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FOREWORD Ryan Mullins (Director, Digital Strategy)
Every act of creation is an attempt to feel alive. It’s a pretension to plant one’s ego on the planet so that we can know we really exist. Feeling existence can come through sharing your creation for others to experience and acknowledge it; or, more philosophically, it can come through the separation one feels from the world in the act of creation; the orgasmic birth of something from nothing. Everyone wants to feel this separation; to not be of this world; some more than others. Some more often than others. Some view every waking second as a chance to feel this. People also want to feel they exist. That’s the point of a selfie: a re-enforcement of the self. It’s the point of Instagram and Snapchat. Making a moment, something momentous, out of the seemingly banal. The extraordinariness of the ordinary. Whatever it is that pops us out of complete union with the world and our circumstances, people are quantum in their desires: to be part of the something and stand out.
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But, what makes us feel alive? It’s that moment of separation; when you see or feel the world as “other”; when you’re treated differently; or treated as different. When you see your surroundings and circumstances as contingent and designed. Feeling existence is that fleeting moment of free-will: this situation, this place and myself in it could be otherwise. Creator Labs ‘Creator spaces’ are about engineering this feeling. Feeling alive. Feeling existence. Feeling different. Transformation. There’s nothing more personal, more angstinducing than confronting your existence. Feeling that absurdity. This happens in the act of creation. You’ve got skin in the game now. You’re aware of the skin you live in. People are individuals by default; they are creators by default. Every journey has a mentor; every act of feeling alive needs a mentor. Without one you’re hosed.
This is creation as a service. Whether you’re consuming, creating, communicating, etc. you’re trying to feel alive. Creation is a statement. Everyone wants to make a statement, whether consciously or not. Even saying, “I don’t want to make a statement” is making a statement. Of all the ways that the world could be, you’re saying, the world is “I don’t want to make a statementlike”. Everyone wants to make a statement, whether consciously or not. Statements are normative. They are commitments to a way the world should be. This design; this creation is the way the world should be. Creator spaces are the way the world should be. How many times per day do we plant our ego on the world? What flowers are blooming? How many times do we actually feel it? That transformation; the evolution; the separation; the difference? Every utterance, every act of creation is a reminder of the extra-ordinary enigma of existence. And, that’s something we should want to feel forever, infinitely.
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FOREWORD 2.0 Jordi Closa (Director of the MakerLab Network)
The second year of MakerLab experiences is in the books, literally. 2018 flew by and now it’s the time to collect all of the memories in the form of documents, pictures, samples, creations and the unforgettable moments of 2018. Changes have occurred. Team members grew into different roles and other new talents joined. Like in any kind of evolution, adaptability and flexibility are a must and we practice these qualities daily here at the adidas MakerLab. We never get tired of saying it - the MakerLab is made for our users. Everything we do is with a mindset of how we can benefit the people who enter our open doors asking for support, whether that is for an idea, a solution, or simply for a creative experience or boost of confidence when getting into a project.
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Yes, confidence. We know about the creativity that surrounds MakerLab or the fact that it became the hub for collaboration. This unique space has always been the spot where different teams meet and incubate new ways of working, or where internal start-up projects get kicked-off. But it’s on the confidence side of things that I really believe MakerLab is making the difference. How do we measure this impact? How do we know we are making the difference? What are the KPIs that represent the true value of MakerLab? Like in any other business or department, it is key to quantify the influence and impact of each team, in order to be able to adapt, change, invest or divest accordingly.
videos overnight, in order to be able to inspire our colleagues next day.
As we are an internal service provider open to every colleague, we have followed the standard NPS measuring tools that are commonly used in retail and public environments.
YOU have hosted trainings and workshops about topics we hadn’t known much about only 3 months before.
Our NPS surveys brought very positive feedback and scores:
YOU have organized events, internally and externally, to bring the company values to everyone.
PDX -100
0
30
100
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YOU have tried things out and failed many times.
HZO EXCELLENT 70 - 100
GREAT 30 - 70
GOOD 0 - 30
NEEDS IMPROVEMENT -100 - 0
But positive feedback and NPS scores is not everything. We have a lot of value to highlight which isn’t always out there in the open because not everything is quantifiable in the traditional sense. So, having such a huge and loyal community of supporters, we asked, argued and discussed until we figured out ways to measure and quantify the real and enormous impact we bring to our business. So in this second book, we’d like to have a qualitative look at our own KPIs and how the MakerLab teams wake up every day ready to empower, inspire and connect, which in turn helps the Brand to move forward everyday stronger, faster and better.
“I wonder how we could work before the Makerlab existed.” - Rainer Mendler KPI #1: BOOST OF CONFIDENCE Not only do we often leave our comfort zones, but we have helped others to do it. YOU have learned techniques on the run, watched
YOU have learned in the process and spread these learnings further. YOU have become better at prototyping, at teaching, at exploring, at communicating, at documenting… and we know that we still have a long way to go. YOU have run the extra mile and researched fields that were unexplored, and in some of these paths, together we have realized new hidden potentials worth investing in. YOU have joined us in this approach to confidence: going for it, getting things done, being fearless, not caring about what others might think, standing up for what is best for our colleagues, consumers and the brand. KPI #2: PROBLEM VISUALISATION You can never solve a problem until you realize it. And there is no better way to realize it than to visualize it. Now imagine that we talk about figures - numbers, excel lists, charts, statistics… How does MakerLab take the challenge? Well… let´s visualize it in physical form! By using Design Thinking methodologies, together with a pinch of empathy and good will, mixed with few spoons of confidence and dedication, we can make figures fun and easier to understand.
