Jacobs Institute Student Newsletter: January 28th, 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
Thursday, February 6, 2025, noon - 3 PM
The Makerspace Open House is a great opportunity to learn about Berkeley's AMAZING and WORLD RENOWNED design and prototyping lab at Jacobs Hall. Meet Makerspace staff, check out equipment demos, project displays, and more. PLUS! Play Makerspace Bingo and get a chance to win one of THREE Maker Passes! This event is open to all UC Berkeley students, staff and faculty.
The Jacobs Institute’s Design Field Notes lecture series is back!
Wednesdays 10 AM via Zoom
As part of our ongoing course DES INV 95, this speaker series invites a dynamic group of designers, artists, and academics in design-related fields to share their work and practice with our students and public.
Check out the lineup of guests and get the zoom link at the Design Field Notes website.
Career Conversation with Sarah Fathallah: Design in the Social Sector
February 6, 12-1pm in Jacobs 310
Join us for an engaging talk by Sarah Fathallah, a social designer, researcher, and educator with extensive experience working with nonprofits, governments, and social enterprises across 25+ countries. Sarah will explore what the social sector encompasses, where design fits into its organizations and structures, and share some inspiring examples of design projects tackling issues like labor rights, housing justice, and foster care. They will also provide valuable advice and resources for designers interested in creating impact in this space. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from Sarah’s unique perspective and deep commitment to participatory, trauma-responsive, and abolitionist approaches to design!
Design for Successful 3D Printing
Thursday, February 6, noon-1 pm
berkeley.zoom.us/j/91078915037
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.
Virtual workshop: open to all!
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.
Laser Cutting Boot Camp
Friday, February 7, 12:10pm – 1:30pm
Maker Pass required
Have you wanted to use the laser cutters but did not know where to start or maybe you have used them for a project but not satisfied with the results? Then sign up for this workshop to learn the ins and outs of successful laser cutting through a hands-on project. We will cover what materials work best, power settings, designing for laser cutting and post-processing, sanding, and sealing. Bring your laptop with Adobe Illustrator or Fusion 360 installed. Taught by Chris Myers. Seats are limited; register 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 systems. Whether you’ve heard of Arduino and have just never had the chance to try it, or would like to learn a little about electronics to improve your prototyping game, 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.
SP25 Jacobs Hall Drop-in Makerspace Tours
Tuesdays, 1pm-2pm
Wednesdays, 11am-12pm
Thursdays, 12pm-1pm
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 building 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 Hall. The entrance can be found next to the Etcheverry Hall breezeway. 2530 Ridge Road; Berkeley, CA 94720-1740. Drop-in tours cover the main makerspace, last 10 minutes, and occur every 20 minutes within the hour, starting at the top of the hour.
Please wait for the next tour in the west lobby if you arrive late. View the Jacobs Student Engagement Calendar or the Tours schedule for specific drop-in tour dates and times.
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!
DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES DIGEST
non-Jacobs Institute-affiliated events, opportunities, and programs—at your fingertips.
New Paper Offers Framework and Tools for Building Human-Centered AI
Dr. Stef Hutka, UC Berkeley instructor and design research practitioner, recently published her paper, Designing AI to Think With Us, Not For Us, at EPIC, the leading conference on ethnography in business and organizations. The paper describes how generative AI is challenging the foundations of how human-centered practitioners work, and offers a new framework and tools for building human-centered AI. Read the paper here: https://www.epicpeople.org/designing-ai-to-think-with-us/ For more content like this, check out Stef's Substack: https://sendfull.substack.com/
Please reach out to Stef Hutka, PhD, shu...@berkeley.edu for questions and concerns.
Tau Mu Lambda
is the National Honors Society for students in Tech, and we are excited to open our Spring 2025 application cycle! We offer members opportunities to participate in coding competitions, industry research projects, technical interview prep sessions, and mentorship programs, all designed to support students in their tech journey during and beyond undergraduate study. If you are interested in Software Development, UI/UX Design, Machine Learning, Data Science, or Product Management, APPLY HERE before the deadline or visit our website at www.taumulambda.com/tech.
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