Maker Days: Products, Prototypes and Presentations

maker day

It has been a very busy few weeks for our TY students with the Maker Days coming straight after the midterm break. Student teams were divided into two groups and each group had two consecutive Maker Days. The days were a culmination of all they have learned so far. They worked really hard, bringing all their new skills together to decide on their product, design it and make a prototype, make a business plan and market it. The products will be presented on the Showcase Day in front of their peers, tutors and external judges.

The teams got straight to work and, as ever, facilitators Jake and Stephen were on hand to offer technical advice, suggestions and constructive criticism.

The teams brainstormed ideas and solutions, drew sketches and plans, designed and made prototypes out of everything from paper and card to 3D printed objects. All the technology they’d been introduced to in previous weeks such as Scratch coding, Raspberry Pi, Python, Arduino, Pi-tops and Grove kits were the basis of some really imaginative, creative and useful products for today’s world.

The teams also focused on the entrepreneurial side of their products. They developed and designed logos, slogans, business plans, product pitches and ads for their inventions. At the end of the Maker Days the groups did a mini showcase presentation of their products in front of the other teams including showing their prototypes in action.

They answered questions from their audience and received constructive feedback from Stephen and Jake on their products and presentation skills. All of this was useful preparation for the big Showcase in the LexIcon Studio on the 22nd of November when they present to the whole TY STEM group, facilitators and external judges in the hopes of winning first place!