Make · Week 1 — Thinking Like a Builder

Wildlings are introduced to the design process and choose a real build project. The question is 'What problem am I trying to solve, and how might I solve it?'

sketchbooks, assorted raw materials, design cycle poster

Coaches introduce the design cycle: ask, imagine, plan, create, test. Wildlings brainstorm possible build ideas individually or in small teams. Simple material exploration lets Wildlings test what different materials can do. Each Wildling sketches an initial plan for their build. The week ends with teams or individuals committing to a project.

Resist rescuing weak plans too early — let the testing phase do the teaching.