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In this case we take the fantastic example of having the Analytics team having working sessions at Makerlab. KPI #3: CROSS AWARENESS In order to keep such a big corporation on the right track, every quarter we are reminded about our Brand Values, Mission, Goals and Strategies. Now imagine that in the bar where you go for a drink in the evening or in the supermarket where you do your grocery shopping, you would also be reminded of these strategies in an engaging manner. Well, that´s what we do at the MakerLab, internally and externally through the events we support. We transmit the message in a digestible, human and down to earth manner. MakerLab has been present in topics related to Sustainability, Social Purpose, Innovation or Women’s Focus, bringing awareness to the key brand messages via the power of making. We support events in NYC and Shanghai, from Glasgow to Zurich. We get involved in creative activations in Las Vegas or in downtown Herzogenaurach. We co-create during the Run for the Oceans as well as participate at Sport Fairs ISPO Munich, IN3Dsustry Barcelona or Bread&Butter Berlin because in each of those places there is a potential consumer and we are obsessed with each one of them! We are agnostic. We don’t belong to any one department or topic or have one particular interest. We are here for everyone and with no desire to claim ownership. KPI #4: THE STRENGTH OF THE PHYGITAL BRIDGE A bit like sitting on a time-machine, constantly back and forth between mastering the crafting skills of our founder and the latest inventions of the computational era, we live in this alchemy of the physical and the digital. Experimentation on the tangible and the virtual come together at the MakerLab.
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We’re embracing this unique era that we live in, one where the past is blending with the future, one where we quickly prototype and iterate solutions that are meaningful to our consumers and speak the language of today´s generation. Now more than ever - it doesn´t matter how you call it - hacker-space, tech-lab, fab-lab or maker-lab, the idea is to embrace the now, and be open for new challenges while keeping ourselves updated in this fast evolving phygital world.
“Through electronics, code and products at MakerLab we believe we can change the industry to build the best product in the world.” - Francesco Fera KPI #5: MONEY-MAKING & MONEY-SAVING The reality is that the Makerlab is not only an internal-facing tool. Since day 1, it has been a scenario for influencers, the hot spot and open kitchen for athletes and end consumers in the shape of product activations and brand events. The MakerLab has the potential to monetize our services, (i.e. by selling our own DIY’s or by selling working sessions with our consumers), but these roads are not yet fully ready to be explored. It is true that on one side we support the prototyping of many product incubations * examples, and all that should be kept confidential, but at the same time, by allowing a sneak preview to our “kitchen”, we make ourselves more desirable and part of the ‘open source’ movement. Nowadays, as we see in Liz Callow´s great presentation about Macrotrends, our consumers want to connect with a cause, with a meaning. These causes go beyond egos and one hit wonder superstars, into what we can call ‘the power of
making’, also known as a constructive brand. A brand that damages less than the others, that cares about environment, that fights the good causes, that ‘has the power to change lives’, beyond products, and further into services and experiences. But since we don´t charge for our services, let´s talk about all the money Makerlab has saved the Brand. There are quite a few areas: money which would have been spent on venues for team events and filming agency backdrops, budget that would have gone to design consultants for external and internal events. We offered trainers and coaches for workshops which saved the company from dipping into the pocketbook. KPI #6: NEW GENUINE CONNECTIONS / NETWORK GROWTH People make the difference and people are actually the ones that can make your day or not. By working in niches, with a very defined number of peers and stakeholders, our exposure to new
connections at work is very limited. In the past, the cafeteria, or the balcony for the smokers, were the well-known “networking spaces”, where colleagues would talk about work related topics in a relaxed manner. Short meetings would overtake the never-ending rhetorical presentations and cross-departmental connections would enlighten unexpected solutions. For two years now, we have the MakerLab, not a cafeteria and not a balcony, but a space for handson connections. Colleagues don´t come to have a coffee or a smoke, but to join a relaxed and open space, make something and at the same time, get connected! The value of this ecosystem increases further if we additionally count the on-site experts at your disposal, who can teach you various techniques, and can connect you with many different departments. In one sentence: Makerlab, the place where collisions are provoked and hands-on encounters are the new tool for professional growth.
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Making is Connecting: The social power of creativity, from craft and knitting to digital everything.
David Gauntlett Humans have been making things ever since before apes became ‘humans’. Once objects or tools were made, it came the difficult task of distributing and sharing them. It is now, due to the new technologies and online access, that we have the possibility to share almost instantaneously anything we make. It is exciting to witness the fact that people have the Below we transcript some those quotes, hoping
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opportunity to learn, make and share things and ideas. Exchanging, in collaboration with people, something that was inaccessible before. If we online-search about the importance of crafting, how does it connect and lives hand on hand with the digital world, in which artists and designers using natural materials ( wood, ceramics, glass, paper‌) give us examples of their experiences in crafting and the bonds and relationships that spark between humans and materials once making.
Below we transcript some those quotes, hoping to put some light to what we believe the “power of making” brings to us. Why does craft matter today? It requires and promotes entire human beings and makes people more satisfied because they can see and touch what they have created. Craft matters. It’s a really powerful thing to know you can make something, to know that is a capacity that you have. To look at wool, wood, ceramics, metal, plastic and think, “Yeah I can do something with that.” Craft gives you that. Craft is more than just a way of making things; perhaps it’s a way of thinking. It questions the different processes of dealing with the material world, and it brings back a certain level of human dignity. Craft calms down our high-speed society. In a way, craft is a tool to connect the heritage of the past with our present. The mysterious charm things created through trial and error, while relying on experience and intuition, is an absolutely necessary element for our lives. Craft is an event that starts with a physical sense of relationship between materials and people. This spirit and physicality are related not only to creative activities, but also to the foundation of human activity. There is honesty in craft. Products that are well crafted are true to themselves. The materials are considered from many angles: the look, feel, and how it weathers with age. There are no frills, there are no “pretend” buckles, ropes or snaps that have no practical use or intention. The product speaks for itself. It is real, it is tested, it is strong.
