The annual event brings hundreds of people to visit Georgia Tech, has launched several real businesses, and helped students get jobs.
The Make 10 project was created by School of Industrial Design Instructor Steve Chininis, as a Senior Studio warm up project. His goal was to develop a design exercise that encouraged entrepreneurship on a micro scale. He also wanted to teach students what happens to their ideas after the design phase, so that they could make smarter decisions about how to accurately design for manufacturing from the start.
"I figured that if they were the ones manufacturing, and marketing, and selling, that they would learn a lot about how those important things effect design," explained Chininis.
Students had so much fun doing the project that it became a larger project and an anticipated event. Eventually, Make 10 was taken out of the Senior Studio, and made into an elective that anyone could experience.
"Now every student can try their hand at creating a real product, and building a business that can easily grow into an online store or beyond," said Chininis.
Two years ago, Orange Sparkle Ball, a local design company, created three awards for the the most marketable Make10 products after hiring several Georgia Tech Industrial Design grads that had participated in Make 10.
Make 10 is one of several features at LaunchPad Plus, the School of Industrial Design's end-of-semester show.
Thank you to the Launchpad Plus Sponsor, Campus Services Buzzfunds!
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