Friday 06/04/2019

This is a poster designed for the special collections, detailing out group B's final outcome for Janneke to present in her networking meetings, showing the concept of this idea.
This poster contains a drawing package, a sketch model, and final renders of the modular maker being used on-site.

Thursday 04/04/2019
10.00

From our successful social experiment where we placed a sheet of paper for the public to experiment, we created sample concertina booklets, resembling the artist books in the special collections stock.
The purpose of this was to provide a sample prototype of the kind of books the Special collections could create from the larger sheet of paper people would draw on, in our maker space.

Monday 03/04/2019

Before we created our final model, we needed to figure out how the paper roll would revolve around the structure. The undergraduate students came up with a gear system on one cylinder, that when manually rotated, would push the paper around the entire structure.

Friday 29/03/2019
14.00
After our first presentation with Janekke in the morning, we pitched two ideas from the two teams, to which Janekke picked one Design, from Team A.
We merged the whole class together in order to develop one idea. Our session involved everyone participating and adding more detail to the design.
We discussed the following problems with the design:
1- Where would the storage of materials go?
2- What would be the function of the underside of the table?
3- How do the special collections get rid of profanity once identified on the design?
4- What material would be used to construct the actual project.
5- How the paper is fed into the maker space
6- How to prompt people to start the chain of creative writing and drawing.

Thursday 28/03/2019
15.00

The day before our presentation with the special collection, within team B, we created a final series of sketches, where we conceptualized our ideas, and created 1 full design, incorporating all our ideas.

Wednesday 25/03/2019
14.00
Within team A, we combined all our ideas together in order to synthesize and come to a final initial Design.
We concluded that we wanted to adopt a design that is interactive, getting people to sit around a foldable table, with easy access to writing utensils from the table.
There would then be a shelving system where the special collections would then be able to display items according to the collections at the moment, prompting people to interpret it creatively and make something.

Tuesday 26/03/2019
11.00

Preparing for our bookmaking workshop, we measured and cut paper and card, for the BA students to use to learn and create their own sketchbooks and artists books to be used throughout the two weeks.

A few artiFACTS about The Special Collections.

What is Special Collection? Most Universities have a special collection as part of their library, holding rare books, manuscripts and other paper-based items, but too precious to lend out. The MMU Special collections is different as it is also an accredited museum, and therefore in addition to their paper-based collections, holds and exhibits objects and artifacts. They are located on the 3rd floor of the All-Saints Library and is open to the public.

What Kind of Exhibitions Does the MMU Special Collections Display? The exhibitions change every 3-6 months. Currently (Nov 2018) the exhibition on display is based on Architecture, which was preceded by an exhibition on the theme of Ocean Travel Through the Ages, and before that, was an exhibition based on the artist Malcom Garrett.

What is in The Special Actual Collection? On top of the exhibition gallery, the Special collections has an education space, where they teach groups of students, a reading room to support any research, an archive, and a large book collection, ranging from artistic books (books as an object of art), decorated papers and many more.
The School of Art, way back in 1898, as it was still young, had an arts and crafts museum, linked to the arts and crafts movement, and they collected amazing pieces of art used to inspire students. The special collections now have that collection and keep adding it to it (how amazing is that!), but nowhere to display it (How sad is that!).
This is essentially the problem the special collections face. A large collection of BEAUTIFUL material, but nowhere to display them

Initial Thoughts on the Modular Maker Space.

• The Maker space will be for the Special Collections, located on the 3rd floor lobby, right outside the elevators. Due to its locations here are a few health and safety considerations to consider.
• The maker space will need to be an easy to use installation, to accommodate more that 1 person at a time, inspiring them, through the special collections, to create and do something in the space. The activities they will be doing will be low risk, no bigger than an A3.
• How can the Maker Space best represent the Special Collections?
• The Maker Space will need to be able to be ‘packed up’ and stored away at the end of the day, ideally by 1 person.