Example from a previous Maker Challenge
Improving paper recycling in schools
A paper bin that counts the recycled sheets to see which class recycles more
Design Thinking
It is a methodology that allows us to solve challenges using our empathy to understand better people’s problems, our creativity to have brilliant ideas, and our skills to build and communicate them.
Digital Making
Digital making allows the manufacturing of objects or prototypes to any person through design software and the use of 3D printing machines, laser cutting, CNC or programmable objects & electronics.
You will build your ideas using maker technologies such as 3D printing and modelling, laser cutting and Arduino, or app & web creation tools.
WE WILL REWARD THE BEST TEAMS WITH A PRIZE!
HOW AND WHEN WILL THE MAKER CHALLENGE PRO BE?
We present the Maker Challenge Pro in a hackathon format for students and young professionals on a global scale!
This year we are preparing an edition in a hackathon format in different locations where you can participate in the challenge and meet people in multidisciplinary teams.
Beginning in February and ending in March, the three workshops will be distributed in three different weekends with two weeks in-between each workshop for the teams to work autonomously. In the workshops, there will be keynotes on different topics such as social innovation, making and entrepreneurship, and you will learn about the Maker Challenge methodology while doing your projects.
During the last workshop you will have time to make the final changes and present your ideas and prototypes in front of a jury, whom will select the finalist teams to be part of an event with teams that have participated in the challenge in other locations.
Do you want more information so you do not miss it? Complete this form and get more information about the program and the information sessions!
During this stage you can register, discover interesting videos, learn to use 3D programs, Arduino, discover innovative social business initiatives and everything that can help you prepare for the Challenge.
We will post on our website and Twitter everything we find interesting, but we encourage you to share with the hashtags #makerchallenge and #mcinspiracion everything that you think we should know. We will get together at the end of this stage to get in touch with the maker world and define our challenges and the next steps.
It is time to listen to users! You always understand better any situation if you put yourself in people’s shoes. To get a better sense of our challenge, it will be helpful to ask people how they feel, what they like or what they would like to be different.
We will help you prepare your interviews and find the insights that will help you have better ideas.
We all have crazy and fantastic ideas that can come true. Now is the time to be as creative as we can and think about what things or actions could solve our challenge. We must remember that these ideas have to fit with what we have discovered in the empathy phase, and that the information from the interviews can be very useful and give very valuable clues.
We will meet up to understand the insights, focus on an idea and build the first low-fi prototype.
Let’s do it! How could our idea come true? Time to start building!
We encourage you to use the tools we present on our resources page or to approach a FabLab or digital fabrication laboratory in your city and build your idea. And if you can not have access to one, but you have designed your product with a 3D modelling program or you have programmed an app it will also work!
Now it’s time to present our project and prototype. We will have to explain to the world what problem our product solves, who is the final user, what have we taken into account when building it, and everything necessary to convince the jury that our idea is the best.
For our presentation and prototypes to be perfect, we will get together in a last workshop before the final event.
Frequently asked questions and contact
How many hours will I have to dedicate to the challenge?
Everyone will be able to dedicate the hours that he/she thinks are necessary, but we recommend from 20 to 25 hours for the whole process during a period of 6 to 8 weeks.
What are the different participation formats?
You can participate in a face-to-face mode, through workshops and extra support with our online resources, or independently and online using the resources we provide for each stage.
Where does the Maker Challenge Pro take place?
- In the face-to-face format, the sessions will be at our Creator Street’s space, in the center of Barcelona. For the making, if you do not have access to a Maker Space, we will direct you to one of our partners at a negotiated fee.
- In the online format, you can participate from anywhere in the world.
How do I know if the Maker Challenge Pro is for me?
We are looking for people from different disciplines, with diverse talents and desire to have ideas that change the world through a human-centered vision; You may be into science and technology, maybe what attracts you is entrepreneurship or the desire to help others… Doctors, designers, engineers, economists or journalists… all talents are welcome!
What will I get out of it?
- You will solve social impact real life problems in a creative way.
- You will improve your skills and learn how to pitch a social business idea.
- You will meet people from diverse backgrounds and be in a multidisciplinary team.
- You will get to build your ideas through digital manufacturing techniques (3D printing, Arduino, laser cutting…).
- You will boost your curriculum by building your designs and developing entrepreneurship skills.
Do I have to participate in a group?
We encourage participation in multidisciplinary teams up to 4 people, but it is perfectly fine if you feel more comfortable participating on your own. In case of participating in the face-to-face format, you can already apply with a team or make a group at the first workshop.
What are the checkpoints?
Participating either online or face-to-face, the Maker Challenge Pro steps are designed to help you achieve a great outcome. That, and the fact that following the process is also part of the prize-giving criteria, we have stablished check points at the end of each stage. They basically consist on quick check-ins where you can share your work and receive feedback from the mentors.
How much does participating cost?
The price changes depending on workshop or online participation and individually or in a group participation.
Is there a prize?
The Maker Challenge Pro will have more than one prize, since we not only value the final result, but also the originality, the feasibility, the quality of the prototype and the documentation of the process.
Which challenge are we going to solve?
We are going to propose some social innovation related challenges in the fields of health, security, mobility, etc. However, you can propose any challenge that interests you, the only condition is that it solves a social impact problem.
What are we going to do in the workshops?
The workshops will help you answer the questions you have regarding your challenge, but also to learn how to work in a different way (Design Thinking, digital making tools), in addition to connecting and learning from other people. We will also work on other aspects like designing a social business model and we will talk to problem owners. The sessions will be composed of a 1-hour master class, followed by 3 hours of teamwork with coaching.
Can I participate to some workshops only?
Yes, it is 30€ per workshop on top of the inscription fee (30€/person).
I would love to participate, but I am not available on some of the dates you are proposing. What do I do?
If you have availability problems, you can participate in the online version through our platform resources. However, you can still inscribe in the face-to-face format and come whenever you can: You will still be able to follow the rhythm with the online resources whenever you cannot come and the mentoring in-between the workshops.
Or email us to hola@makerchallenge.eu