There is integrity in craft. When a client approaches me and asks for a specific feature they’ve seen on another product, we go through the process together. Does the feature make sense? Does it address the problem? How does it feel? There is truth in craft. Craft is obvious and worn like a badge of honour. A badge of courage. No product is perfect, there are mistakes, there are issues. Things wear out. But a good product is designed so it can be mended. The breakpoints are not catastrophic. A good pair of shoes can be resoled and lasts ten years. A good bag is practical. When you’re searching for a staple item that you want to become a core piece of your daily life, the simplest thing you can do is evaluate it by those three criteria: honesty, integrity and truth. Craft matters to me, it matters to people. This is going to sound a little heady. But, the whole belief behind Mackerel Crow is to make products that honour the idea of the kind of product they are. In other words, the thing needs to work really sensibly, and really well. A good bag should be comfortable, easy to lug around, have pockets that can hold and protect their contents easily. A good pair of shoes should be comfortable, lightweight, and easy to walk in. When you walk down the street wearing a finely crafted pair of shoes, garment or bag you hold your head high, and you step steadily, you walk with confidence because you’re comfortable and you’re not trying to show off or prove anything. People see this in the product, and they say, “That bag looks so handsome, so sensible.” And, that’s because it is. That’s why craft matters.
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THE EVOLVING MAKERLABS CHAPTER ONE
HZO
PDX
NYC
“IT’S A PLACE THAT HAS ALL THE TOOLS AND KNOW-HOW TO HELP BRING YOUR IDEAS TO LIFE. SIMPLY PUT, WE ARE ALL CREATORS, MAKERS AND DOERS SO WE CAN ALL EXPLORE, PLAY, AND CREATE. THAT’S WHAT THE MAKERLAB IS MADE FOR.”
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“Bringing the power of making to everyone� 15
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EMPOWER
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THE EVOLVING MAKERLABS
“Don’t give me a fish, but teach me how to fish. We are happy to help you row as a creator. Our ambition is to offer a space which facilitates your creative desires offering tools, machines, expert knowledge and inspiration.”
We are facilitators, connecting employees and their ideas to the rest of our company. As such, our task is to listen to new ideas, to challenge the existing, foster intrapreneurship, engage in strategic thinking and understand our people. We all work together towards our own goal. By embracing true empowerment, we release the creative power of knowledge and motivation. Creativity is enhanced by freedom of information and diminishing conditioned thinking. Empowerment results from open communication and network building. Access to decision making and resources is also empowering. We provide resources and support and encourage finding
solutions for unstructured problems. Empowerment and creativity are complementary. Creativity is somewhat more individualistic, while on-going empowerment will result in an employee who is committed and emotionally invested in the organization, one who is broadly responsible, and who believes him/herself to be efficacious. The long-term outcomes of creativity involve more tangible results: innovation, entrepreneurship, and invention. Our industry needs both.
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INSPIRE
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THE EVOLVING MAKERLABS
“What inspires you? How can you be inspired to think bigger, create more and push the boundaries? Our daily aspiration is to consider this question and to develop a space with opportunities and experiences that feed our entire community.”
Remember that moment, when you got excited because you had a great idea. Was that inspiration? Did you feel good? At Makerlab we can’t wait for that moment of mental stimulation, that spark that feeds your desire to make something. We believe that we all can train ourselves in order to achieve this joy
and we also believe that this should be shared. Through different methods and techniques, you can challenge the status-quo and the expected outcomes. We help you plug in and find your own inspiration.
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CONNECT
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THE EVOLVING MAKERLABS
“Creating connections between people is the life force within the MakerLab. Whether you get technical solutions from someone in a similar field, or a wacky, out of the box idea from someone in a completely different discipline, this is how innovation can be fostered.”
The statement printed at the foot of the doorway into Makerlab HZO, “Your comfort zone will kill you”, summarizes it all. Our task is to encourage you to step out of the things that feel familiar. We are challenging your condition of feeling at ease and in control within your environment. Leave your desk, meet new colleagues, start a conversation, put your heads together and find your own new solutions.
Although leaving your comfort zone raises anxiety and generates a stress response, it also results in an enhanced level of concentration and focus. In addition, the bridges you have built in the process, will increase your confidence levels and will take you to areas you couldn´t have imagine before.
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THE
MAKERLABS
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THE EVOLVING MAKERLABS
“Launched in October 2016, the MakerLab Network is a set of creative hubs where all employees across all functions are welcome to create, make, learn, test and tinker... without the pressure of product cycles or limits.”
Our roots are set in the “hacker space” concept. Currently there are 3 locations: Herzogenaurach, Germany; Portland, Oregon; Brooklyn Farm in New York. Each space provides tools, materials, workbenches, ongoing workshop schedules and a welcoming staff empowering people to explore, experiment and foster that next big idea. The MakerLab Network plays an important role in the creating the new strategic business plan by strengthening our people behaviours of confidence,
creativity and collaboration. At the core is the community, the company’s most important asset. The MakerLab team takes employees on a creative journey. By connecting, sharing, learning from each other, personal motivation grows. Motivated employees deliver better results. MakerLab is a strong supporter of environmental stewardship. By recycling leftover materials from within the company, the MakerLab not only creates a smaller environmental footprint but also helps save costs on materials.
