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HOW TO CREATE A

MAKERSPACE

A REAL-WORLD CASE-STUDY

RON D. MCFARLAND, PH.D., PMP, CISSP

Copyright © 2017 by Ron McFarland

http://www.wrinkledbrain.net

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WHY I WROTE THIS BOOK I wrote this book because I was in a position where I needed

to rapidly develop and implement a Makerspace in our

organization that would (a) address the needs of our “users”,

(b) address the expanding needs of our outside customers

(e.g. community members), and (c) the provide a viable ‘space’

for the rapidly growing need for a lab work areas that

supported the developing creative project work at my

organization. I was up to the challenge, in spite of many

obstacles of launching such a project in a short time-frame.

But given upper-level support and in particular, the project

support by a forward-thinking CEO to develop this project, the

project of opening up a Makerspace in less than 8 weeks

became a successful reality.

I faced many challenges including resistance by some who did

not support the Makerspace concept and others who believed

that they should be in charge of the effort, eventhough I was

assigned the task. Politics aside, this plan worked. Prior to this

position, I was an IT Project Manager for a number of years

and knew that this type of consternation and resistance is

fairly common. So I placed on my PM hat and worked with my

people skills tools to best work with and involve all

constituents to inspire, lead and educate.

The idea of planning and implementing a Makerspace was net

to me. In addition, while I have been a ‘maker’ all of my life, I

never set up an environment for a broader environment that

would accommodate many maker type of projects. My maker

background included making a number of (some 30+)

Electronic Kits (from Heathkit, EICO Electronics, Allied Radio,

etc.) in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s (prior to the demise of

the kit companies), leather making including designing my

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own styles of leatherwear, guitar building using templates and

designs, and many other make activities. But, I was left a bit

stumped on creating a broader-based Maker environment

when faced with the task of developing a Makerspace for our

organization.

Further, while I was tasked to open the Makerspace for the

organization, a group formed that contained varied

personalities (as is usual) that had specific notions about what

a maker environment should be based on my background, I

was faced, initially, with a contentious group of individuals

within the organization that (a) had their own ideas about

what a Makerspace should be, (b) a few individuals who were

grappling for power and control, and (c) others who out-right

rejected any notion for a Makerspace within the organization.

Moreover, I was provided an austere budget and given an

aggressive timeframe to open the Makerspace (about 8 weeks

from start to opening!).

While grappling with addressing the needs of the various

individuals who offered their time to assist with the opening,

I researched best methods to get a Makerspace up and

running in a short amount of time with minimal success. Also,

much of the research that I reviewed in a short amount of time

provided limited good advice.

Fortunately the organization that I worked for at the time had

a ‘management training opportunity’ whereby small groups of

managers (teams of 4 or 5) were assembled to work part-time

on projects that the organization thought was worthy of some

intense focus. I mention ‘fortunately’ since the team that I was

on decided (with very little pursuasion from me and a few

others) to take on the Makerspace project.

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During the few weeks that our small team developed a plan,

which we indicated was our “Phase 1 of x iterations” (of many

unknown phases), we did research and used tools (like the

SWOT analysis – which is discussed later) to formulate a rapid

plan to get the Makerspace up and running in a short time-

frame with a limited budget in a contestuous environment. We

succeeded in building out the Phase 1 plan together, used

almost every nickle of the small seed money and opened up

the Makerspace with over 500 people in attendance on the

Grand Opening Day.

All in all, the Makerspace, which is getting close to a 1-year

anniversary at the time of this writing, is finally being more

broadly accepted by the organizational community, at large.

The growing success was not due to me (though I wish I could

take the total credit), but success has been achieved from the

top, the CEO, through middle-management and to the many

fantastic and inspired workers in the Makerspace.

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WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK

You may already be a Makerspace expert or the concept of

Makerspace is relatively new to you. Whatever your level of

exposure to the Makerspace movement is, this book can help

you make good decisions about developing your Makerspace

based on things that I initially did wrong and later my small

team and I got right. This plan discussed in this eBook is

proven to be a route to success.

This book is about getting your Makerspace up and off the

ground, by example. My intention with this eBook is to help

you understand a bit more about what a Makerspace is, if you

are not familiar with Makerspaces. For the expert and novice

alike, I provide a case study that you can use, modify, and

implement. Also, consider providing suggestions for

improvement, as I’ll continually update this document with

your input (I’ve provided my contact information and other

resources at the end of this book). With a plan that was

actually implemented to success, in contrast to a theoretical

plan, there are several important resource links that will help

you to continue to build your Makerspace community one

you’ve launched your particular “Phase 1” initiative.

Further, the Makerspace that was implemented based on this

case study plan (actually two Makerspaces were started), are

a testament to the inspired vision of the organization’s CEO

who had the vision and guts to provide space, some

personnel and a start-up stipend that gave the middle-

management team enough ‘juice’ to begin two Makerspaces

in less than a few-month’s timeframe. Looking back, our

Makerspace(s) has been a great success in terms of the

numbers of community members who now use the space and

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the ‘repeat offenders’ who frequent our very creative

experimental space.

Also, this book was written with notes that I compiled for our

project and added to for this eBook. The plan noted in this

eBook eventually lead to the successful opening of two

organizational Makerspaces. This eBook is written to give a

bit of direction (and maybe some additional hope) to

individuals, organizations (schools, companies, etc.), and the

for-profit and non-profit groups who are thinking about

forming some sort of Makerspace a bit more of a direction to

implement one.

I’ve written my notes in a very conversational, non-

theoretical manner in a best-effort to provide a document

that is easily read with the intention of becoming a useful

(and actionable) resource for you. I’ve masked the

organization that I worked for on this project (though it will

be fairly easy to find out who the Makerspaces were

developed for). Finally, I provide a working template that you

can model for your Makerspace.

Yes, I spent more time on this project than was expected by

the organization and had the fortune to work with several

brilliant people that lead to ultimate success (at least for the

first round). One of the lessons learned on this project is that

success is a team effort. Always ensure that you have

inspired and focused individuals on your Makerspace

development team, as I did, since they will each contribute

far more that you could ever expect.

Also, as in any new effort, you will be making radical changes

in the organization. Some folks simply do not like change nor

understand it. Anticipate the naysayers who might throw out

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roadblocks or speak poorly of your intended focus. Actually,

even the naysayers will provide you with gems, if you listen

carefully, that will forward the progress of your Makerspace

plan. Further, look to the naysayers as a group that can not

only provide you with hidden gems, but with a challenge to

bring them into the Makerspace fold.

With a plan in hand, inspired individuals on your team, the

location and nominal funding, your Makerspace

implementation should be a success. But, keep in mind that

the Makerspace, any Makerspace, is an on-going evolvement

and evolution of tools, techniques, projects, and people.

You’ve embarked in an iterative project when you do and

create a Makerspace. And please note that the intention of

Makerspace is for your community. With a steady focus and a

clear plan, your Makerspace will unfold with good fortune

and success, as ours did.

