Approach to Medialab-Prado: Nova Jiang

1.

I had a wonderful experience at Medialab-Prado. The people working there at the time were amazing problem solvers and helped me overcome many logistical problems. The teachers and collaborators were the best I could hope for and the social experience was really amazing. In hindsight I really liked how the space would close promptly at nine, so I would be forced to actually go out with friends and experience Madrid.

2.

I don’t think much needs to be changed. I think in terms of how the two weeks was organized it’s just the right balance of chaos (in a good way) and order. I made many valuable contacts through the experience and the project gained a lot of publicity through Medialabo-Prado and Sonar and later traveled to the Netherlands. I suppose I also learned a lot about collaboration and keeping calm under pressure (which is the most important).

3.

As space expands, I think it would be great to have an area set aside for fabrication. A laser cutter or a CNC milling machine for example would make physical prototyping much easier. A staff member could be responsible for operating the laser cutter and milling machine. But other less expensive equipment such as a drill press or a chop saw would also work well.

It’s also difficult for a new comer to Madrid to figure out where to buy wood, metal and hardware. Although the Medialab-Prado does organizes trips, this can be time consuming and it’s sometimes difficult to know exactly how much material you will need at the beginning. So I think it would be a great idea to have a supply of plywood and acrylic readily available at the Medialab-Prado as well as other scrap materials. This way people can try out ideas quickly. I know participants often submit detailed budget and material needs, but sometimes input from the collaborator completely changes one’s approach.

There should also be a set of hand tools like drills and staple guns. When I was there two years ago it was difficult to get tools like screwdrivers because they were in such high demand. So I think a greater availability of common tools with a simple and convenient check out system would work well. Although I understand this might be difficult to do when there are ten teams working together. Perhaps each team can check out a toolbox (with all the tools to make a hacker happy inside) at the beginning and be responsible for returning the tools in perfect condition.

Also, I find it very convenient to have a well-organized supply of things like different sized wood and metal screws, washers, resistors, capacitors etc. It often interrupts the workflow when there is a particular sized screw you need but can’t find. It shouldn’t be too expensive either to keep these draws well supplied.

I think soldering stations should be set up with good ventilation for health and safety reasons. Although it was a great deal of fun to solder wherever there was spare desk space and then eat lunch later at the same spot.

Also, it would be nice to have a shoot room where you can set up a green screen and lights. I imagine for lots of people who are doing vision or video based project this could be helpful.