Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Making: Many great ideas lead to products to solve problems or address needs.
Without making and prototypes, students come to think that ideas are the goal of their education, not proven solutions to real problems. An important part of the process to test an idea for its viability is to build a prototype, iterate to enhance the design, and get feedback from others through interaction with the product. Making is a way to quickly create a prototype and explore its scalability and manufacturability. Along the way, makers learn how to design so products can be built, how tools work and the steps in the manufacturing process, and how to solve problems. Often the outcome represents an innovation in a design, a product or a process.
Making is also a way to meet others in the community who are interested in creating viable products and want to join a team with an entrepreneurial spirit. Often these teams become founders and a start-up venture is born. A robust innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem provides networking opportunities and resources to students at every step along the way from idea to product to successful start-up. Making is the important catalyst that separates unrealized dreams and ideas from successful products and companies.