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Table of Contents

Why I Wrote This Book ....................................................... 2

Why You Should Read This Book ........................................ 5

Chapter 1. In the New Economy, Makerspaces are HOT! .. 9

Chapter 2. Setting a Clear Path For Success ..................... 15

Chapter 3. A Proven Method For A Strong Plan ............... 20

Chapter 4. Who Do You Serve? ......................................... 24

Chapter 5. What Your Competition Is Up To .................... 27

Chapter 6. A Shout Out to Your Community .................... 32

Chapter 7. Think Ahead -- Future Plans for Your

Makerspace ....................................................................... 38

Chapter 9. Things to Watch Out For ................................. 46

Chapter 10. It’s Your Makerspace ..................................... 48

Appendix A: Presentation Materials from Our Makerspace

Opening ............................................................................. 51

Appendix B: Important Makerspace Resources ............... 55

Appendix C: Makerspace Products ................................... 59

About The Author ............................................................. 62

Other Books By Ron McFarland ........................................ 64

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CHAPTER 1. IN THE NEW ECONOMY,

MAKERSPACES ARE HOT!

INTRODUCTION

I love the creative process. Since I was a teenager and began

to experiment with electronics technology by building a

stereo system, a shortwave radio and a vast array of other

electronic kits. I fell in love with the creative aspects of

technology. And while getting involved with the creativity of

electronics, I began to embark on the more creative aspects

of music and writing. Throw in some additional creative

work with leather and woodworking that I touched upon and

you might say that I have been (like many of us) a

quintessential maker. Further, as a way to earn a living that

complimented my creative bent, I entered into the computer

programming field, which is another place for a creative

technocrat to express himself.

I am sure many of you have a similar creative path as well.

We share the love of inspired creativity. Many artists,

writers, technicians, engineers have expressed to me their

sense of freedom with the creative aspects of their fields. We

need to bring the love of creativity to our students and to our

communities. And, one way to do that is to provide a creative

space for exploration via through the development and

implementation of a Makerspace in your community or

organization.

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WHAT IS A MAKERSPACE

When our small team of four started the Makerspace project,

our first task was to describe and define what our

Makerspace was. In particular, our definition is both

customized for our environment while not being as

restrictive to confine what we needed to implement for our

constituents. We sought out several definitions and

descriptions and tailored the Makerspace to address our

community. Here’s what we came up with (slightly edited for

this eBook):

Makerspaces are engaged community centers of learning, rife with tools and materials ready for creativity, engagement and learning to happen. Makerspace combines manufacturing equipment, community and education for the purposes of enabling community members to design, prototype and create manufactured works that wouldn’t be possible to create with the resources available to individuals working alone.

After we shared our definition with several of our constituents, we were immediately informed that our Makerspace would not be a real Makerspace as we were not focusing on, in particular, Computer Technology. By his review of our definition, it was not accurate since it did not focus on programming and other tech-related aspects. Being a gear head and a technologist at heart, I was a bit perplexed by his comments, initially. But, recalling my IT Project Management experience, I attempted to reel him in a bit, since his input was potentially useful. I always believe that ‘behind every complaint is a request.’ From his statement, the essential request was “Hey, why aren’t you including Computer Technology in the Makerspace?”

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In response, the team reflected on what a Makerspace is, in theory. Sometimes known as a hackerspace, a Makerspace is a physical space or location where a defined community can share knowledge, skills and abilities. Often, constituents of the Makerspace will meet, collaborate on projects, and build informal networks. Importantly, quite a lot of one-on-one training occurs too. I liken a Makerspace to a garage with plenty of tools and materials that can be available to develop projects, gain hands-on skills and abilities, and work on items that you are inspired to do. As a collaborative studio space for creative work, Makerspaces combine the essence of a lab, a shop, meeting spaces and storage for partially completed work. A Makerspace breaks down the silos of information that have been common in organizational and educational environments. Makerspaces are at the heart of an innovative movement to break down silos and foster multi-subject area environment. A blended environment affords experimentation and is ushering in a new way for organizations (educational institutions and corporations, in particular) in approaching solutions. Makerspaces spawn creativity and learning. Makerspaces emerged as a resource for creative engagement of learning in the non-academic community and was fostered by several computer hardware and software companies (think Google’s creative work environment as one type of Makerspace). Organizations have realized that sharing of learning in a robust studio environment has yielded new products and market approaches in the new economy. Makerspaces have finally hit the education market and will be deconstructing many of the legacy silos entrenched in the college and university systems over time. As we constructed our plan to address Makerspace, we

identified, from research, of several essential aspects that we

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needed to address. The essential aspects of our Makerspace

plan included the following:

1. Locate Space: Initially, we did not have a space

provided to us by our organization. But, following our

directive for opening the Makerspace in a short

timeframe, we were fortunate enough to be provided

a good size space (1,500 square feet) to create the

space. We were given a golden nugget (the space). If

you are developing a Makerspace, this essential

element may be an item that can take quite a bit of

time and expense to acquire.

2. Secure Funding: We secured a small amount of start-

up funding from our organization’s funding. The

intention with a small start-up fund was, quite

frankly, to see if our organization’s Makerspace

would be viable. So, with a space appointed and a

small budget that was donated by our foundation, we

began the process of cleaning up and preparing our

space for a Makerspace at the same time that we

developed our plan to implement Phase 1.

3. Find suitable tools: After a few meetings with a

handful of our constituents, we identified a list of

items that would be suitable for our Phase 1

implementation of our Makerspace (we will do focus

groups and more extensive surveying for our Phase 2

to more clearly address our constituent needs). Our

list of suitable tools included:

a. Hand tools: Items like screwdrivers, soldering

irons, etc. were acquired from (1) donations

and (2) purchase from funds acquired from

the foundation. Further, we found some used,

somewhat dated, but still very usable

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equipment in some departments that were

easily acquired too.

b. Robotics: We found 24 Lego Robots that were

just about ready to be recycled due to the age.

However, we thought that the items were still

viable enough for experimentation by our

constituents. We grabbed these.

c. Makerbot (3D printing): Along with 2

donated computers, we purchased two good

quality 3D printers that our constituents

would certainly use on projects and

prototypes that were being designed. We

funded these from the funding provided by

our foundation.

d. Ideapaint (wall painting): We noted that

painting one of the large white walls was an

item that we would do during Phase 2 and

noted this on our to-do list.

4. Find your constituents: As noted earlier, for our

Phase 1 implementation, we invited a few interested

constituents to give us input into the Phase 1 focus of

our Makerspace. Overall, this worked out well with

some minor disagreements. But, the budget tended to

drive (and limit) the scope of our Phase 1

implementation. We noted the essential requirement

for (1) focus groups and (2) extensive surveys to

gather data that will inform the future progress of

subsequent Phases (Phase 2+) of our Makerspace.

In summary, the essential elements include a location that

can be accessed readily by your constituents, a viable funding

stream, a list of suitable tools appropriate for your

Makerspace, and (importantly) a sold understanding of who

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your constituents are and how they plan on using the

Makerspace. Each of these items are iterative.

In the following sections, I’ve noted the project plan that we

developed (along with my additional notes) for your use.

