Critical Making — Day One

Grad/Undergrad • Workshop

Why

Kick off with a tangle of theory and solder smoke.

Workshop tone

Critical Making Day One is a mashup of theory, solder, and consent culture. We prime the room with readings (Dunne & Raby, Ruha Benjamin, Corita Kent’s Ten Rules) and immediately drop into builds pulled from our teaching repos so participants feel the politics in their hands.

How the room opens

  • The first five minutes are consent + care roll call: lights, sound levels, seating tweaks, hydration reminders. I quote from the Shared Policies preamble so people know the social contract is alive, not boilerplate.
  • Every table gets a placemat print of the workshop values (criticality, reparative play, documentation-as-witness) and a blank column to add their own.
  • I keep a rolling playlist (post-rock + synth minimalism) low in the background so solder fumes feel less like a lab and more like a studio jam.

Instructor vibe

I facilitate like a lab partner with a bullhorn full of annotations. Expect:

  • Live note-taking on the projector. I write along with participants, linking to the exact repo files we reference so everything is reproducible.
  • “Show receipts” reflex. I narrate why each design choice exists, credit collaborators, and call out the TODOs still in flight. Transparency is a teaching tool.
  • Gentle punk energy. We celebrate when circuits squeal or fail—then we log an issue, mark the timestamp, and keep iterating.

Pre-flight email (sent 48 hours out)

Participants receive:

  • Tool list with loaner request form and access notes (adapted from shared/policies/access.md).
  • Reading pack + optional listen-along playlist.
  • Link to a “why I build” warm-up prompt so everyone arrives with one sentence about their practice.

Documentation ritual

  • I run a shared HackMD with sections already scaffolded (Intent, Build log, Ethics checkpoints, Questions for Ben).
  • Polaroids + thermal printer strips get taped next to the HackMD log at the end of each block so the digital notes have an analog twin.

Care calls

  • Breaks every 55 minutes. No exceptions. Stretch, ventilate, hydrate.
  • Fume extractors, masks, and ear protection are opt-out, not opt-in—they’re already on the table.
  • Explicit heads-up about sensory spikes (lights dimming, motors whining) before each demo.

Day-one itinerary (6-hour sprint)

| Time | Move | Repo anchor | | — | — | — | | 0:00–0:20 | Welcome + “Why build at all?” dialogue | Syllabus shared policies for community agreements | | 0:20–1:10 | Consent-forward vision demo — run Face → Slug | Human-Buffer README + Ethics zine | | 1:10–1:30 | Reflection circle + ledger mapping | Human-Buffer/docs/assumption-ledger.md | | 1:30–2:30 | Circuit riot lab — solder + prototype noise makers | ArduinoSculpture_MCAD unit kits | | 2:30–3:15 | Lunch + “documentation is an artifact” zine jam | Pull quotes from ArduinoSculpture_MCAD/unit5/README.md + build_kits.py workflow | | 3:15–4:15 | Embodied interface teardown — map agency in MOARkNOBS-42 | MOARkNOBS-42 docs & button map | | 4:15–5:15 | Systems rehearsal — MotorLightSound state machine | MotorLightSound firmware walkthrough | | 5:15–6:00 | Pop-up critique + action pledges | Everyone logs issues/PRs or writes reflection cards |

Demo rigs & repo pulls

  • Face → Slug (Privacy-First) — Use the Processing + Arduino workflow to show detection-only pipelines, opt-in capture, and the assumption ledger habit. The README doubles as a facilitator script, covering logistics, standards alignment, troubleshooting, and serial protocol diagrams so the group can interrogate every decision.
  • Arduino Sculpture kits — Run python build_kits.py from ArduinoSculpture_MCAD to generate clean Unit-Kit.zip bundles. Participants inspect the generated sketches/, libraries/, and docs/Unit-Guide.pdf to see how automation supports equitable access.
  • MOARkNOBS-42 interface audit — Crack open the ButtonManager table and the ethics section in the README. Learners trace agency, latency logs, and accessibility design to question who the instrument serves.
  • MotorLightSound game loop — The README’s hardware diagram and state machine renderings become conversation starters about cooperative multitasking, documentation clarity, and how embedded systems embed politics.

Facilitation tactics

  • Start each build with a values checkpoint: name who benefits, who’s left out, and how the repo’s policies address that gap.
  • Use documentation karaoke — participants read repo excerpts aloud (assumption ledgers, testing rituals, README quick starts) so the ethos sticks alongside the code.
  • Encourage issue-filing as critique. Every team logs at least one issue in the appropriate repo, framing observations as actionable prompts rather than passive notes.
  • Close each block with a “what broke?” round. Failure stories become the blueprint for next steps.
  • Keep a “bench feedback” loop with my lab assistant: while I’m roving, they log patterns, accessibility pings, and ideas for re-teaching so we can pivot in real time.
  • End the day with a mutual aid swap—participants list skills, gear, or readings they can lend before the longer-form studio kicks in.

Assessment & artifacts

  • Setup ledger — teams capture their wiring diagrams, software versions, and consent signage in a shared markdown doc.
  • Reflection memo — 300–500 words tying their prototype to at least one standard (science, arts, CS) and citing the repo docs they leaned on.
  • Issue or PR — evidence of engagement with open-source workflow (bug report, documentation patch, or feature proposal).

Safety, access, & care

  • Tool library includes loaner soldering irons, fume extractors, magnifiers, and anti-fatigue mats. Breaks are enforced.
  • All demo stations post safety cards plus QR links to repo READMEs so participants can review on their own devices.
  • Sensory considerations: offer ear protection during noise demos, caption demo videos, and keep lighting adjustable.
  • We only capture photos/video after an explicit opt-in; otherwise documentation stays text-based.

Remix + follow-up ideas

  • Extend the workshop into a 3-week studio where teams fork Human-Buffer to design alternative input devices (foot pedals, gaze, gesture) and update the assumption ledger accordingly.
  • Pair MOARkNOBS-42 with MotorLightSound to explore telepresence or distributed control — map the ethics of remote agency.
  • Invite community partners to test the prototypes and record oral histories (with consent) to weave qualitative data into the repo documentation.
  • Spin up a documentation after-party 48 hours later: a remote session where we close issues, merge light PRs, and publish reflection snippets to the course site so accountability doesn’t fade.

Full materials

Browse the Syllabus repository