Rapid Design and Innovation Prototype (almost) Anything?
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Take this course when it’s offered next!
Course Overview
This fast-paced, project-based course introduces participants to the tools and mindsets of modern prototyping. Through guided tutorials and open-ended design challenges, students will explore low- and high-fidelity prototyping techniques, from sketching and cardboard modeling to digital fabrication and electronics. Hosted in the state-of-the-art Grainger Engineering Design + Innovation Labs, this course is ideal for anyone eager to learn by doing—no technical background required.
Learning Outcomes
- Use a wide range of prototyping tools including CAD software, 3D printers, laser cutters, and microcontrollers.
- Apply design thinking and iterative prototyping to reduce risk and improve product outcomes.
- Design and fabricate a functional lamp and a self-directed prototype using multiple fabrication methods.
Who Should Attend?
- Aspiring designers, engineers, and makers looking to gain hands-on experience with prototyping tools.
- Innovators and entrepreneurs interested in turning ideas into tangible products.
- Students and professionals from any background eager to explore design thinking and physical product development.
Course Outline
Schedule: 9 am-4 pm CT with a 1 hour break for lunch
Day 1:
Morning
- Warm-up prototyping activity
- Lecture and discussion of prototyping as a process
Afternoon
- Computer Aided Design (CAD) software - Part I
- Laser cutter training and fabrication (lamp parts)
- DIY laser cutter project assigned
Day 2:
Morning
- Computer Aided Design (CAD) software - Part II (lamp knobs)
- Introduction to 3D printing
- Print knobs, DIY 3D printing project assigned
Afternoon
- Machine shop demonstrations (mill, lathe, welding)
- Time to work on DIY projects, feedback from instructors
Day 3:
Morning
- Introduction to electronics
- Solder LED light and microcontroller
Afternoon
- DIY electronics project
- Work time for DIY projects, optionally further customize lamp
- Final showcase!
Instructors
Lennon Rodgers
Lennon Rodgers is the Director of the Design Innovation Lab at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, which includes a makerspace, machine shop and a set of interdisciplinary design programs. He earned his PhD and M.S. from MIT and B.S. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (all mechanical engineering). Previously he worked at MIT as a Research Scientist and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as an engineer. All of his research is related to engineering education and modeling, designing, building, instrumenting and testing complex systems ranging from spacecraft to electric vehicles.
Nicole Zacharia
Dr. Zacharia has a background in materials science, with both a bachelor's degree and a PhD in the subject from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her student days were followed by postdoctoral studies at the University of Toronto, time as an assistant professor in mechanical engineering at Texas A&M University, and most recently before joining UW-Madison, time at the University of Akron as an assistant then associate professor of Polymer Engineering.
In addition to teaching at both undergraduate and graduate levels, Dr. Zacharia's interests have included research in polyelectrolyte coacervation as well as novel types of surfaces with special wettability, working on various federally and privately funded research projects. She has published over 40 papers in various international materials and chemistry journals. She has been an actively member of the American Chemical Society, including serving on the executive editorial board for one of its journals.
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