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CHAPTER ONE
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OUR GOAL BUILD THE RIGHT FRAMEWORK IN WHICH MAKERS CAN BE CONFIDENT, CREATIVE AND COLLABORATIVE, ENABLING EVERYONE TO CREATE.
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HERZOGENAURACH
Our 385 sqm creative space in Herzo (located in Laces F.0) offers you all you need to play and experiment towards new horizons: a large range of materials, tools and expert staff are there to support your creativity.
2017 26
THE MAKERLABS
2018 27
CHAPTER ONE
Ten months so far as the Senior Manager of the Herzo Makerlab, I think I’m finally starting to get a grip on how this place works. The team took me into their arms and ushered me into their Willy Wonka-esque world. The best way I’ve found to process it all is to imagine it like this: The Makerlab is like a bar. Instead of booze we get people tipsy on the rush of creativity. Like a bar we, the staff, are mostly contributors to and amplifiers of the events that go on there. Atmosphere is sculpted by us to put them in a mood. The bar and the menu are designed to satisfy a variety palettes and produce the desired results. We take special care to guide them, loosen them up, and feed them inspiration. The walls are covered in conversation pieces and the music gets people moving. Our patrons are the key piece of the puzzle though because they fill the space with activity and character. It’s really their bar. Regulars, the overindulgent, newcomers, people looking for connection, … all types that haunt their local watering-hole also have a similar character that walks into the Makerlab. What good is a bar? What good is a Makerlab? Revolutions have been planned in the corners of bars. Relationships were created and strengthened. Countless breakthroughs were first drafted on the back of a bar napkin. Presidents stop by bars for photo ops to show solidarity with the community. The gag of appropriateness, the mountain of hierarchy, the walls of judgement, the cascade of monotony are all checked at the door. Ditto here in the Makerlab. For all the stigmas that come with them, bars are often the cornerstone in communities in nearly all cultures. We’re both a little unruly and out of the ordinary but essential to the health, happiness, and bonds of the community. Proud to be a Maker, Shane Machir Sr. Manager HZO ML
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THE EVOLVING MAKERLABS
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PORTLAND
This 550 sqm room in the Kaiser building is full of tools such as knitting machines, 3D printers, laser cutters combined with fancy and crazy materials. Everything’s here to support your creativity.
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2018 31
CHAPTER ONE
If you want to be inspired, to create and make, come to the Maker Lab. We are in Portland, Herzo or Brooklyn, and we are happy to share expertise, equipment and materials. Creating product, exploring, innovating and sharing – all of this is in the Maker Lab DNA. Tibi Iovu Sr. Manager Maker Lab PDX
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THE EVOLVING MAKERLABS
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BROOKLYN
Our 165 sqm creative space is settled in the Brooklyn Farm. A place without creative limitations: a large range of materials, tools and an expert team here to support your creativity. Just come, play and have fun!
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THE MAKERLABS
2018 35
CHAPTER ONE
Remember, it’s all energy transfer. If you’re frustrated and you’re stitching, you’re going to stich a frustrated looking line. Others will feel that. Relax, breathe, have fun. Be patient, trust your instincts, forget about finishing. Focus, progress, cut the fat. Advocate for what’s right, be open, hold space. Double-check, eat your food, be vulnerable. Keep going, balance work with life and don’t forget to enjoy the journey; it is why we are here. Eric Weiss Sr. Manager Maker Lab BK
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THE EVOLVING MAKERLABS
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MAKERLAB MANIFESTO
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CREATIVE USAGE OVER DIRECT COMMERCIAL IMPACT CONTINUITY OF EXPERIMENTATION OVER SEASONALLY DRIVEN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT SHARING AND NETWORKING ABOVE SECRECY AND INDIVIDUAL WORK ACQUIRING CRAFTSMANSHIP ABOVE PERFECTING KNOWN TECHNIQUES
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CHAPTER ONE
EXPERIMENTATION IS KEY Paul Gaudio (Global Creative Director)
One of the things that I saw when I first got into my job was - we sort of lost something over the years. We lost that ability to experiment, the ability to prototype and test and fail and break things and make things and break them again. We lost the ability as a creative community to make a mess and to work outside the process in the system. And I saw a lot of people sitting at computers.
back into things that you put on your body, you wear.
To me I felt like we have to get back and touch with the craft, with making, and exploring and one of the big impacts we were able to make on the creative community was setting up MakerLabs, in Portland, in Herzo, and in Brooklyn.
If you have to make something yourself, you are going to simplify. If you want to send a cad file over to somebody in Asia, you don’t have to simplify, it becomes someone else’s problem, you can make a science project.
Designers, and not just designers, but designers have a place to go. They got away from their desks, got away from their marketing briefs, got away from the process and calendar and they could just create, they could try things and break things.
But if you are in the MakerLab and you gotta build your prototype with you own two hands you want to simplify this thing. How I am gonna make this? I am not going to do that, I am not going to do that and you focus on the thing that matters most. And so I think even that impact to me is ultimately what we were trying to get to.
That really - not only changed a lot of the way people think and act, but also the things we make. The end product has changed because of the MakerLab, where we made things that were very slick and engineered and perfect and product-like. I think the influence of MakerLab is been introducing the human aspect, introducing craft and art and skill
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Clothes and shoes are super human and personal. They need to be crafted that way with human hands and human touch and it is also just a great way to solve problems and if you talk about simplifying things as an overarching principle - for everything we do, daringly simple.