Please feel free to use anything in this section. Also, please let

me know if you have any questions, comments and

suggestions too. Since this is an eBook, I will be updating the

content frequently and if you’ve downloaded this from a

viable source, you will receive the updates from that source.

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CHAPTER 2. SETTING A CLEAR PATH FOR

SUCCESS

INTRODUCTION

One of the fist items necessary for any endeavor is to

establish an overall vision for a given project. While I have

been a maker individually over many years, as noted earlier

in the book, the objective of launching a Makerspace

becomes a definitive project.

The small management team that I worked with readily

recognize the Phase 1 planning for a Makerspace as a project

and, because of my background as an I.T. project manager

and the project management experiences of my team

members (which included construction management,

financial management, and health care management

experience), the team was in good footing to launch a

formalized plan.

During the onset of the project, we decided to follow a

general project planning methodology, as noted by the

Project Management Institute (see the link at

http://www.pmi.org).

The team focused on the Vision, Mission and Goals for the

Makerspace project, as a subset of the organization’s Vision

and Mission statement. While these items tend to be very

“MBA-like,” the bottom line with starting with a Vision and

Mission statement is to ensure that the Phase 1 Makerspace

initiative was in alignment with the organization, especially

since the organization generously provided funding, some

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personnel, and (very importantly) the space for the

Makerspace.

We focused on the Vision and Mission Statements and

hammered these out in a congruent manner over the first

week after the team had the initial kick-off meeting. Listed

below is our Vision and Mission Statements. Of course, these

will need to be modified for your organization, as the

intention of your organization will vary.

VISION

The vision of the organization’s Makerspace is to create an

autonomous, community-driven maker environment, located

on the organization’s campuses, by developing a shared

space with access to tools for friendly, collaborative,

inspirational, technical and artistic expression and

experimentation in the region.

MISSION

The mission of the organization’s Makerspace is to offer

collaboration space for students interested in Science,

Technology, Engineering, Art and Math fields of study

(STEAM). The space will provide tools, resources, training

and entrepreneurial opportunities pursued by its

participants. Makerspace will provide venues where

individuals and business partners can consult, collaborate,

and create enabled by appropriate technology and their own

shared skills, inspiration, and resources.

Steps toward achieving these goals include:

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• Provide space, tools and activities accessible to

participants regardless of their current skills,

capabilities or financial status.

• Sharing Maker knowledge through organized

events focused on particular technologies and

applications, including workshops and classes on

using Maker tools safely and effectively

• Showcasing, participating, and sharing the

accomplishments of Makerspace with the

broader campus community and local business

and educational partners.

BUSINESS CASE

Following the Vision Statement and Mission Statement

creation which, again, aligned with the organization’s Vision

and Mission statement, a Business Case was developed. The

Business Case is essentially a justification or reason to move

forward with a given project. For example, you could have a

Vision and Mission statement for a given project which

makes sense, but when doing the Business Case, things could

fall apart and the Business Case, in this rough example, could

fall apart. Our Business Case is provided below.

MAKERSPACE BUSINESS CASE

The organization’s Makerspace is intended to bring a new

innovative and robust environment for inspirational

expression. Makerspace at the organization will provide:

• A venue for multi- and inter-disciplinary

opportunities.

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• A means of expression and innovation to cross-

pollenate disciplines, stimulate entrepreneurial

thoughts, use of advanced manufacturing technology,

application of new tools and enhance education.

• Enhance skills of participants.

• The creation of new networking opportunities.

• An opportunity for students to explore career

pathways.

• An opportunity to learn how to use various tools in a

safe and monitored environment.

CORE VALUES

Core Values for an endeavor like a Makerspace are the

essential guiding principles that mandate the behavior and

action of the organizational entity. That is, the core values

can help those individuals that work with the Makerspace in

any shape or form to most effectively work with the

Makerspace. Core Values determine what is right or wrong in

the context of the work done within Makerspace. Core

Values, much like our personal Core Values, provide the

guidance for doing business. Listed below are the Core

Values for our Makerspace.

MAKERSPACE CORE VALUES

The sustained core values of our Makerspace involve the

Creativity (the ability to create and innovate), the

Opportunity (by having the space, resources and support),

the Relationship (involvement with other peers and faculty),

Entrepreneurial (the ability to create something new and to

move it from concept to reality), and Skill Building (the

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ability to try something new and/or develop skills with tools,

technologies, and processes).

To this end, we further defined the Makerspace core values

using CORE as an acronym to highlight the following values

of our Makerspace:

• C: Creative: Creativity is the spark of innovation.

Makerspace is a place (location) and provides the

tools and resources to support creativity.

• O: Opportunity: Makerspace supports the creative

opportunity by providing tools, the location, a

collaborative space, assistance, and many layers of

support for STEAM related projects.

• R: Relationships: Makerspace is a collaborative

learning space. In this collaboration, new

relationships will be formed and existing

relationships will be supported around STEAM-

related collaborative work.

• E: Entrepreneurial: The Creative spark in Makerspace

is the engine for the entrepreneurial engagement.

Support for entrepreneurial projects is available for

work involved in the Makerspace.

• S: Skill Building: As a collaborative space for the

engagement and creation of STEAM-related projects,

Makerspace will support skill building by providing

tools, a lab environment, educational/training

support, and information on techniques for

Makerspace consumers in a robust and engaged work

environment.

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CHAPTER 3. A PROVEN METHOD FOR A

STRONG PLAN

INTRODUCTION

A SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats)

analysis is common in many business planning textbooks and

guides, so I won’t belabor you with a lengthy discussion

about what a SWOT is about. Suffice it to say that a SWOT is

looking at ‘the business’ (in this case, the Makerspace) from

varied perspectives. This view of looking at the Makerspace

from the four varied perspectives can give you, as the

planner, insight to problems and opportunities that need to

be further explored. Our Makerspace SWOT is provided

below for your preview and use.

MAKERSPACE SWOT

The following list of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities

and Threats for the Makerspace project is listed below. The

intention of the SWOT Analysis is to think through and plan

these items so as to address issues now and leverage other

items in order to create a robust opportunity with our

Makerspace.

Strengths Makerspaces were first formed in the early 2000’s as part of

the "Makers Movement" and includes the following

Strengths:

• Not entirely new concept.

• Operates in 1967 locations throughout U.S.

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• Key components and disciplines already exists within

the organization.

• Built around multidisciplinary collaborative efforts.

• It is a powerful learning force in the organizational

community.

• Encourages taking individual ideas to invention.

• Reflects the organization’s entrepreneurial image and

reputation.

• Useful working with STEM (Science, Technology,

Engineering, and Math)/STEAM (Science, Technology,

Engineering, Art, and Math) education.

Weaknesses The following weaknesses have been identified for the

Makerspace:

• Difficult to explain.

• Concept is vague.

• Not well understood.

• Lack of knowledge about what a Makerspace is.

• Equipment may be costly and expensive.

• Finding appropriate venues and operating space

within the organization.

• Ensuring that there is adequate infrastructure for the

operation of equipment.

• Need for proper staff supervision.

