Hands on Design for Hardware: A Primer on Manufacturing and Ethnography of Use

The adage that “form follows function,” seems simple enough, but putting it into practice involves a plethora of pitfalls, especially when applied to manufacturing hardware and getting a project out into the hands of users. This talk covers “design for manufacturability,” and “ethnography of use,” which are two key concepts that designers need to understand in order to maximize a project’s success. We’ll then reduce those concepts to practical tips, tricks, rules and guidelines for getting your hardware made correctly -and- made to be used.

About Amanda Wozniak
Amanda Wozniak is an MIT alumna and Boston-based electrical engineer. She’s currently a Staff Engineer at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, where she works on the research and development of prototype medical devices. Prior to the Wyss, she was an Applications Engineer at Analog Devices, Inc. She has designed two Ninja Networks badges, several enclosures for Adafruit Industries, and spends her free time advocating to get people excited about engineering. Wozniak believes engineering should empower individuals to understand and influence both technology and the society that has arisen from it.