We wanted to change the way we approached our process - get away from the computers, get away the desks and get into the Lab and do something else.
THE EVOLVING MAKERLABS
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MEASURING MAKERLAB’S SUCCESSES IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE CREATIVITY WE INSPIRE
FACTS & FIGURES OPEN SOURCE TRANSPARENCY
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THE KPI QUESTION
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THE KPI QUESTION CHAPTER TWO
HZO
PDX
NYC
“MAKERLAB IS NOT A DEPARTMENT OR A TEAM, MAKERLAB IS AN INTERNAL GLOBAL START-UP WITH AN OPEN SOURCE APPROACH TOWARDS CREATIVITY, SUSTAINABILITY, PRODUCT CREATION, CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT, AND BRAND LOYALTY.”
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“Creativity is enhanced by freedom of information” 45
CHAPTER TWO
THE NUMBERS
HZO
PDX
860
479
Trainings & Workshops
Trainings & Workshops
8419
3492
Workshop Participants
Workshop Participants
1192
1599
Training Participants
40
340
Workshop Participants
Visitors
25
45
Tours
397
34%
Tours
355
Tour Participants
56
Tour Participants
7%
6%
4%
Global Activations
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37
Workshops
350
Training Participants
Tours
39%
NYC
1-on-1 Trainings
2%
2%
2%
THE KPI QUESTION
COMPANY SAVINGS PRIOR TO THE EXISTENCE OF THE MAKERLAB, MANY TASKS WERE EXTERNALIZED TO CREATIVE AGENCIES. SINCE MAKERLAB IS HERE, CONSIDERABLE COSTS HAVE BEEN SAVED.
ISPO B&B Running Summit Solar Retail Training Terrex Outdoor Summit ML Las Vegas ML Los Angeles Louisville Product Customisation Boston Store Opening Republic Of Sports Shanghai HYPEFEST Us By Night ...
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makerlab supports adidas strategy We’re all ‘Creating the New’ – because we believe that, through sport, we have the power to change lives. 2018 taught us a lot, from which 2019 will benefit! 2 years of experiences in the MakerLab have expanded our mind and urged us to be even more curious about what it means to be human and create, to make and craft and provide solutions. Our exploration has led us to learning more from others outside of the company on a myriad of topics. We have identified three main sources of inspiration we keep in mind in our way of working: - Fast decision making - Fab City concepts/Manifesto - Open Source and Collaboration
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If you want to learn more about the topics and read from experiences of other world leading companies, we suggest you scan the following QR links:
THE KPI QUESTION
A Hands-on Approach towards the 3 Choices with MakerLab Bring the external in to enrich the internal.
This is how Makerlab empowers our 3 choices.
Creating the New stands our ambition to further drive top- and bottom-line growth by significantly increasing brand desirability. So we’re focusing on how our brands connect and engage with our consumers. We know that, in order to be successful, we need to get closer to our consumers than ever before. To achieve that, our plan is based on three strategic choices: Speed, Cities and Open Source.
ADIDAS STRATEGIES
OUR STRATEGIC CHOICES
We’re all ‘Creating the New’ – because we believe that, through sport we have the power to change lives. The MakerLab Network tries to “bring the power of making to everyone” along the journey to owning new mindsets.
Speed How we deliver: Putting our consumers at the heart of everything we do and serving them in the best possible way means that we need to ensure that they always find fresh and desirable products where and when they want them. We will become the first true fast sports company.
At adidas our company strategy is Creating the New. MakerLab brings its own view to it, always keeping the human engine in the forefront, encouraging every colleague, user, consumer, to leave their comfort zones when facing a new challenge.
And by everyone, we mean every city, every economical and professional level, every background and interest, every gender and race. Making is the most powerful way that we solve problems, express ideas and shape our world. What and how we make defines who we are, and expresses who we want to be. For many people, making is critical for survival. For others, it is a chosen vocation: a way of thinking, inventing and innovating. And for some it is simply a delight to be able to shape a material and say ‘I made that’. The power of making is that it fulfils each of these human needs and desires. Those whose craft with ingenuity reach the very highest levels can create amazing things. But making is something everyone can do. The knowledge of how to make – both everyday objects and highly-skilled creations – is one of humanity’s most precious resources.
Cities Where we deliver: Urbanization continues to be a global megatrend. Most of the global population lives in cities. Cities are shaping global trends and consumers’ perception, perspectives and buying decisions. We have identified six key cities in which we want to over-proportionally grow share of mind, share of market and share of trend: London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Shanghai and Tokyo. Open Source How we create: This is all about collaboration and innovation. About learning and sharing. We are opening the doors of our brands inviting athletes, consumers and partners to co-create the future of sport and sports culture with us A Hands-on Approach towards the 3 Choices with MakerLab
THE PLAN ‘Creating the New’ is not only the attitude that leads us into the future, it is also the name of our 5-year strategic business plan to year 2020. At the core of
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speed Fast decision-making.
Our lives are defined by our ability to make decisions. Our careers, relationships, health— anything and everything about our present selves boils down to the decisions we’ve made in the past, yet some of us struggle with decision making. We may have access to data, plenty of options, and generally have everything going for us, but when crunch time rolls around we seize up. We just can’t make that firm commitment to a decision. Well, we say YES, you can make decisions by looking at the core of it, visualize the other options and share your best solution. Look for the CORE. We tend to get lost in the details or not be able to see the forest behind the tree, forgetting what the real THING is. In order to make a decision, we need to actively search for that THING. The one without which the full concept doesn´t work or doesn´t make sense. There are different practices, but the simplest way is to ask the WHY question, and repeat it again, and again... This way, we at least will find the reason. Once we have the reason the main concept won´t hide far away from it.