• Must deliver skills, safety guideline, and learning

protocols before allowed use of equipment.

• Need to acquire technology and tools.

Opportunities

The following opportunities have been identified for the

Makerspace:

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• Stimulates entrepreneurship.

• Offers new opportunities for training in

manufacturing skills.

• Allows for community collaboration.

• Expands new directions for the organization’s

educational programs.

• Presents new avenues for partnership and

collaboration with local businesses.

• Fits the organization’s set of strategic goals.

• Inspires an interest in science, technology, design,

and life-long learning.

• Provides opportunities for a wide range of the

organization’s courses

• Enables our constituents to build a portfolio of

accomplishments for future education and careers.

Threats

The following threats have been identified for the

Makerspace:

• Where Makerspace should be housed?

• Where is its organization’s address?

• What are its lines of authority?

• Who has ownership within the organization?

• Who is responsible and has control of the project?

• How does Makerspace align with the organizational

Administration?

• How does Makerspace sync with other departments

within the organization?

• Where are the funding sources to include technology

like 3D printers, sewing machines, soldering guns,

laser cutters, robotics, and wood carving machines?

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MAKERSPACE SWOT SUMMARY

In general, by creating a SWOT, the items listed can be

further expanded upon and explored. I encourage you to take

this list, modify it as you see fit for your Makerspace. Add to

the SWOT list.

Once the list is exhausted, expand on each item and provide

more definition. If you are working with a team of

individuals, you will achieve an excellent list of items that

you should do in your Makerspace and, importantly, a list of

things you must avoid. The SWOT Analysis is where rich

rewards can be surfaced when you spend good time and

conversation fleshing out the aspects of your SWOT.

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CHAPTER 4. WHO DO YOU SERVE?

INTRODUCTION

Following the SWOT analysis, the focus of the planning

centers on what you can provide your community and how

you can support the needs for a Makerspace within the

community that you want to serve. At this point in the

project, we started looking at what we could do in the

context of a short timeframe and funding stream provided

and targeted what we could deliver based on what our

community needs. Of course, this is where you will need to

have a good understanding of what your community needs.

As a tangential aspect, you may consider a survey or focus

groups to flesh out and identify the community needs for

your Makerspace. This is one area that we did not do for our

Phase 1. However, we do have some funding (at the time of

this writing) to do an individual survey for our different and

varied constituent groups so that we can more closely

address our community needs in the subsequent Phase 2 of

our Makerspace development.

Listed below is our Phase 1 discussion on services that we

determined what would be offered, based on our close

relationship with our community.

Makerspace Services Provided to the Community Services provided to the organization and the community at

large will be driven by the design and implemented tools in

the Makerspace. At present, there are two distinct Phases are

defined in the Makerspace planning. Each of these phases

and the associated tools provided are noted below.

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MAKERSPACE PHASE 1

The first phase, launched on May 12, 2016, will provide a

limited Makerspace environment primarily focused on

electronics and computer technology. The tools for the Phase

1 Makerspace will include:

• 3D printer(s).

• 3D scanning.

• Small CNC mill.

• Hi-end PCs (several, most with Intel I7 processors).

• Various hand tools (screw drivers, wire strippers,

etc.).

• Soldering irons.

• Oscilloscopes and other electronic devices.

• Digital multi-meters.

PHASE 2

While the Phase 2 Makerspace has not been described and

defined by a Steering Committee, consideration for Phase 2

should include:

• Involvement of Arts, Sciences (Biology, Chemistry,

Engineering, etc.), other Technology Areas (Welding,

Networking, etc.) and related programs on either the

Valencia or CCC Campuses.

• Involvement of Faculty, Students, and Staff from each

represented area.

• Exploration and involvement of various Community

Constituents that will support the goals of the

Makerspace.

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• Consideration for having Maker Movements, periodic

presentations, and other related on-going events in

the Makerspace.

A consideration of tools for the Phase 2 Makerspace should

minimally include:

• Wood saws.

• Jigsaws.

• Sewing Machines.

• Dremel tools.

• Additional Work Benches.

• Storage Cabinets/lockers.

• Saw horses.

• CNC Routers.

• Lathes.

Makerspace Services Provided to the Community

– Summary As you can see from the list above, you can further flesh out

the specifics. For example, how many tools, soldering irons,

etc. do you minimally need to start out with in Phase 1.

Further, whether referring to the Phase 1 or Phase 2 list, you

can start building out a budget (perhaps in a Spreadsheet)

that will give you numbers that can be applied for each of the

Phases.

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CHAPTER 5. WHAT YOUR COMPETITION

IS UP TO

INTRODUCTION

In Market Analysis, you are essentially looking at what your

potential competitors are doing. And if they are doing what

you plan to do, is there enough of a market space to add

another? In this section, you’ll see some of the discussion

that ensued for our Makerspace.

COMPETITION

Currently, competition between Makerspace facilities does

not exist, primarily due to their limited numbers, but this is

slowly changing. In addition, the diversity of facilities,

equipment, and resources provides the opportunity for

multiple Makerspace enterprises to co-exist in a region. 3D

printing (numerous medium), Laser cutting, welding, metal

fabrication, sewing, computer graphics, software

development, etc. can all play a significant role in the

activities performed at a Makerspace facility.

Makerspace technology focus is as varied as their affiliations

and organizational structures. Business profiles include

profit based, non-profits, school affiliated, library

partnerships, business alliances and/or a combination of

various collaboration. In general, they tend to have local

support and membership, with their technology emphasis

being driven by their constituents.

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COMPETITION COMPARISON

For our Makerspace, market competition is not a factor since

our facility is the first of its kind in the valley, however there

has been recent proliferation of Makerspace type facilities

across California, the nation, and around the world.

Even though there are no Makerspace in the valley,

Makerspace facilities around the area include:

• Burbank Makerspace - http://burbankMakerspace.com/about-us/

• Los Angeles Makerspace - http://laMakerspace.org/ • Los Angeles Makerspace -

http://www.theexploratory.com/ • Hex Lab Makerspace (near Chatsworth) -

http://hexlabMakerspace.com/ • Deezmaker (Pasadena)- http://deezmaker.com/ • PCC Fab Lab (Pasadena)-

https://pccfablab.wordpress.com/ • Make Ventura - http://www.makeventura.com/ • CV Make (Conejo Valley) - http://cvmake.org/ • Pierce Makerspace Club - No website

Makerspace will have ongoing marketing efforts of outreach

to keep the community aware of the latest facility upgrades,

equipment enhancements, and weekly activities highlighting

training sessions, networking events and partnership

activities.

The city has several organizations that attract and retain

entrepreneurs and promote networking such as:

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• Economic Development Corporation: it works to

provide an integrated approach to attracting,

retaining and expanding a diversity of business and

industry in the valley.

• Chamber of Commerce: it represents and promotes

business successfully in the valley through

leadership, advocacy and member services.

• Industry Association: serves as a one-stop shop for

relevant business information, supports local

educational initiatives, and provides networking

opportunities.

IMPLEMENTATION

At this step, the plan ramps into the actual implementation.

