Do first and think later. This is the logic of the Maker movement, which can be defined as "making with your hands," and for at least fifteen years has been spreading around the world and increasingly being incorporated into the innovation processes of large companies.
"In school, we learn that theory comes first and then practice. The maker movement somewhat contradicts this and considers that people learn by doing and not just by thinking," explains Heloísa Neves, coordinator of the FabLab at Insper, founder of We Fab and board member of FabLab Brazil.
The expert on the subject left Brazil in 2012 to take a course in the FabLab network. "That was when I had my first contact with this universe. There was nothing here in Brazil yet," she recalls. In 2013, when she returned from abroad, she was part of the beginning of the movement at the University of São Paulo. According to her, "in the beginning, when I gave a lecture on the topic, it was necessary to explain the movement, the concept, and everything from the start. Now it’s not like that anymore; people already know a bit."
As the Maker movement organized and proliferated, spaces dedicated to creation also began to emerge. Two of the most well-known are HackerSpaces, which are clubs where people gather to exchange knowledge about electronics and programming, and MakerSpaces (like FabLabs), where people go to make things. The latter is characterized by having manufacturing machines that go beyond traditional woodworking, including digital machines like 3D printers and laser cutters. "People use these spaces to carry out their projects, whether for hobby or because they are entrepreneurs, students, or recent graduates starting their careers," Heloísa explains.
FabLabs are MakerSpaces created eleven years ago to support the Maker movement. Worldwide, there are nearly 800 laboratories supported by the Center of Bits and Atoms at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This space receives a specific name because it differs from others by having certain rules.
"To be a FabLab, you need to follow a charter of principles. You must have a basic kit of machines so that everyone can collaborate and have the means to manufacture projects. It needs to have at least one open day, which we call an open day, so that anyone can use the space. Additionally, part of the idea is that there is no technician who will do it for anyone; everyone must get their hands dirty," Heloísa explains.
Even the City Hall of São Paulo is investing in maker spaces. At least 12 laboratories with these characteristics will be opened soon. "This makes the movement more democratic because it makes access easier," she assesses.
According to Heloísa, a maker is, above all, a self-taught individual. "It's that person who doesn't depend on a title, who can be from any field and dedicates themselves to learning and becomes an expert in that," she explains. Although engineers and designers usually carry this creativity as a characteristic of their personality, any professional can incorporate the strategies of makers into their productive processes.