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Let´s use an example: I am thinking of preparing a sauce for my pasta tonight. I am not sure whether to make it with tomatoes or with cheese. I start thinking of what other spices or taste enhancers I might have that would fit the recipe. I have made two plans and I know exactly how both sauces will taste. I can’t make the decision whether it’s tomatoes or cheese. Arriving home, I realize that the pasta is missing. Ooopsss…that was my CORE thing. Without pasta I cannot cook a pasta dish… VISUALIZE ALTERNATIVES Writing down a list, imagining a scenario or quickly sketching the options to every decision is in most of the cases very helpful. It is much easier to decide when you have all the possibilities in front of you. And if you add a proscons comparison next to it, the decision comes by its own. Continuing with the example of the pasta: Now I how to make the two sauces but I have no
THE THE KPI MAKERLABS QUESTION
pasta. What can I do?
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If I have the right ingredients and time, I can prepare my own self-made pasta. Do I have time and ingredients? YES, Ok then I make my self-made pasta.
After finding the CORE and VISUALIZING THE ALTERNATIVES the last thing you can do before taking your decision is to share it. Get other opinions from trusted sources.
If the problem is the lack of time, you can also look for other similar carbs around home: rice, couscous, burghul, or if not, you can combine your sauce with legumes (chick-peas, kidney beans…) or toasted crumbs of bread. In this case, the cooking time you have will help you taking your decision.
It is not a must, but it will probably make you feel more confident. It can also be the case that once you share it, your decision is again put into question. Well, it is worth listening to other people’s opinions and evaluating their feedback. But in the end, it is your decision and you are the one who has gone through the process and knows the pros and cons.
Still, I haven´t decided which sauce to make. Now, think of what you ate before during the day, what you might be eating tomorrow. How to balance your diet. The number of leftovers you might have and who else will be eating it. There are so many factors that, when put into perspective and priority, help us directly find out what the right decision is.
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cities Key Cities are the brand focus but we should not forget smaller markets that help driving the change Barcelona, Moscow, Berlin, Strasbourg, Glasgow, Seoul ...
The list of cities above are just a few of the locations in which MakerLab has facilitated product activations. From DIY sessions for designing open making environments that embrace co-creation, to giving tips from product creation to design thinking, trainings or skills sharing. In July 2018, as part of the Fab City Summit in Paris, the Fab City Global Initiative launched the Fab City Manifesto, in collaboration with the Mairie de Paris and the Fab City Collective. This set of guiding
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principles are key to the development of the Fab City roadmap and act as values by which the Fab City network engage with their cities. We suggest reading through the Fab City manifesto in order to explore private-public scenarios for collaboration, which can both, bring back manufacturing solutions to the cities as well as knowledge about product circularity and new services to our consumers.
THE KPI QUESTION THE MAKERLABS
‘Over time the Maker lab, through its team and its energy has managed to create an incredible bond with our creators. The MakerLab became more than just a place to make. It became a school to learn, a forum to meet, a stage to exchange and a community to influence. Our Contribution to this success happened through the creation of an inline advanced process. We have adapted our design calendar so that physical ideas could become a fundamental of the creative journey. Now that our dreams and ideas became concrete we could then use it to improve our communication with all our partners internally and externally. A picture is worth a thousand words. A mock-up is worth a thousand pictures. Thanks for uniting all the makers and continuing to influence all of us positively.’ Adrien Noirhomme Design Director football
DOWNLOAD AND SHARE THE FAB CITY MANIFESTO
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open source I see open source as a philosophy of collaboration whereby others are encouraged to fork, modify, discuss, and contribute to an ongoing project Eric von Hippel (MIT Sloan School of Management)
If we take what Eric von Hippel from MIT Sloan School of Management, thoughts about Open Source: `I see open source as a philosophy of collaboration whereby others (publicly, or within an organization) are encouraged to fork, modify, discuss, and contribute to an ongoing project. Open source refers to material (often software) released under terms that allow it to be freely shared, used, and modified by anyone. Open source projects often, though not always, also have a highly collaborative development process and are receptive to contributions of code, documentation, discussion, etc from anyone who shows competent interest.’
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And we combine it with what Openbravo.com sees as the value for Open Source; `People is the most important asset in open source. It is even more important than code. Code is just a response to the needs of people. The core of open source projects is communication between people: discussions in irc, issue reporting in bug tracker, support through forums, polls… The ‘release early, release often’ policy is a way of getting users feedback as soon as possible. Users are important. Developers are important. Everything rotates around people.`
THE MAKERLABS THE KPI QUESTION
We can proudly say that MakerLab is the open source department of the company, A space where people is the main asset. From the visitors, to the team, from the supporters to the external collaborators. From the experts, to the coaches and beginners, leaving hierarchies aside and looking beyond egos and self-interests, towards honest and constructive win-win team work.
At MakerLab we believe that Open source software is just the first step in a larger movement -- one that aims to make open source an integral part of our daily lives. More on the topic:
An idea kept in a drawer only gets dust. Once this idea is placed on the table, so other people can contribute, is when it has the potential to grow into a successful project.