Here is our (again, rough) implementation considerations.

Add more steps to your list and flesh out each. Further, I

encourage you to start tagging a ‘by when’ timeline to each of

the implementation items, as they will tend to be more of a

to-do item on your list. Our Makerspace Implementation list

is provided below. Use it as your starter implementation list.

Makerspace Implementation To successfully implement Makerspace, these following steps

should be considered:

• Have significant collaboration and participation of

constituents within the organization.

• Inform the Board.

• Robust facility and equipment resources.

• Market and advertise via social media.

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• Explore potential grant funding sources i.e.:

o Corporation foundations that support

business, entrepreneurship business student

education, and economic growth.

o Economic development agency support in the

form of sponsorship and scholarships.

o Angel investment circles.

o Private philanthropic foundations.

o Business sponsorships and naming rights.

• Identify sources for grant match-funding, i.e.:

o Existing SBDC funds.

o Business Department resources (funding and

in-kind).

o Business community and agency match.

• Explore continued fundraising with the

organization’s foundation and the SBDC.

PROMOTION AND OUTREACH

Now that you’ve defined an Implementation Plan and

(maybe) associated dates, the by-when timeframe, for each

implementation item, you will need to get the word out in the

proper and suitable venues. A Makerspace Promotion and

Outreach list must be developed. Listed below is our

Makerspace Promotion and Outreach plan. Again, use, adapt

and expand upon what is provided below.

Makerspace Promotion and Outreach The services offered at Makerspace will reach out to

students:

• Makerspace Website.

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• An attractive, and user-friendly website enriched by

the use of social media (Facebook page, LinkedIn,

etc.).

• Active networking with organizational Foundation,

FBLA and business community.

• Advertising throughout the organization’s campuses.

• Email blast, brochures, etc.

• Email-all messages.

• Calendar events promoting the incubator process,

providing tips on developing ideas, and celebrating

past ideas.

• Steering committee presentations.

• Electronic bulletin board postings.

SUMMARY

At this point in the plan, the bulk of the work is done. The

project plan can be (and should be) reviewed by all

constituents for feedback. How we did this is that we had a

couple of meetings where we asked our perspective

constituents in to a meeting (yes, provide some cookies or

other finger food) to discuss the plan to-date. This will lead

to some robust conversations about what should be and

shouldn’t be in Phase 1 and Phase 2. But, the essential

element is that you begin achieving buy-in, especially for

those who may have been initially disenfranchised with the

concept of the Makerspace.

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CHAPTER 6. A SHOUT OUT TO YOUR

COMMUNITY

INTRODUCTION

The target of your marketing effort must be defined. I can

create a great snow shovel, but if I don’t clearly identify that

my target will be to those who need snow shovels, my effort

(time and expense) may not be as efficient.

Further, to measure the efficiency and efficacy of your

market target, specific goals should be identified. By

identifying goals, you can use each goal as a measure of

success and a benchmark used to determine if your

marketing target has been achieved.

To this end, listed below is our Makerspace Marketing Target

and Goals. Again, use this and flesh it out as you see fit.

MARKETING TARGET & GOALS

The initial emphasis will be the outreach to the faculty, staff,

and students. Through the promotion and implementation

activities mentioned above, a focus will be to heighten the

awareness of the organization’s community at-large. This

involves a publicity campaign of explaining what the

Makerspace concept is all about and the unique resources

and opportunities that are available. The Organization’s

Board and Economic Development partnerships and

collaborations will also be marketing targets to promote

understanding and support of our Makerspace initiative.

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In later phases (after Phase 1) of development the target

audience will expand to include the K through 12 community

and the community at-large. Marketing emphasis may focus

on Industries and various civic organizations to host and

sponsor entrepreneurship enterprises. Local residents will

be encouraged to participate, as well as clubs and private and

public organizations.

Ultimately, the market target and goal for the Makerspace

facility will be to encompass the entire community

population as eligible participants of the facility. At his point

in the evolution of Makerspace, multiple facilities will exist,

with availability and access to easily meet community usage

and demand.

In particular, the intended areas of impact for our

Makerspace involve the following aspects:

• Inspiration: inviting students to participate in the

creative economy and to direct their own future.

• Innovation: serving as a catalyst for grassroots

invention.

• Education: building a connection between the

community and learners.

SERVICES PROVIDED TO THE ORGANIZATION

Makerspace is a movement. Being part of a movement means

the benefits and outcomes from this activity will evolve. The

idea of Makerspace is that it will provide two things: tools,

equipment, technology for the community to create, make

and craft objects of one’s imagination; and to provide a

community of practice where ideas, making, collaboration,

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and energy can come together to allow the innovation and

invention to happen in a space.

The beginning of the Makerspace project will provide tools,

technology and capacity for making. The tools will go from

basic hand tools to computer controlled machines. The

Makerspace will allow students with the skills and

knowledge to produce their creations as an extension of their

program knowledge. It will serve as an educational space

and an extension of the organization’s programs.

Our constituents can use the space as an extension or

expansion of the classroom. Whether it is to complete course

projects, perform an experiment, or expand on classroom

experiences, the Makerspace will be a resource for students.

Another service the space provides for the organization is a

community of practice around creation, production, and

innovation. Bringing together the concepts of STEM and

STEAM, our constituents with different perspectives can

communicate and collaborate around concepts ideas and

solutions. The Makerspace will bring together the unique

approaches of the creative and the technical. It will allow

artistic expression to meet the nut-and–bolts. By

encouraging and welcoming the artistic and technical, the

mechanic and the artist, the chance for creative artistic

expression is enhanced in the space. Our constituents get an

opportunity to learn new skills and techniques. This can be

done either through formal training and instruction or

informal instruction through student contact and interaction.

The Makerspace members, staff and faculty will serve as a

resource for the college community makers.

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As the Makerspace evolves, the capacity focus, and

environment will change. If the Makerspace is to become an

educational component of the campus, it must support and

reflect our programs and support our students. Additional

capacity and equipment will be added or deleted according

to the needs of our programs. The space will also serve as a

tutoring area for Career and Technical Education programs.

As program needs become apparent, the space could provide

an area to help students with course work and projects. Our

organization’s CTE tutors will reside in the space to offer

assistance in programs that would not be otherwise be

available to students in a conventional tutoring center.

PROCESS

The overall development of Makerspace is based on the

desire to help students, faculty, staff and community

members with a passion and drive to create and share the

maker movement, while supporting and encouraging

creativity and innovation.

The PDR 1 and 2, adjacent to the cafeteria will be dedicated

to Makerspace. Tools, Projects, Mentors, expertise and other

supplements will be added as needed.

NEED

Makerspace comes in various shapes, sizes and locations.

Tools alone does not define a Makerspace. Rather it is

defined by what it enables: making.

Learning environments are rich with possibilities and

nurture a vibrant community that introduce new ideas and

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projects while providing on-going feedback and support.

They allow access for open and collaborative networking of

educators and the Makers community as well as provide

training, support and tools (both hardware and software).

The need of the Makerspaces is based on its core values.

