Makerspaces are all the rage right now. But how do you design a space that’s both functional and inspiring? This session, proposed for SXSWEdu 2016, focuses on the elements of a successful maker environment: one that fosters creativity and innovation while also being practical for those working in and managing the space. The speaker will share findings from research conducted by the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation on innovative environments, and show how these ideas can play out in a classroom, library, museum or other educational context.

1. Tricia Edwards
Head of Education
Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center
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Creating Spaces to Foster Innovation
A Proposal for SXSWEdu 2016

2. Key Questions
• What can we learn from the
workspaces of inventors and
innovators?
• How do these physical spaces
foster innovation and creativity?
• Can we apply ideas and
principles from inventors’
spaces to classrooms, libraries,
museums, and other
educational environments?
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Thomas Edison and his staff at the Menlo Park Lab, NJ, 1880

3. What do these inventors’
workspaces have in common?
This session will examine a range of inventors’ spaces—past and
present, personal and institutional—and present similarities among
the spaces, their designs, and functionality. (While the focus will be on
the physical design of the spaces, participants also will hear about
some of the intangible qualities that contribute to the creation of an
innovative workspace.)
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4. HP Garage
Palo Alto, CA
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7. Inventor James McLurkin in his lab at MIT
Cambridge, MA

9. Inventor Sharon Rogone’s NICU “lab”
San Bernardino, CA

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11. How can we apply the principles of
inventors’ labs to educational
contexts?
Participants will examine various educational spaces and discuss how to
adapt and modify design and layout to create environments more
conducive to creativity, invention, and innovation. Examples of effective
spaces will also be shared.
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12. How might these spaces be adapted?
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Photo courtesy of Conrad Nutschan

13. What are the practical takeaways?
Participants will discuss what they learned from the session and the
one or two things they can take back and apply to their own
environments.
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