centre of Bits and Atoms,
MIT
• Since 2002
• More than 585 registered worldwide, some in rural areas, as of 2 Dec 2015
• 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

35. http://www.fabfoundation.org/fab-labs/the-fab-charter/

36. 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

37. https://www.fablabs.io/map

38. Makerspace/Hackerspace/Fab Lab in HK
• Few privately run (DimSum Lab, Lab by Dimension+,
MakerBay)
• Compare to >200 in ShenZhen
• 0 Fab Lab!!

39. I MAKE Initiative

40. I MAKE Initiative
• URL: i-make.world
• “I make with the world.”
• An initiative by PolyU Design for promoting the importance
of making and the maker culture to general public
• Raise awareness from students, parents and
teachers/educators (primary and up) on making as a mean to
develop life-long learning skills and creativity

41. How
• Maker Faire
• Competitions/Contests
• Encourage creative use of technologies and use of range of materials, and
also design process
• NOT just Arduino, NOT just 3D printing
• Makerspace, Hackerspace, Fab Lab
• Seminars, workshops
• Connect to local community by servicing local needs
• Bottom-up approach

42. http://www.i-make.world/typographic/

43. http://www.i-make.world/creative-use-of-3d

44. Maker Faire
• A family-friendly festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness
• For makers to gather, show what they have made and share what they have learned
• To demonstrate what is possible
• To exchange knowledge and ideas
• To inspire
• Part of science fair, part of fun fair
• You can perform/demonstrate “crazy” things
• NOT “Book Fair”, “Computer Fair”, “Animation-Comic and Game Fair” in Hong Kong
• NOT a trade fair dominated by traditional sales and marketing
• NOT an invention show, NOT a technology expo
• NOT a competition

45. Maker Faire
• First launch in Bay Area, USA, in 2006
• In 2014, 119 independently-produced Mini and 14 Featured Maker
Faires around the world, including Tokyo, Rome, Detroit, Oslo and
Shenzhen
• 215,000 people attended the two flagship Maker Faires in the Bay
Area and New York in 2014
• Promote STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics)
education

46. What do you expect in Maker Faire?
• Makers show-and-tell their works/projects
• Presentation
• Demonstration/Performance
• Hands-on activities
• Workshops

48. Maker Faire Hong Kong 2015 (28-29 Nov 2015)

49. Maker Faire Hong
Kong 2015 (28-29
Nov 2015)

50. 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/

51. Some Facts on Maker Faire Hong Kong 2015
• 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

52. 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”

53. Coming Plan
• Establish a makerspace (or even a Fab Lab) in PolyU, which is open to public
• Workshops for students to experience making
• Workshops for teachers (by other teachers?)
• Help schools setup their own makerspaces
• Help teachers to share their knowledge
• Create another competition for promoting interests from primary and secondary
schools, which requires
• Mechanical structures design
• Use of motors, sensors, electronics and programming
• Story-telling, character design and mechanized motions
• Give more talks to principals, teachers and students, and visit schools and
teachers associations
• Prepare for Maker Faire HK 2016 and get more schools to participate

54. Design for Disadvantaged

55. 55
Project title:
“Project Positive Play”- Pleasurable Experience for Promoting Positive Emotional Quality
with Confidence and Sustainable Development of Disable Kids
Hong - 13 year old boy Fong - 7 year old girl
Design for Humanities

57. 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 PolyU Design
• Ergonomics, limitations of functioning
• Physical computing

58. Some Key Learning
• Physical disabilities limit their ability to play, which limit their ability
to explore and hence to learn
• Existing toys cannot fulfill their needs
• Difficult for them to play with others, and with other more capable
students
• Develop their abilities to use their controllers can greatly improve
accessibility to information, hence playful activities should help them
to develop these abilities

59. Design for Visually Impaired
• In 2013, supported by The Hong Kong Society for the Blind
(www.hksb.org.hk)
• In 2015, supported by Hong Kong Network for the Promotion of
Inclusive Society Ltd (http://www.inclusive.org.hk/)

60. Support
• From supporting organization
• Talks on Visual Impairment
• Demonstrations and Interviews
• Observations
• Simulations
• Prototyping, evaluations and feedbacks
• From PolyU Design
• Design process
• Experience map

61. Key Issues and Learning
• Misconception on what can be achieved by VI persons and how they solve
their daily problems affect our ability to design
• iPhone and other mobile devices (and information technology) offer great
help to VI persons in accessing to information
• Braille is difficult to learn, and don’t expect all VI persons can read braille
• Many VI persons are not born blind, and more important in HK to allow
those who become visually impaired in adulthood to adapt
• They prefer as little help from others as possible
• How can they travel alone? How can they shop? How can they take public
transport?

62. Questions
• Can a makerspace with an appropriately mix of makers help to design
for certain disadvantaged groups?
• How to concentrate those knowledge as learned from the specific
context?
• Possible to engage those who are familiar with disadvantaged groups
in makerspace, with makers to help them solve their problems?
• Social innovation!!!

63. Questions?

64. Thanks
Welcome any suggestions
email: mccliff@polyu.edu.hk