• Create a dedicated space, ideally a classroom, lab,

studio, or dedicated corner space

• Opportunity to engage faculty, staff, student and

community members.

• Relationship - building with campus and the local

business community.

• Empowerment for self-expression and

experimentation.

• Skill building, as well as address safety /liability

concerns.

STAFFING AND SERVICES

There will be an ongoing financial need for staffing, to

purchase tools, maintain upkeep and provide continued

maintenance of machines as well as tool replacement.

COMMITTEE

Formed from those who express interest in the

transformation of education to support innovation. Such

committees include the Foundation, School of Applied

Technologies, Facilities, Faculty and Executive Management

as well as a broad cross section of our campus community at

both campuses.

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SERVICES OFFERED AND TIMELINE

The following is a general time-line. This serves as only a

starter time line. However, each item noted in many of the

sections above are part and parcel of a to-do list and each

item on a to-do list (as considered a task) should have an

associated ‘by when’ due date affixed. Below are the general

parameters of our Makerspace project.

• Phase 1 Committee Formed: January, 201X

• Management Committee Formed: April, 201X

• Promote Makerspace among constituents: TBD,

Phase 2

• Launch of Makerspace Phase 1: May 12, 201X

• Phase 2: following the Opening of Makerspace Phase

1

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CHAPTER 7. THINK AHEAD -- FUTURE

PLANS FOR YOUR MAKERSPACE

INTRODUCTION

Makerspaces are places of creativity, inspiration and

involvement. As such, a Makerspace, any Makerspace must

take on an organic role whereby the Makerspace evolves as

the community needs for the space become more clearly

defined. As such, if you have two identical Makerspaces

within the boundaries of a region, the Makerspaces will

naturally and organically shape as the needs of the

communities that surround each Makerspace will evolve and

define each Makerspace. The Makerspaces that started out

the same a year prior will look quite a bit different in the

year following.

To this end, when building out a Makerspace plan, it is good

to project and estimate what the Makerspace (each one, if

you have multiple) may look like in a year, two or even five

years. For our project, the Future Programming was intended

at a 1 to 2-year window and is provided below for your

preview and use.

FUTURE PROGRAMMING

The future of Makerspace includes several aspects:

1. Involvement in the Maker Faire movement: One way

the Maker movement convenes like- minded

individuals is through Maker Fairs, both those

organized by Maker Media and the Mini Maker Fairs

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that are organized by local communities, and popping

up in school cafeterias, public parks, and empty

warehouses around the country and the world. Our

Makerspace will seek to be involved in the Maker

Faire movement to garner additional community

support.

2. Deepen the involvement in Education: As a college, it

is critical that our Makerspace be involved in

deepening the involvement in educational aspects for

our Makerspace. In the future, we will look at the

viability of these educational items integrated into

our Makerspace:

• As a college, continue to promote the context that develops the Maker mindset, a growth mindset that encourages us to believe that we can learn to do anything.

• Build a new body of practice in teaching making—and a corps of practitioners to follow it.

• Design and Develop our Makerspace in a variety of community contexts in order to serve a diverse group of learners who may not share the access to the same resources.

• Identify, develop and share a broad framework of projects and kits based on a wide range of tools and materials that connect to student interests in and out of school for our school, the Hart district and other ‘educational constituents’.

• Design and host online social platforms for collaboration among students, teachers, and the community.

• Develop programs especially for young people (K-12 and the Community College) that allow them to take a leading role in creating more Makers.

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• Create the community context for the exhibition and curation of student work in relationship with all makers. Making sure that new opportunities are created for more people to participate.

• Allow individuals and groups to build a record of participation in the Maker community, which can be useful for academic and career advancement as well as advance a student’s sense of personal development.

• Develop educational contexts that link the practice of making to formal concepts and theory, to support discovery and exploration while introducing new tools for advanced design and new ways of thinking about making. This means developing guidelines for teachers, mentors and other leaders that participate in our Makerspace.

• Foster in students the full capacity, creativity and confidence to become agents of change in their personal lives and in their college and the community at-large.

SAFETY AND INFRASTRUCTURE

One of my biggest concerns with a Makerspace is Safety.

Safety is an item that will get you into trouble and is a major

risk factor, especially if your constituents who use the

Makerspace are not sufficiently trained in safety manners

nor are sufficiently monitored by staff members.

Further, the Infrastructure has certain implications for safety

and budget considerations (in terms of how you

manage/lock up equipment for risk management, how you

will keep the environment clean for safety sake, etc.). Listed

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below are our Phase 1 Makerspace Safety and Infrastructure

needs. This, in particular, is an area of ongoing concern,

evolution and focus.

Makerspace Safety and Infrastructure Our first Makerspace is modest in size in contrast to other

Makerspaces. Currently, our footprint is about 1500 square

feet. There is a concern for staffing in our Makerspace to

ensure that it is run both effectively and safely. Staff

members in the space will maintain the cleanliness, support

the equipment, order/stock supplies, check in/out students,

and ensure student safety. Several concerns with safety and

infrastructure items include:

• Soldering stations should have sufficient ventilation or be outside.

• Messy projects need easy-to-clean environments. We currently have a mix of carpeting and concrete floors, which will need to be addressed in the future.

• Robust wireless internet must be available throughout the Makerspace environment.

• Projects and equipment with sensitive electronics need to be protected from moisture and dust.

• Projects that use flammables will be restricted and later, may require outdoor space with pavement, no overhead foliage, and lots of room to test projects.

• Some projects need relative quiet, while others are so noisy that they need to be acoustically isolated. The space will need to be designed to accommodate this.

• Some projects use 220 volts or even three-phase power. The space will need to be designed to

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accommodate this too.

PROJECT SUPPORT

Makerspace will be a campus-community driven project. As

such, it is anticipated that support for the Makerspace project

will be derived from several areas:

• The Foundation will provide on-going support for the

Makerspace program in terms of sustained

contributions and one-time contributions. Further,

the Foundation will serve as the conduit for

donations made by individuals, companies and other

organizations to our efforts to develop and evolve

Makerspace.

• The School of Applied Technologies will initially

spearhead the staffing necessary for the Makerspace

Phase 1 implementation, which includes the Grand

Opening event. Further, the School of Applied

technologies has funding to support a limited number

of open hours through June 30, 2016 to introduce

and set-up the initial phase of the Makerspace

project. Subsequent staffing and necessary funding

must be obtained to continue staff support for the

Makerspace at both the Valencia and Canyon Country

locations.

• The Facilities department will continue to maintain

and provide facilities updates to the Makerspace

area. Facilities was involved in the Phase 1 setup,

which achieved the first round of equipment and

facilities necessary to open up the Makerspace

through June 30, 2016.

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• The Grants Development department can assist in the

identification of additional sources of money, to

include grants, donations, in-kind services, etc. At the

writing of this document, the Grants Development

office has assisted in 3 grant opportunities including

one grant from the State and two grants from college

sources (Associated Student Government grant and

the Chancellor’s Innovation Grant). At the time of this

writing, decisions have not been made for these three

grants.

