Critical Making is a practice that combines creativity, problem-solving, and the use of technology to make meaningful change. It is a design-driven process that enables the invention of new devices, materials, tools, artworks, and processes. Critical Making encourages the exploration of new ideas and concepts through physical prototyping, experimentation, and technical engagement. It is a way of working that allows designers to work through creative issues and develop meaningful solutions. One of the key aspects of Critical Making is its focus on the intersection of critical thinking and creative activities. It involves the use of hands-on, experiential learning to explore and develop physical, digital, or hybrid artifacts. Through an iterative and often interdisciplinary process, Critical Making allows designers to challenge existing assumptions, identify opportunities for innovation, and prototype, ideate, and test ideas quickly and effectively. Another important aspect of Critical Making is its emphasis on collaboration and community-building. Critical Makers often work in groups, sharing knowledge, skills, and resources to create meaningful experiences. This collaborative approach allows for the development of new ways of working and the examination of existing cultures, norms, and values. Critical Making is also closely tied to social and political issues. By creating tangible artifacts that address social and political issues, Critical Makers can raise awareness and inspire change. Critical Making can be used to explore questions of meaning, challenge existing assumptions, and identify opportunities for innovation. In summary, Critical Making is a practice that combines creativity, problem-solving, and the use of technology to make meaningful change. It emphasizes the intersection of critical thinking and creative activities, collaboration and community-building, and social and political issues. Through an iterative and interdisciplinary process, Critical Making allows designers to work through creative issues and develop meaningful solutions.
creativity, problem-solving, technology, design-driven process, physical prototyping, experimentation, technical engagement, hands-on, experiential learning, collaboration, community-building, social and political issues, iterative, interdisciplinary proc
CITATION : "Thomas Johnson. 'Critical Making.' Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/?E=260772 (Accessed on July 17, 2025)"
Critical Making is the practice of making meaning and developing tangible artifacts through exploration, experimentation, and problem-solving to reveal deeper understandings of physical and interpersonal phenomena. Through an iterative and often interdisciplinary process, Critical Making allows designers to work through creative issues and develop meaningful solutions. It involves the combination of critical thinking and creative activities to create meaningful experiences. Critical Making can be used to explore and develop physical, digital, or hybrid artifacts, and it’s often used to explore questions of meaning, challenge existing assumptions, and identify opportunities for innovation. Critical Making is an important tool for designers and can be used to prototype, ideate, and test ideas quickly and effectively.
Creative Problem-Solving, Physical Artifacts, Digital Artifacts, Hybrid Artifacts.
Critical Making is an area of practice that combines creativity, problem solving and the use of technology in order to make meaningful change. It is a design-driven process that enables the invention of new devices, materials, tools, artworks and processes. Critical Making enables the exploration of new ideas and concepts through physical prototyping, experimentation and technical engagement. It encourages the development of new ways of working and the examination of existing cultures, norms and values. It offers the opportunity to design, build and share knowledge that informs a better understanding of ourselves, our communities and our world.
Critical Making, Design Thinking, Maker Movement, DIY, 3D Printing.
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