A workshop by Katrin Nora Kober, Georg Regal, Verena Fuchsberger, Martin Murer, Joanna Kowolik, Nathalia Campreguer Franca, Dorothé Smit, Fiona Bell and Tara Capel
NordiCHI Conference, Uppsala/Sweden, September 2024
NordiCHI Conference, Uppsala/Sweden, September 2024
Makers*, Crafters*, Tinkerers* – How Identities and Biographies Come into Being
At NordiCHI conference 2024, I co-organized the workshop “Makers, Crafters*, Tinkerers*: How Identities and Biographies Come into Being”, bringing together makers, crafters*, tinkerers*, and HCI researchers to reflect on how identities within making evolve over time.
A particular focus of this workshop was on tools and materials: participants traced their maker*, crafter*, and tinkerer* journeys by reflecting on the tools and materials that shaped their practices and identities. This perspective sparked discussions on how making is influenced by the things we work with and how these shape who we become within our communities.
Using snippets of participants’ work, we explored turning points and challenges that shape becoming a maker*, crafter*, or tinkerer*. It was inspiring to see how personal experiences and professional practices intersect within Human-Computer Interaction.
The workshop fostered reflection and connection without seeking a single “best” identity. Together, we discussed how to make making, crafting, and tinkering more inclusive and how we can continue supporting diverse, reflective spaces within HCI and the maker* community.