• Faculty contribution in terms of how they can

incorporate class activities and lab-related work

within the context of Makerspace.

• The Executive Management to allow us to continue

the expansion of the Makerspace project beyond the

current Phase 1 implementation, which concludes by

June 30, 2016.

• The Makerspace Committee, which will create a

board. Eventually, by the end of 2016, a board will

consist of students, staff, faculty, and community

members so as the Makerspace movement can be

appropriately sized and institutionalized with

representation by relevant constituents.

• Continued and persistent broad cross sectional

involvement of our campus community including

faculty, staff and administration will continue to

support planning, themes, a speaker series, and other

related events for the Makerspace at both the

Valencia and CCC campuses

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FINANCIAL PLAN

FINANCIAL PHILOSOPHY

Unlike a typical “for-profit” venture, the Makerspace will not

compete with other businesses in the area to attract a share

of people’s expendable incomes. In fact, Makerspace will

work to involve community organizations, student

organizations, faculty, administration, staff and other Maker

movements into the on-going financial and fiscal

development and continuous improvement of our campus

Makerspaces. This will include reaching out for any suitable

fees, grants, or donations from the various constituents

involved in our Makerspace. Further, in future iterations of

this plan, fees may be collected for short-term trainings, use

of tools for specific projects, and the sales of certain

consumables that will serve to sustain the Makerspace on

both campuses.

The financial operations of the Makerspace Project reflect the

LEAP solution team’s foundational belief and commitment to

advance Makerspace as a vehicle to enhance the creative,

academic and inspirational qualities of programs on campus.

Makerspace will support the college’s educational programs,

and become a destination to visit in the valley.

INITIAL CAPITAL OUTLAY (PHASE 1)

The Initial Capital Outlay for Phase 1 (start-up) was from a

nominal $15,000 grant provided by the Foundation. The

Phase 1 monies must be spent by June 30, 2016, else must be

returned to the Foundation. It is planned that funding will be

spent on the following:

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• Supplies, 3D printers (2) and tools: $8,300

• Projects for students and faculty: $5,000

• Project materials for opening day: $1,300

SUSTAINED FUNDING (PHASE 2+)

As noted in a prior section of this document, sustained

funding will be the result of (a) donations,

(b) foundation support, (c) grant funding and (d) faculty and

staff support.

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CHAPTER 9. THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR

INTRODUCTION

There are several risks associated with this project that must

be addressed. The three most significant challenges

presented by this project are:

• Lack of classified staff support: Classified support

provide the much necessary components of (a)

safety, (b) training, (c) monitoring equipment, and (d)

assurance that policies and procedures in the active

lab environment are maintained

• Lack of campus and community support: A sustained

and on-going program to involve the campus

community, including faculty, staff, and

administration, must be developed, continually

maintained, and implement.

• Lack of available funding for development of the

project: At the time of the writing of this document,

while grants have been applied for and donations

sought, there is no funding for sustained future

efforts. However, as a risk that must be addressed, a

consorted and persistent effort to ascertain funding

and grants must be an on-going task of the

Makerspace committee.

SURVEY

A survey will be periodically distributed to the campus

community (faculty, staff, and administrators). The intention

of a survey is to ascertain what the community wants,

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desires and expects from a Makerspace on campus. Further,

it will be used to shape the direction of the campus

Makerspace as well as to inform of ongoing efforts to address

community needs for the campus Makerspace. Our survey

should demonstrate support (and lack of support) for the

project from the general college population as well as

established committees such as ASG, who is willing to

partner with our project.

Our team will work with the Foundation on a proposal to

establish a Friends of the Makerspace to bring in money

through memberships in the group. These monies will be

used for the development of the three phases of the project

and will help cover initial marketing costs.

In cooperation with Public Relations Office and use of

existing campus marketing venues, our group believes we

can keep the marketing costs to a minimum.

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CHAPTER 10. IT’S YOUR MAKERSPACE

The Makerspace Project will provide a robust collaborative

learning space for faculty, students, staff and community

members. Makerspace Phase 1 launched on May 12, 2016

and will be an on-going and continuous project that will

ultimately shape to the needs of the Makerspace

constituents. This project was to identify the initial needs

(Phase 1) and the on-going needs (Phase 2 and on) for

Makerspace. Key to the success for Makerspace is a focus on

the SWOT items especially the need for on-going Staff

support to operate and maintain the Makerspace. Further,

the need to build out policies and procedures in the

Makerspace for safety, equipment use, and materials is

necessary as well. Lastly, the development of programs,

related curriculum, scheduled activities, and planned

integration into the community at large is necessary.

Makerspace, with the suitable attention, will become a robust

and supportive ad-hoc lab environment for STEAM.

Downside

What are the downsides? Space in learning facilities is

often at a premium, and cost is a consideration in setting up

an area for making. High-end 3D printers that print with a

variety of media can be expensive. Smaller, more

affordable 3D printers generally create only small items,

often from a single medium in only one color. Equipment

such as milling machines, welding equipment, lathes, 3D

printers, and laser cutters may be in high demand, which

can result in long wait times for students trying to use these

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facilities. Some of these machines can be dangerous, too,

raising liability issues. Finally, much of the value of a

Makerspace lies in its informal character and its appeal to

the spirit of invention, and some of this advantage can be

negated if well-meaning faculty choreograph student

activity to a degree that squelches experimentation.

Where is, it going? One key demand of a Makerspace is

that it exists as a physical location where participants have

room and opportunity for hands-on work, but as these

environments evolve, we may see more virtual

participation. Video may invite input from remote experts,

and teleoperation may enable manipulation of machinery

from afar. As Makerspaces have become more common on

campuses and have found their place in public libraries and

community centers, their influence has spread to other

disciplines and may one day be embraced across the

curriculum. Eventually Makerspaces may become linked

from campus to campus, encouraging joint project

collaboration. Students who use these studios to create

tangible portfolio pieces may find their work of interest to

future employers. As education assessment evolves, the

project work done in Makerspaces may one day be

accepted and reviewed for college credit in lieu of more

conventional coursework. What are the implications for

teaching and learning? The Makerspace gives room and

materials for physical learning. Because these spaces can

easily be cross-disciplinary, students in many fields can use

them, often finding technical help for work they are

undertaking in their areas. At the same time, those in

engineering and technology will find their work enriched

by contributions from those in other fields. Makerspaces

allow students to take control of their own learning as they

take ownership of projects they have not just designed but

50

defined. At the same time, students often appreciate the

hands-on use of emerging technologies and a comfortable

acquaintance with the kind of experimentation that leads to

a completed project. Where Makerspaces exist on campus,

they provide a physical laboratory for inquiry-based

learning.

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APPENDIX A: PRESENTATION MATERIALS

FROM OUR MAKERSPACE OPENING

52

53

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APPENDIX B: IMPORTANT MAKERSPACE

RESOURCES The following table contains a list of makerspace resources,

as a starter list, for you to explore.

Adafruit Adafruit is a fantastic site that contains many Arduino, raspberry pi, lillypad, 3D printing and other projects that you can implement in your makerspace. Perhaps any of these projects can be used as a theme in your makerspace.

