Group Activities and Workshops

The Makerspace is not just about the latest technical application or creating the next big invention, it’s about creativity and the freedom to take break from our very lives and have a bit of fun.  We offer a variety of activities for work groups, campus clubs, classes and committees.  We encourage departments, clubs and student groups to think about reserving the space for a social event that involves making.  

Our workshops are best scheduled for 1 to 1.5 hours. 

Workshops (generally) have a cost of $5.00 per attendee.  Costs may be higher should a unique project be created.  All costs are discussed and agreed upon prior to the session.  Payment can be made via campus budget transfer through the office of finance.

Please contact makerspace@pugetsound.edu to discuss, plan and schedule a workshop.

Sample workshops:

Marbled Paper:  A fun and easy technique to create one-of-a-kind works of art.  This workshop always provide a big "Wow" response as the pieces are revealed.
Botanical Printmaking: Experience creating unique nature prints using one of the printing presses.
Personalized Stationery: Create some stationery that is distinctly your own.

Team Building Workshops: 

Sample workshops:

Marshmallow Spaghetti Challenge:  Used widely by the Stanford School of Design, this challenge is a great activity to establish collaborative work groups and to encourage design thinking.  Students work in groups of 3 or more to build a tower using only a few supplies.  At the end of the time, groups present their structures and talk about the challenges.   

Bag Mashup:  Groups receive a bag of identical items and create a unique item.  Simple and fun, we have used this challenge numerous times and never have we seen the same designs.  This is a fast paced and fun challenge.  Students work in groups and present their “creations” at the end of a timed period.   Variations on this activity can include the groups drawing a descriptor and an item from two different bags and then create an object that is a mashup of those words.  For example, movie genre and insect = sci-fi butterfly.

Poster Design:  Work together to create a poster on a specific theme or concept. 

One Page Book:  Using the design template:  http://library.pugetsound.edu/c.php?g=941366&p=6894091, groups can design their own one page book.  Select a theme and at the end of the session you will have an entire series of “mini” books on a topic.  Some ideas include:  recipes, advice, favorite things about Puget Sound/Tacoma, information on a particular topic or cause.

Brain Writing:  Building on the one page book, the group works together to create a story that starts with a prompt and then each individual contributes a line – the results are always a surprise.

Make A Card:  In our digital world, we are losing the art of printed communication.  Simple card making is fun and cards may be donated to a civic group or made with a specific purpose in mind.

Business/Trading Cards:  This is a simple and practical workshop that engages individuals in making personalized business or trading cards that reflect their personality and unique skills.  This workshop can be geared to individual design, or creating a design and look for a local organization.