It has become clear from the Barriers to Involvement in Makerspace discussion that finding things is an issue, that could be enhanced by a clear signage and labeling system.
I am proposing a working group, I am hoping @Ana_Nieto would be able to help with this.
Who is interested?
I don’t like the ideas of loads of signs.
I think if the areas are organised well enough and are designed to incorporate everything you don’t need signs. It will turn it from a homely space in to a xyz
I’m in favour of labels. Especially if you’re tidying up someone else’s mess (which will ALWAYS be a thing).
“Where did this come from? Where does it go? I don’t know. I’ll just put it here.”
Do that x10 and before long nothing’s where it started.
Couple points on that:
I am mainly thinking of a uniform labeling system for boxes and where things go, so that we’re not just putting those ugly Dymo labels on everything.
We need to label all Makerspace assets at some point so we can implement a Hackspace NOD (Notice of Destruction) system that things left without a asset tag, or temporary storage box are fair game, to avoid this unending confusion about what can be thrown out or remanufactured.
Signage is an important tool for enabling people who are new to the space and are unfamiliar with the tools available to them. I’ve visited dozens of Open Workshops across London and the general theme to reduce barriers to involvement in these spaces has been to identify what everything is, and where it goes. It’s not reasonable to expect someone to know from day one, and some people would be too intimidated to ask.
The great thing about the Dymo is that anyone can use it. The danger of a Special System is that it can only be used by someone who knows how the special system works.
Sure but they fall off most things as quickly as you can print them, the plastic boxes are a great example, and a lot of things will have more permanent homes soon.
The system would need to accommodate that, but some of it is labels saying: Bandsaw or what ever.
We just having a convo about it.
I like the dymo labels.
Signs everywhere will make the place look naff.
I don’t think u need signs if you put things back where you find them. The real problem is stuff doesn’t have s home yet.
Electronics benches are probably worst offenders.
It’s never been sorted properly.
People won’t know where to put them or get them from when they are new.
It has been repeatedly sorted by me, @stefanoromano and @conomara and people don’t tidy up after themselves and the benches are not fit for purpose.
I thought the problem was the the electronic techs have never really taken ownership of the working environment there, set up tool boxes, component boxes, wire boxes and proper storage for the equipment so it all just lays on top of the desks in a big pile.
They didn’t help clear the snug and the haven’t moved the extra tools into the snug. They haven’t put the equipment under the benches in boxes.
And they haven’t organised a space in which you know where anything goes. They haven’t sorted out bins for the area. It’s been like that since day one.
The benches thing is just a distraction. It could have been dealt with months ago. But nothing gets done. Benches of tables won’t sort out the issues alone.
I would suggest that electronics night one week should be sort out the mess night. Infrustructre needs to be in place for it to stay tidy. Otherwise it’s just going to stay a mess. Even with new tables. Instead of moving well sorted stuff from tables into benches, you’ll just be moving a mess from a table to a mess on a bench
I think you’d be wise to reconsider how you phrase that post as it is very accusation all and a lot of work has been done.
@conomara spent the whole of Saturday clearing and tidying the electronics area. It’s looking great now!
I also had a vision when I read ‘signage’ of a Makerspace crammed with signs, like a pub with writing everywhere you look!
But good storage systems with clear labelling? Of course! The space doesn’t need to be arranged for a complete newcomer to be able to find everything, but a level of intuitive storing will get us a long way: I think that is already generally the aim.
To some extent each area will have different issues to solve (in the same way that we the same storage boxes don’t necessarily work across all areas). Maybe sharing solutions and best practice between the @roles is the way forward? Along with new labelling solutions where the existing ones aren’t suitable?
I can see a generic label with space to fill in the specifics (by Sharpie or Dymo?) working well here.
Also there’s a difference between lots of signs saying Do This and Don’t Do That and just labeling where things come from.
How did the cycle tools shadow board work out?
Good, the main issue is not knowing which size is which easily with the allen keys.
I think this is because the writing on the keys has faded through use? So better marking needed?
Probably coloured dots?
More shadow board then? Makes it clear where things go without too many signs.
And colour coded too.
Yeah maybe a ring of coloured electrical tape?
I think labels on every shelf & every box for where everything goes are absolutely essential. It’s helpful for keeping things tidy and is also educational for people new to an area. Without labels we have endless individual decisions about where things should go which results in endless mess and frustration.