This research addresses the question of how Makers and Making as an activity can be defined, based on 15 semi-structured interviews. A diverse range of creative activities were explored, such as working with textiles, robotics, and electronics. The Makers varied in gender, origin, and age to ensure a wide spectrum of perspectives.
This research provides a theoretical frame for understanding Making, essential for designing methodologies and tools in this field.
Participants attempted to describe Making with terms such as “being creative,” “building,” “tinkering,” and “crafting.” In general, it can be derived that the activity of Making involves a process such as “a person brings something, an idea, to life, in whatever form.” Further key elements of Making include: active activity, inherently dynamic, tangible artifact, manual and technological elements, and a set of objects.
From this, the following definition of the term Making was derived:
- “Definition of Making: Making is an active activity embodied by a dynamic not pre-structured process. It starts with a cognitive act – an idea, a thought, a concept – that is then transformed into a tangible artifact. This transformation involves integrating manual and technological (digital, electronics) elements, using vari ous objects (materials, machines, tools). In a narrower sense, Making involves the combination of manual and technological elements during the execution phase.”
Among the 15 participants, both commonalities and individual characteristics were identified. What defines a Maker?
An important driving force is curiosity, passion, and engagement, which guide participants through their process. Mentioned were a broad fascination with everything creative and hands-on, embodying an eagerness to explore, and also a liking for trying out and exploring new things.
In addition to similarities, differences among Makers can also be listed. Makers differ not only in socio-demographics such as gender, age, geographical location, and skills, but also in the extent of technology use and the objects (materials, machines, tools) employed in their creative activities. Furthermore, Makers differ in the environments and spaces they use and create within, including the people they interact with.
With these insights, the following characterization of Makers was formulated:
- 2. “Characterization of Makers: Makers are the individuals that Make. They share common traits such as curiosity, passion, and dedication. At the same time, the community of Makers is diverse, varying in demographics, the technologies they use, the objects they work with, the environment they prefer (including the people they interact with and the spaces they utilize), and the purpose behind their Making, whether hedonic, pragmatic, or eudaimonic.”
In the process of Making, Makers experience different emotions such as an embrace of uncertainties, recognizing the potential for creative and unexpected results, and also a sense of mastery as the feeling of being capable of navigating challenges and achieving success.
This experience was defined as follows:
- 3. „The Making Experience is initiated through a trigger and the interaction between personal dispositions and situa- tional factors. Just like the act of Making itself, the Making Experience is dynamic and marked by contin- uous changes. Throughout this journey Makers expe- rience various emotions from enjoyment to frustration with a feeling of mastery when the tangible artifact is made. Feeling, experiencing or interacting with the final tangible artifact brings satisfaction.”
Despite the body of knowledge generated by previous research on Making, the fundamental question of what constitutes Making and who counts as a Maker remains unresolved. Creating a theoretical frame that defines Making, characterizes Makers, and describes the experience of Making is crucial for several reasons. It ensures a common understanding of these terms and provides a point of reference, reducing the risk of misinterpretation or confusion.
The definition, data, and statements of the participants, practical design implications, as well as limitations and directions for future research, can be found in the linked full version of the research paper.