MakerSpace Design Lab
The Design Lab is the educational programming and support arm of the NYU MakerSpace. It’s where design, making, and technology meet to innovate with purpose. We believe that good ideas come from creative collaboration and a design thinking mindset. The Design Lab provides NYU students with opportunities to ideate, experiment, prototype, and build their ideas. A variety of events and workshops are offered throughout the year, teaching students valuable hard and soft skills sought after across industries. At the core of NYU Innovation and Entrepreneurship ecosystem, the Design Lab actively collaborates with departments and programs across NYU. If you would like to reserve our Design Lab for a student club meeting/event, please fill out this form and we would be happy to accommodate you and can speak to your club members about the MakerSpace.
The idea for the Design Lab was born out of a student initiative with the support of faculty member, Anne-Laure Fayard. In the spring of 2012, the OpenIDEO Student Chapter at NYU (now Design for America of NYU) used the design thinking process to launch an open innovation called ‘My Vibrant Campus,’ inviting students to collaboratively design spaces and services in and around the campus that would address a clear need for a space where students could meet, work, and get inspired. Through conversations about the need for more prototyping space, the Design Lab was born in 2018 to ensure continued support and maintain growth. Learn more about how the Design Lab got started here.
Innovation Design Process
We believe in a human-centered design approach and work with designers and non designers alike to help them develop and embrace a design thinking process and understand the importance of keeping the people they’re designing for at the center of their designs. Teaching students how to practice a design thinking mindset is at the core of what we do at the Design Lab. In line with the design mindset, and its principles of empathy, prototyping and iteration, we encourage collaboration through community building. We stress a hands on learning approach through continuous iteration, where rapid prototyping with simple materials and experimenting and testing early can help minimize risk later on. We provide students with tools and opportunities to not only understand this process, but also to experience it at the same time through a range of workshops, design challenges, and talks with industry professionals working at the intersection of design and technology. Check out our Resources Page to find great opportunities, articles, and resources.
Sustainability & Design
The NYU MakerSpace is committed to fostering initiatives and projects around sustainability with a focus on circular design and designing waste out. We embrace the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and support them through projects such as Urban Food Lab, a hydroponic farm, the NYU FREEdge, a community fridge addressing food insecurity, a Plastic Shredder to recycle failed 3D prints, training, workshops and mentoring of entrepreneurial ventures (such as RISE, We Are the New Farmers). Sustainability, Circular Design and systems-thinking are principles underlying all the programming and mentoring that we do here. Learn more about the sustainability initiatives happening at the MakerSpace here.
Workshops & Events
The Design & Innovation Studio is a series of interactive workshops that guide participants through each stage of the Design Thinking process. The workshops are led by invited guests who are experts in their field. Participants will have a chance to get hands-on experience through collaborative exercises, learn about our guests professional journeys, and ask questions. An extension of this series is our Engineering X Design talks. Engineering X Design is a series of fireside chats with professionals who work at the intersection of design, engineering and technology. Through this informal series, we hope to encourage cross-disciplinary conversations about problem solving and innovation between our guests, NYU Students and outside visitors.
Design Research • Ideation • Rapid Prototyping • User Testing • Storytelling
The Technical Series gives students the opportunity to learn new technical skills and tools that not only help them bring their project ideas to fruition, but also give them valuable skills for their resumes. These workshops cover both software tools such as Rhino, Photoshop, Illustrator as well as hardware skills such as Soldering, Raspberry Pi, and Arduino.
Intro to Rhino 3D • Fundamentals of Fusion 360 • Intro to EAGLE Design • Intro to Solidworks • Intro to Photoshop • Intro to Illustrator • iOS App Development • Intro to Arduinoo • Advanced Arduino
The Creative Series allows students to take part in workshops that not only provide a creative outlet, but also encourage students to engage in new types of experiences and skill building. Workshops such as how to crochet, pattern making, holiday ornaments, and hand sewing and embroidery are included in this series.
Hand Sewing & Embroidery • Pattern Making • Sewing Machine Basics • Cricut Design • PCB Jewelry Making • Modular Origami • Basic Concepts of Photography
The Sustainability Series includes workshops that promote interest and awareness on how to design more sustainably and provide students with actionable steps they can take to decrease their environmental footprint. The series has included workshops on aquaponic farming, plastic identification, growing mushrooms, and composting. We often invite guests working in sustainability to give workshops and share their first-hand experience.
Composting at Home • Plastic Identification • Mold Making with Cardboard
DIY Soap & Bathbomb Making
Creative Series
Water Testing
Sustainability Series
Intro to Solar Panels
Technical Series
Sponsors & Partners