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CHAPTER TWO
tutorials Learning from platforms like instructables.com or thingiverse.com do towards open creation, we daily contribute our grain of sand by offering self-made tutorials…as a step towards Open Source.
A well-done tutorial is a great supplement to any software’s official documentation. It can also be an effective alternative if that official documentation is poorly written, incomplete, or non-existent. In 2018, MakerLab internally developed a number of excellent tutorials on a variety of topics. Those
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tutorials weren’t just for experts. We aimed them at users of all levels of skill and experience. Next step is to share them with our customers and make them real “open-source”. Let’s take a look at the best of those tutorials.
EMPOWER THE KPI QUESTION THE MAKERLABS
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CHAPTER TWO
transparency & collaboration Why collaborate? The benefits of collaboration are widely confirmed. For staff, they include an increased sense of responsibility, purpose and belonging - which, in turn, increases motivation, loyalty and job satisfaction. Collaboration also ensures all team members have equal opportunities to share ideas, as well as encouraging a culture of continuous learning. There’s evidence that collaboration boosts creativity. When we feel stressed or threatened, we shut off the part of the brain that manages abstract thinking and take refuge in ‘fight or flight’ mode. Conversely, when we are alert and feel safe, chemicals in the brain help us to engage the higher cognitive functions responsible for creativity and critical thinking. For organisations, internal collaboration drives efficiency, as team members can work more quickly and effectively than those who tackle projects alone. Broadening the expertise, experience and viewpoints
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that feed into a project may also increase the variety of ideas and solutions produced in response, so improving the chances of the best possible outcome. Encouraging collaboration To foster a naturally collaborative environment, then, business leaders must embrace current workplace developments and cultivate peerto-peer communication, for both individual and corporate benefit. At adidas we are the lucky ones having the MakerLab network as a good example of an organisation that makes this as organic and effortless as possible: “The employees have no job titles and no offices. Anyone can talk to anyone and leaders focus on removing obstacles instead of creating them. Their CEO welcomes any feedback and input from the team, whether negative or positive, and employees aren’t policed on their collaborative environment.” Making collaboration a natural part of workflow means workers won’t feel that it’s slowing them down or getting in the way of their existing responsibilities.
THE MAKERLABS THE KPI QUESTION
“Digital and physical life are converging - this synergy leads to ideation, innovation and creation! Creativity comes alive in places where you can experiment with new ideas: this place can be digital (accessible through new technologies) and/or physical (where you can make your ideas real!). Makerlab & Digital technologies change the way we are creators...we can push the boundaries of what’s possible! “ Moira Buzzolani. Director Design Operations
Tools for change There are plenty of examples of collaboration technologies that claim to boost business performance. “In order to truly be successful and adopt lasting change and efficiency, organizations need to focus on changing behaviour and technology at the same time,” says Morgan.
of the physical space, and “collaborative workplaces have transformed the way many companies do business by breaking down walls both literally and figuratively”. MakerLab open areas and working tables for chance encounters between staff is widely believed to encourage collaboration and innovation. Redefining collaboration
Train collaboration “You may want to change your employees’ behaviour so they collaborate more, but if you don’t have the tools in place for them to actually collaborate, you can’t drive that behaviour. On the flip side, just giving your employees collaboration tools and software without any instruction or guidance won’t be successful either. The trick is to work on technology and behaviour simultaneously. By connecting behavioural change with new technology, you’re getting employees excited about something and giving them the tools to make it happen.”
It has been suggested that our understanding of collaboration has changed over time. While Baby Boomers value brainstorming and building consensus about the best solution, Millennials want to be able to work together (not just think together) to get the job done.
Learn more about internal incubations.
But even with a shared understanding of collaboration, there are barriers to achieving it. One is the tension between individual progress and cooperation: teamwork seems counter-intuitive if individual productivity is what is seen to be valued and rewarded.
Collaborative spaces Office culture may also be bound up with the design
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PRODUCT INCUBATION CHAPTER THREE
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“AT MAKERLAB WE PRACTICE OUR COMPANY MISSION TO ELIMINATE BARRIERS BETWEEN IDEAS AND OUTCOMES. RATHER THAN ACQUIRING A COOL START UP OUT THERE, WE ARE ACTING LIKE ONE FROM WITHIN”
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“An open playground for all crossfunctional teams” 61
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THE INCUBATION MAKERLABS EMPOWER PRODUCT
“With the help of the MakerLab we were able to host the first ever external workshop for Originals, inviting global leaders from within the sneaker industry for a one to one creator session with the Originals design and product teams. We talk often of being an open source and collaborative brand and this is a perfect physical example of that, and has since caught the attention from all across the business. We want to thank the MakerLab team for making our ideas in to a reality with the most ease and for always having an open door policy…we look forward to working on more with the MakerLab team” Lauren Devlin. Manager PR and Social Media 63
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THE INCUBATION MAKERLABS EMPOWER PRODUCT
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CHAPTER THREE HENDER SCHEME x ORIGINALS Collection of leather sneakers developed at MakerLab. https://adidasoriginalsbyhenderscheme.com
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PRODUCT INCUBATION
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PRODUCT INCUBATION
ALEXANDER WANG x ORIGINALS Different creative working sessions have been held at the different Makerlabs, HZO, PDX and BK together with the Alexander Wang and the Originals design teams,
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THE INCUBATION MAKERLABS EMPOWER PRODUCT
‘A great place to gather & ideate, align, collaborate on the regular. Also, in both PDX and Herzo ML hosted our colour, material, & graphic ideation and “Play” workshops. Our 2020 Anthem and Narrative is Creators Unite to Play, and the ML team enabled us to do painting, screen printing, test colour, graphic, & material hands on sessions with new mixed media tools. These sessions gave us a place to challenge status quo and be hands on in a much deeper application. The results of these workshops allowed us to create our very own assets and tools for the CD Exhibitions, workshops, and BU alignment. We talk about how for brands and creativity, the “process is the product” and ML have allowed us to move from Storytelling to StoryLIVING in an impactful way. ML is also a great place for us to host open source partners and determine the future of craft & the future of adidas together in Play!’ Liz Callow. Sr. Design Director 70
THREE
RESEARCH CATALOGUE BY REEM SALEH Studies on modular DIY constructions for Footwear creations were done by Reem Saleh, from the CORE Design department. These studies bring new scenarios to a customisable product offer as well as propose new trims, connections and accessories that would expand the array of possibilities in an era in which personalisation is key and disposable products need to be avoided.
