Category: Publications

What if tools were active collaborators – accomplices of users in gaining access to technology and co-designing desired futures? Through her PhD project Katrin Nora Kober explores the agency of tools in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Interaction Design (IxD), challenging traditional human-centered perspectives by positioning tools as agents within dynamic networks of human and non-human…

Beyond contributing a new way to make soft, responsive electronic materials, this work suggests that sometimes the most innovative approach to wellbeing technology isn’t building another app – it’s rediscovering the therapeutic power of making things with our hands. This study explores what happens when you combine traditional wool felting with conductive materials – and…

Although there is a substantial body of literature exploring Making and Maker communities, a definition of Making and a characterization of Makers are still under consideration. In this study, we conducted 15 semi-structured interviews covering encompassing a diverse range of Making activities, including textile work, robotics, and electronics. We engaged with a broad spectrum of…

How does one become a maker? What defines a maker and how does one identify with this role? What processes do makers go through and how are skills developed? This workshop explores biographies and identities, and how these have evolved into becoming makers, crafters, or tinkerers. A further publication addresses the definitions of making, makers,…

Makerspaces offer individuals the opportunity to bring ideas to life, access specialised tools and machinery, and join a community, thus potentially enhancing psychological needs for competence and relatedness. However, these benefits may not be equally accessible across all genders, as makerspaces are often dominated by young, educated men. To explore this, we conducted an online…

This paper presents the results of a 5-month diary study into the practices and routines that develop around technological making in the home, particularly focused on the experiences of women, as they continue to be an underrepresented group in the maker community. In this study, we provided participants with an entry-level electronics making kit. Over…

Makerspaces hold a lot of potential for participation in innovation, democratization of technology, and as a resource for community building – but not all who make, are represented in makerspaces: many makers do not feel at home in these spaces. This paper investigates the wants and needs of people who are engaged with making. It…