Jacobs Institute Student Newsletter: February 5th, 2025
Jacobs Institute Student Newsletter
UPCOMING@JACOBS
Jacobs Institute-organized events, news, and announcements—straight from the source.
Attend the Jacobs Hall Makerspace Open House
TOMORROW! Thursday, February 6, 2025, noon - 3 PM
The Makerspace Open House is a great opportunity to learn about Berkeley's 8,000 square foot design and prototyping lab at Jacobs Hall. Meet Makerspace staff, take a tour, check out equipment demos, project displays, and learn about all the support Jacobs offers for your design/build journey. PLUS! Play Makerspace Bingo and get a chance to WIN a Maker Pass! This event is free and open to ALL UC Berkeley students, staff and faculty. Please RSVP
This Week at Design Field Notes: Viraj Joshi
Wednesdays 10 AM via Zoom
Viraj‘s work explores the evolving relationship between humans and machines, speculative design, and emerging technology. His practice has been recognized internationally, with exhibitions at the Science Museum London, United Nations DPPA, London Design Festival, and Milan Design Week.
With nearly six years at Fjord (Accenture Song) across London and Stockholm Studios, Viraj has worked at the intersection of design and technology. He is also a visiting lecturer at the Royal College of Art and the creator of Eliza - The Ghost in Every Machine, a series of tech-critique graphic stories. Join the open-to-public conversation about design practices on Zoom!
Career Conversation with Sarah Fathallah: Design in the Social Sector
February 6, 12-1pm in Jacobs 310
This semester’s first Career Conversation (and lunch!) is this Thursday noon-1 pm. Meet Sarah Fathallah, a social designer and educator with global experience, as she discusses the role of design in the social sector. She’ll highlight projects on labor rights, housing justice, and foster care, while offering advice for designers seeking to make an impact. Lunch included; RSVP required!
Career Conversation with Dave Dawkins: On Wielding Informed Hope and Embracing Protopia
Feb 21, 12-1pm | Jacobs 310
Dave Dawkins, Senior Design Lead at Daylight Design, comes to Jacobs to offer an inspiring lecture exploring his career journey and how his love of science fiction and fantasy have become foundational to his approach to designing for impact. Informed hope, Dawkins believes, is a designer’s most powerful tool, key to creating the immediate, tangible improvements that pave the way for multiple possible desirable futures. Drawing from his diverse experience in human-centered visual and UX design, including work at IDEO.org, Dawkins will share how embracing protopia—the practice of making the immediate future just a little better—can drive meaningful and lasting change. Lunch included; RSVP required!
Design for Successful 3D Printing
Thursday, February 6, noon-1 pm
Virtual workshop via Zoom: NO MAKER PASS REQUIRED — open to all!
In this Jacobs Toolbox workshop, we will cover how to create an object that will make the most of what 3D printing has to offer, without falling into the common pitfalls. This skillset can be helpful as you design your class projects.
Get creative this semester in the Jacobs Makerspace!
Maker Pass registration is open to ALL UC Berkeley students, staff and faculty and is only $125 per semester (fee waivers available!). Personal projects welcome; the opportunities to design, make and fabricate are practically endless! Plenty of support is available to learn how to operate exciting tools and achieve the results you desire. Attend workshops (see below) and get hands-on training! Learn more here.
Arduino prototyping for beginners
Friday, February 7, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Maker Pass required
Arduino microcontrollers changed the game for physical computing, and lowered the barriers to entry for the creation of functional input-output system. This workshop will show you how to use microcontrollers in your projects. We'll cover the basics of input/output systems by controlling lights, motors, or other devices. Seats are limited; register here.
Intro to Grasshopper
Friday, February 28, 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Maker Pass required
Dive into the world of parametric design! This educational session is tailored for beginners and design enthusiasts looking to enhance their 3D modeling skills through the powerful, algorithmic capabilities of Grasshopper, a visual programming language integrated with Rhino 3D. Taught by Cody Glen.Seats are limited; register here.
SP25 Jacobs Hall Drop-in Makerspace Tours
Tuesdays, 1pm, 1:20pm, 1:40pm
Wednesdays, 11am, 11:20am, 11:40am
Thursdays, 12pm, 12:20pm, 12:40pm
Jacobs Hall, West Lobby, Student Welcome Center (103 Jacobs)
Curious to learn more about what the Jacobs Institute has to offer? Join us for a 10 minute tour to learn about the Jacobs Hall Maker Pass and get a tour of the Jacobs Hall Makerspace. Meet our Design Specialists and learn about upcoming workshops and other opportunities to get involved with the vibrant, interdisciplinary student community that you can take part of at Jacobs. Please check in at the Student Welcome Center, located in 103 Jacobs in the west lobby of Jacobs Halloff the Etcheverry Hall breezeway.
DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES DIGEST
non-Jacobs Institute-affiliated events, opportunities, and programs—at your fingertips.
Rive Workshop: Learn Motion Design with a Cutting-Edge Tool
3 week workshop on 1/31, 2/7, and 2/14 from 10:30-11:30am in Jacobs 10
Dive into the world of motion design with Rive! In this 3-week workshop, we’ll break down animation fundamentals while guiding you through Rive’s powerful tools. You will have three fully completed Rive assets by the end of this course — great to present for your portfolio!
This is perfect for designers trying to expand their skill set, or for those who are interested in motion & animation.
Taught by Abe Yang, a Product & Motion Designer who uses Rive to create fluid animations for the web and other mediums.
RSVP here to participate!
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to the Jacobs Student Engagement calendar and keep track of all Jacobs happenings in your bCal. For inquiries regarding weekly newsletters, please contact Janrey Javier at janrey...@berkeley.edu