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CHAPTER THREE
BU HBS
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DIGITAL MAKERLAB CHAPTER FOUR
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“CREATING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE IS THE LIFE FORCE WITHIN THE MAKERLAB. WHETHER GETTING TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS FROM SOMEONE IN A SIMILAR FIELD AS YOU OR A WACKY, OUT OF THE BOX IDEA FROM SOMEONE FROM A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DISCIPLINE - THIS IS HOW INNOVATION CAN BE FOSTERED.”
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“A new platform for the digital maker network.� 77
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SUSTAINABILITY & CIRCULARITY CHAPTER FIVE
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“WHAT IF EVERY PRODUCT WOULD BE LIKE AN ORANGE? TASTY, FRESH, EASY TO CARRY, EASY TO USE, EASY TO SHARE, BIO-DEGRADABLE AND PROVIDING THE SEED FOR A NEW SET OF ITS KIND”
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“Zero-waste is the new standard.”
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ACTIVATIONS CHAPTER SIX
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“OUR MARKETS OFTEN REQUEST A MAKERLAB EVENT MODEL THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED ON THEIR OWN, TO REACH FINAL CONSUMERS AND BRING THE POWER OF MAKING TO EVERYONE. HERE SOME OF OUR EXPERIENCES...” 80
“Empowering beyond the walls of the MakerLab.” 81
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CASE STUDIES CHAPTER SEVEN
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“THROUGH MAKING, NEW DESIGNS CAN BE DEVELOPED AND NEW IDEAS GENERATED. OFTEN THESE ARE IDEAS WHICH CAN ONLY BE DISCOVERED BY GETTING YOUR HANDS DIRTY, TOUCHING THE MATERIALS AND WORKING ON THE MACHINES ONCE YOUR HANDS START, YOUR MIND FOLLOWS AND VALUABLE LEARNINGS ARE DISCOVERED.”
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“Generating new ideas for the future.”
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CHAPTER ONE SEVEN
CASE STU
DIP D 84
THE MAKERLABS EMPOWER THE CASE BEGINNING STUDIES
DY NO. 1
DYE 85
CHAPTER ONE SEVEN
CASE STU
FOOTW RECO 86
THE MAKERLABS EMPOWER THE CASE BEGINNING STUDIES
DY NO. 2
WEAR OVERY 87
CHAPTER ONE SEVEN
CASE STU
BOD MOVEM 88
THE MAKERLABS EMPOWER THE CASE BEGINNING STUDIES
DY NO. 3
DY & MENT 89
CHAPTER ONE SEVEN
CASE STU
FLATPA 90
THE MAKERLABS EMPOWER THE CASE BEGINNING STUDIES
DY NO. 4
ACK 2.0 91
CHAPTER ONE SEVEN
CASE STU
3D PRI KOMB 92
CASE STUDIES
DY NO. 5
INTED BUCHA 93
CHAPTER ONE SEVEN
CASE STU
SCRAP SPEC 94
THE MAKERLABS EMPOWER THE CASE BEGINNING STUDIES
DY NO. 6
PYARD CIAL 95
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CASE STU
JER EXER 96
THE MAKERLABS EMPOWER THE CASE BEGINNING STUDIES
DY NO. 7
RSEY RCISE 97
CHAPTER ONE SEVEN
CASE STUD
COR MOLD 98
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DY NO. 8
RE DING 99
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CASE STU
SUP BAS 100
THE MAKERLABS EMPOWER THE CASE BEGINNING STUDIES
UDY NO. 9
PER SICS 101
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CASE STUD
RIS PRIN 102
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DY NO. 10
SO NTING 103
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KNITT GALL 104
THE MAKERLABS EMPOWER THE CASE BEGINNING STUDIES
DY NO. 11
TING LERY 105
CHAPTER ONE SEVEN
CASE STUD
RECYCL SHO 106
THE MAKERLABS EMPOWER THE CASE BEGINNING STUDIES
DY NO. 12
LABLE OE 107
CHAPTER ONE SEVEN
CASE STUD
TPU 3D 108
THE MAKERLABS EMPOWER THE CASE BEGINNING STUDIES
DY NO. 13
D PRINT 109
EXTERNAL NETWORK CHAPTER EIGHT
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MakerLab has participated in events, symposiums and conferences related to innovation, digital transformation, engineering and manufacturing, having the possibility to connect and exchange knowledge with key industry players as well as educational institutions.
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“Making a global impact through our network of makers.� 111
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“Here’s to the future of collaboration, innovation, and creativity.” 112
THE JOURNEY CONTINUES...
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WHAT WILL YOU CREATE?
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DARE TO SHARE
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