Url: https://learn.adafruit.com/ Build-a-lab Build-a-lab, hosted by the Utah State

Library, is a good resource for videos on makerspaces.

Url: https://heritage.utah.gov/library/build-a-lab

Cubeecraft Cubeecraft provides a list of projects that can be printed and folded.

Url: http://www.cubeecraft.com/ Instructables Instructables is a wonderful site that

contains a multitude of projects for food, technology, home, etc.

Url: http://www.instructables.com/ Make: Make: Magazine has a wonderful set of

training videos and other resources. Further, there are plenty of suggested projects that you can use in your makerspace.

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Url: http://makezine.com/ MakerEd MakerEd focuses on education and is

focused on the creative inspiration for science, technology, arts, math (STEAM) through making.

Url: http://makered.org/ Maker Faire Maker Faire provides a list of Maker

festivals and competitions. The website notes that Maker Faire is done with a focus on “a celebration of the Maker movement.” There are quite a few events per year and, in addition, you can list your event here as well.

Url: http://makerfaire.com/ Makerspace.com

This is a list of makerspaces. You can register your makerspace here.

Url: http://www.makerspace.com The Maker Map

The Maker Map provides a map with pin points of makerspaces an area. You can click on each pinpoint to get the location and other information about the particular makerspace.

Url: http://themakermap.com/ Hackerspaces

Hackerspaces is a place (a volunteer network) that contains a wiki (think of Wikipedia) for hackerspaces/makerspaces to share stories. There’s quite a bit of good resource information especially if you are just starting a makerspace (you’ll have to search around a bit, though).

Url: http://hackerspaces.org/

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MIT’s Project Manus

The MIT Project Manus is intended to foster a gold standard for makerspaces. There is quite a bundle of good information on makerspaces here.

Url: https://project-manus.mit.edu/ NIH 3D Print Exchange

NIH 3D Print Exchange (from their site) "Provides access to a community-contributed database of bio scientific 3D-printable files."

Url: https://3dprint.nih.gov/ Yagi Yeggi a website to search 3D printable

models that you can use in your makerspace.

Url: http://www.yeggi.com/ Yobi3D Yobi3D a website to search 3D printable

models that you can use in your makerspace.

Url: https://www.yobi3d.com/#!/ Bld3r Bld3r a website to search 3D printable

models that you can use in your makerspace.

Url: http://bld3r.com/ Youmagine Youmagine (a take-off on imagine) is a

website dedicated to share and find designs that you can use.

Url: https://www.youmagine.com/ YOUmedia YOUmedia is focused on younger makers

and digital learning labs. YOUmedia provides several useful makerspace links

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that can assist you with your makerspace planning process.

Url: http://www.youmedia.org/ RepRap Object Library

RepRap Object Library provides a small collection of 3D designs that you can use in your makerspace.

Url: http://reprap.org/wiki/The_RepRap_Object_Library

Thingiverse Thingiverse is a wonderful site containing a large repository of 3D designs that can be downloaded and used as is or modified.

Url: https://www.thingiverse.com/ Makezine Makezine is a good e-zine for several

maker projects.

Url: http://makezine.com/

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APPENDIX C: MAKERSPACE PRODUCTS

Listed below are a few Makerspace Product links for your consideration. Many of these products can be purchased as a part of a theme or project that you want to present and use in your makerspace.

Afina Afina is a site that provides Information

on using an Afinia 3D printer. This site

also has a gallery of printed projects.

Url: http://afinia.com/

Arduino Arduino offers product information,

support for Arduinos, and project

information using Arduinos in your

makerspace.

Url: https://www.arduino.cc/

MakerBot MakerBot provides information on

projects (particularly 3D printing projects)

that you can use in your makerspace.

Url: https://www.makerbot.com/

Maker Shed Maker Shed is the official store for the

Make: magazine (url for Make: provided

in the prior Appendix).

Url: http://www.makershed.com/

Idaho

Commission

for

Libraries:

Maker

Projects

Idaho’s Commission for Libraries’

website that provides a robust list of

maker products and links to purchase each

item. A good resource if you’re looking

60

for projects to do as a theme in your

makerspace.

Url:

http://libraries.idaho.gov/page/materials-

tools-and-kits

Raspberry

Pi

The Raspberry Pi site provides product

information and other support information

for the Raspberry Pi. Additionally, a list

of projects that can be done with the

Raspberry Pi is provided.

Url: https://www.raspberrypi.org/

Heathkit Heathkit is a recently revitalized company

that was on the forefront of the DIY

initiative decades ago. They provide some

electronic kits and other electronics-

related items that you might consider in

your makerspace.

Url: http://heathkit.com/

Sparkfun Sparkfun is another electronics- and

computer-centric site that you can use as a

resource for parts and projects.

Url: https://www.sparkfun.com/

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62

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ron McFarland is a dedicated writer. He has written

for academic and technical journals. He has also

written several Information Technology books for

students of Information Technology, Computer

Security, and Computer Forensics. Additionally, he has

served as a technical editor for several technical book

publishers.

Most importantly, because of Ron’s love of the written

word, he has written hundreds of poems (several of

which are published in this book) and several short

stories.

His blogs (technical and fiction/poetry writings) are:

• Poetry and brief prose:

http://www.cowboyhaiku.com

• Fiction Writing (short stories, etc.):

http://www.rottonronnie.com

• A contemporary discussion of the Spirit:

http://www.buddahcat.com

63

• Information Technology, Information Security,

and Digital Forensics articles, eBooks, etc.:

http://www.wrinkledbrain.com

Please stop by, read and comment. He would love to

hear from you.

64

OTHER BOOKS BY RON MCFARLAND

TECHNICAL BOOKS

• How to start a Computer Forensics Business: A Small Business Success Guide: http://amzn.to/2gZEjwR

• Information Security Basics: Fundamental Reading for InfoSec Including the CISSP, CISM, CCNA-Security Certification Exams: http://amzn.to/2gTCcMk

• Introduction to Software Development: A Prelude to Creating Applications: http://amzn.to/2glZSbg

• Personal Information Security: An Introduction for the Individual and Small Business Owner: http://amzn.to/2gA63Ls

• An Introduction to Using BitCoin and other eCoin Options: The Revolution of Electronic Currencies: http://amzn.to/2gTCNNV

• How to Create a Makerspace: A Real-World

Case-Study: http://amzn.to/2iiKmxG

65

FICTION, NON-FICTION AND POETRY BOOKS

• Happy, I am: Lessons from a Near Death

Experience: http://amzn.to/2gNmhyK

• Love and Silence: Selected poems of Ron

McFarland: http://amzn.to/2gzUnse

66

One Last Thing...

If you enjoyed this book or found it useful I’d be very

grateful if you’d post a short review on Amazon. Your

support really does make a difference and I read all

the reviews personally so I can get your feedback and

make this book even better.

If you’d like to leave a review, then all you need to do

is click the review link on this book’s page on Amazon

here: http://amzn.to/2h5R5hl

Thanks again for your support!