Maker Session 1 - 16/02/2023
Bringing Creative Ideas to Life - Exploring Possibilities Through Maker Sessions
A Canva facilitator explaining basic Canva concepts to participants
The Ashesi Dlab on the 16th of February 2023 held its maiden fun-packed Maker Session that had students buzzing with excitement. The event, which ran concurrently at five different venues, featured five separate sessions that were tailored to specific design-making skills. The Maker Session was a huge hit, drawing students from across the Ashesi campus to the several venues of the various sessions. These included sessions for Machine Learning, IoT, Figma, 3D Design (solid works), and Canva. The event ended successfully with various exciting testimonies from students and facilitators alike.
The Machine Learning session saw students learning and mastering the art of coding and creating various models to solve real-world problems. The facilitators, Kwaku Andoh Yamoah and Percy Brown, both faculty interns in the CSIS department, took the enthusiastic participants through various concepts in Machine Learning, by explaining how these concepts could be useful in design making and prototype constructions. The session was divided into two, the theoretical session where the facilitators explained what machine learning is, applications of machine learning and various forms of algorithms. Kwaku Yamoah gave an example of how algorithms work by citing social media platforms like TikTok as an example. TikTok uses a form of machine learning algorithm known as the recommender system which recommends content to users based on what they watched, liked or searched for. The second session was mainly practical where the facilitators successfully explained another form of algorithm, known as the supervised learning system, using graphs and a linear regression model.
Session in progress
For the Internet of Things (IoT) session, the students were able to learn how to program and build their own internet-connected devices. This session was fused with a sub-session on electronics since they are tightly connected. The facilitators, Kelvin Tichana ’23 and Mohammed Elmir ’24 taught the listening audience the back-end functionalities of connectivities and electronics. The facilitators introduced the participants to IoT and how it works. Kelvin Titchana rigorously explained the different programming languages used in IoT such as C, C++, Rust and many others. With background knowledge on programming and basic coding technicalities, Mohammed Elmir stepped in and took the participants through the electronics sub-session. He explained vividly about electronics and how to build circuits. To enhance the design-making experience of the participants, he introduced Proteus to them, which is a software used for electronic design automation. By the end of the session, the project team participants arduously took part in the circuit design process on Proteus.
The Figma session, led by Nana Kwadwo Osei Nyarko'26 taught students how to create digital mock-ups of their designs. Since it is a cloud-based design tool that is similar to Sketch in functionality and features, the facilitator highlighted the differences that make Figma better for team collaboration and taught them how to work seamlessly in teams on Figma. Based on the audience's suggestions, the session focused on learning how to create a comic book (manga) website. Nana Kwadwo’26 introduced the lesson by outlining the essential components of Figma.. Layers, which relate to visuals, and accents, which refer to animations, are the focal points of using Figma. Apple’s website was used as an example to highlight various aspects and capabilities of Figma, i.e. the accents and layers. It served as the frame of reference for each part taught. Other things discussed were how to manipulate frames, backgrounds, shapes and colours to suit the user's objective – in this case, creating a website. How to present finished work to clients was also touched on; for instance, in cases where the client does not have Figma, then PDF would be the best option. Upon the session’s completion, participants were asked about how beneficial this session could be in any future undertakings. Alvin Appiah’26 stated he had not heard of Figma prior to the session, but as a computer science student, he would definitely use it to preview an app before he creates it. Baaba Amosh ’26 was familiar with Figma but explained that she finally understood how to use the tools in the program due to the session.
The 3D Design session featured a hands-on, experiential introduction to the world of Solid Works led by Miss Divine ’24, Mr. Jonathan ’24 and Mr. Ahmed Tawfik ’24. Firstly students were inaugurated into the world of 3D modeling by learning its importance. Then, each participant was made to install the software onto their laptops. Through careful guidance, the features of the software were made known to the participants. Some of these tools included extrude. Mr Alhassan Ahmed insisted that “before you design anything in Solidworks, you must have either a 2D or 3D sketch”. After getting comfortable with the software interface, learners were taken through the process of drawing a T-shape figure using the various features. Various representatives of the project teams were present, ready to immerse themselves in the world of 3D modeling . A member of the Helicopter project remarked that 3D modeling was essential to their project as they needed to render a 3D image of their helicopter. Hazel Halloway ‘26, whose project involves creating a solar-powered microwave , remarked that although she is a Business Administration student, taking Principles of design as part of her first-year experience course prompted her love for 3D modeling. Tracy Prepah, a business administration student of the Class of 2026, joined the session for personal purposes. She hopes to explore her creativity by being able to bring into life her creations.
Finally, the Canva session was an eye-opener for students who wanted to learn how to create high-quality graphics with the power of Canva. Canva session was led by Jonathan Adjei Boateng’ 26. For this session, the agenda was to Create a poster from scratch instead of using a template. Jonathan touched on the technical aspects of poster making. An example of such technicality was when he discussed the significance of the font choice – how different fonts convey different messages to an audience, such as using the ‘GARET Extra bold’ font for the title to grab the attention of whoever looks at the poster. Another example was text alignment – making sure the text follows where people’s eyes would naturally lead them to. The session also focused on navigating Canva to find and use design elements as and when needed. The audience was then left to apply the knowledge they had just learned for their own original posters, with designs customized to their taste and preferences. As the session ended, participants were asked how they planned to use the knowledge they had just acquired. Comfort’26 mentioned she would practice what she had learned on her own in hopes of creating and sending out flyers for her personal endeavors. Priscile Nkenmeza Nzonbi’26, a D:lab fellow, stated that she was unaware she could create graphic designs on Canva to start things from scratch. The session prompted her to explore the tool extensively and independently. When asked what specific activities she would use her budding Canva skills for, she mentioned she would implement them in promoting her business (creation of databases for hospitals) on social media via designing flyers and posters.
Haruna’24 facilitating and assisting participants follow session on basic Canva concepts
For the Ashesi community, the Maker Sessions proved to be a priceless learning experience. The occasion provided them with a supportive, safe space to experiment with various design-making techniques using various design-inclined tools. Students were able to acquire a variety of information and experience through the Maker Session's content-filled sections that they may apply to both their personal and professional lives. The Maker Sessions were a great success, and the students had nothing but positive feedback to share. They enjoyed the interactive and hands-on nature of the sessions and found the instructors to be knowledgeable and very helpful. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive and the students commented on how the Maker Sessions had given them a newfound appreciation for the art of design-making. Project team participants expressed their gratitude and highlighted the fact that the maker session had given them new ideas for their projects, and they can’t wait to implement them. The Maker Sessions provided students with a fantastic opportunity to learn, develop, and practice their design-making talents in a friendly, fun, collaborative and team-oriented setting. The Ashesi D:Lab looks forward to hosting more of these events in the future!