Maker space management
MakerU is a whitelabel coworking and maker space management app. The project delivered was built to meet the needs of students who use collaborative spaces.
The MakerU app makes it possible to reserve rooms and equipment, in addition to sharing projects developed in the space between its different members.
User
Students and workers who use collaborative spaces.
Lack of employees to manage the space.
Goals
Connect projects and people for collaboration through the space management app.
After the emergence of computers and 3D printing, the DIY movement became the Maker movement and gaining momentum around the world, especially in education. The number of colleges and universities equipped with FabLabs and Maker Spaces is growing. Those responsible for these spaces bring demands related to self-management and encouraging collaboration between students, which are the focuses of this study.
Objectives: Understand how the management and use of spaces works from the perspective of responsible and user as well as the functioning of the projects in each type of space.
Methodology: Individual interviews were carried out with 8 participants via the web.
Illustration of the research plan with the main research questions.
Problem points - pains:
• Colleges have difficulty making use of space beyond the curriculum
• Concern about inventory/material requisition
• Both colleges and universities want shared management with students
• Difficulty establishing mentoring
• Lack of employee [very recurring]
• Disorganization of utensils/space
Solution points - insights:
• Reservation of spaces for daily use
• Scheduling lectures and events
• Training to use the equipment [very recurring]
• Interlocution with other colleges and companies
• Disclosure of ongoing projects
• A log of each machine (maintenance, problems, solutions, usage) [very recurring]
• Access control
• Receiving donations
• Tool for collaboration - find people [very recurring]
• Equipment reservation / usage scheduling
• Publicity of the space and projects [very recurring]
• Accessible language
User personas crafted from research data.
The synthetized user problems were grouped into different categories. Then, the mapped problems were used as base for a "How might we?" dynamic, where features were imagined and elected as possible solutions.
Screenshot of the board created in online group dynamics on Miro.
Finally, the features were prioritized using an “Impact vs. Effort” board created with the engineering team.
Screenshot of Eisenhower Matrix created in online group dynamics on Miro.
Considering the rise of the maker movement in the world, but mainly in Brazil, and the lack of a mobile platform that connects maker space users with the spaces themselves, we defined our product as an iOS application that is accessible and easy to use. Through the interviews carried out, we realized that several maker spaces have the same management and user training problems to use the equipment, in addition to the need for users to find other people to work collaboratively on projects. Therefore, we will focus on meeting these needs in a simple and intuitive way, we will do this through the following features:
• Project Registration System [MVP]
• QRcode on the room door to reserve it / view reservations
• Option to request maintenance
• Mural with projects and status
• Option to volunteer to be a mentor during fixed hours
• Reservation of time to use the machines and rooms [MVP]
• Match system [MVP]
• Manager, user and monitor profile
• QR code on the equipment that teaches how to use [MVP]
• History of maintenance and use
• Button to call a monitor
App's vision user flow
To explore the different solution possibilities for the MVP, a wireframe was created and modified through user validations with 3 different volunteer maker spaces.
MakerU MVP wireframe.
The hand off on Figma used the components from iOS design system, specified by Apple's Human Interface Guidelines. The prototypes were available for Mobile devices, with accessibility specs concerning Dynamic Type and Voice Over.
© 2024 Gabriel Branco