As the Knapp Makerspace moved into a newly renovated location in Wellesley’s Clapp Library, a 20 foot wall at the entryway became a key opportunity to orient and welcome patrons. Through laser-cut signage and a series of posters that communicate not only what resources Knapp offers, but who we are, this once blank canvas now serves as a hub of information and an approachable point of entry into the space.

The goal of the wall’s transformation was to highlight the numerous points of entry, both conceptually and logistically, while highlighting not just Knapp’s tools, but our values.

Logistical Information

The signage needed to clearly communicate information about:

• Resources: What machines, tools, and making methods are available in the space
• Trainings: Which machines require training, and how to sign up
• Use cases: Knapp supports both academic and personal projects

Vibes and Values

In addition to practical information, the wall needed to set the tone for the space:

• This space is for you: a welcoming, explicit invitation to come on in
• Making matters: as a source of community-building, learning, and fun, to name a few
• Multiplicity: Knapp doesn't just support both academic and personal projects, but embraces the space between rigorous learning and playful exploration

Initial Concept & Iteration

I started by brainstorming how signage could be structured to support these goals, thinking through questions like how explicitly stated should Knapp’s values be and how should information be structured.

It soon became clear that the space's values needed to be felt and not just read. The process of understanding why making is important really is a process, one that unfolds over time and non-linearly through learning about others' makings and their contexts and impacts and ultimately by participating in making oneself. This led to the decision to showcase patron projects, which also highlighted the breadth of making at Knapp from deeply conceptual, thought-provoking works to fun, playful pieces, and especially projects that are both.

To highlight our resources, I explored the idea of large-format posters with groupings of tools, like digital vs. tangible. I quickly pivoted from this; digital fabrication blurs those boundaries, and any other categorizations soon felt arbitrary and would inevitably reflect my perspectives rather than inviting visitors to form their own.

Final Approach & Tradeoffs

The final approach gave each tool its own poster, outlining how to get started and highlighting what others had made with it, arranged without hierarchy or grouping beyond the row of softwares.

This structure introduced a few tradeoffs:

• Reduced glanceability: patrons might see Knapp has sewing machines and then have to search for what other fiber crafts are supported. Yet by avoiding rigid groupings, we are quite literally not putting tools in boxes, encouraging pathways between less obviously intertwined ways of making.


• Tool-centric approach: posters emphasize individual tools, prioritizing clarity for those unfamiliar with available resources. While this approach may overemphasize the technical details rather than the intangible processes of making, and doesn’t explicitly show how projects integrate multiple modes, the absence of grouping leaves space for visitors to imagine those intersections themselves.

Responding to the Physical Space

Once we began working in the new space, we realized the entryway was highly visible through the glass doors from the bustling first floor of the library, which prompted a new goal: the signage needed to do more than introduce the space to those already inside, it also needed to draw people in.

Directly by the door, visible through the glass, we installed large laser-cut letters from spray-painted cardboard reading “Welcome to Knapp!”, followed by the set of informational and inspirational posters.

The entryway signage acts as a bold, welcoming invitation to come on in and showcases the possibilities of what you can explore once inside.

• Training sessions are consistently booked, and staff receive significantly fewer questions about how to sign up for trainings.


• Campus tour guides have made the Knapp entryway a regular stop to highlight the makerspace as a key campus resource to prospective students.

By pairing creative and conceptual inspiration with clear, practical onboarding, the display lowers barriers to entry and demonstrates how making can result in fun, thoughtful, and impactful projects across and beyond academic disciplines.