What?
Give yourself a break! MAD is putting together a number of relaxing activities for you to unplug, including a private nap room!

Self-service:

• Puzzles
• Coloring
• Nap room with an inflatable mattress, cozy pillows & blankets, aromatherapy, and a projector

Weekly activities will also be offered over afternoon sessions:

• Cocoa bar
• Cookie decorating
• Heat press bandana design

When?
All of IAP for self-service activities.
A sign up sheet is available for the nap room, and a check-out sheet is available for the puzzles and coloring.

Cocoa Bar & Cookie decorating: January 7 — 1–5pm
Heatpress bandana customizing: January 15 — 1–5pm

Where?
N52, 3rd floor

Who?
MAD!

What?
IAP is in the cold month of January, so let’s start with a seasonally relevant engineering problem that we all can relate to. A part-empty box of tissues. The friction to release a tissue is greater than the force of gravity on the weight of the tissue box. To address this and learn a lot of woodworking design and making techniques, we will fabricate a Tissue Box Cover.

When?
Tuesdays and Thursdays, Jan 14, 16, 21, 23 — 2–4pm

Where?
4-013; sessions 1&2 will be located in Metropolis (6c-006b)

Who?
Lee Zamir

At capacity

What?
Learn the basics of metal lathe operation while creating your very own ring out of aluminum and bronze. Each workshop is one hour of lathe demonstration followed by students spending an hour each turning their ring. There are 3 spots per workshop.

Note, although the workshops are 4 hours total, students are only required to be present for the first hour and then one more hour. This workshop is designed to introduce students to the metal lathe while making a piece of jewelry custom to them. With these foundation skills students are then free to make more complex designs. However due to time constraints further projects will need to be done outside of the set workshop times.

When?
Jan 9, 13, 21, 28 — 1–5pm, 1st hour mandatory

Where?
N52

Who?
Chris Haynes

Registration coming soon

What?
Learn how to use and experiment with weaving loom and knitting machines.

When?
From Jan 13–17 — 1–4pm

Where?
N52, Textile area

Who?
Jess Osserman

Registration coming soon

What?
Come design your own personalized shop apron. Whether you're machining steel, mixing chemicals, or working on a new baking recipe, keep your clothes clean and create in style. Students will be able to make an apron sized exactly to them, with pockets and loops designed specifically to hold their favorite tools. Aprons will be made from waxed canvas, a traditional waterproof material used by explorers and sailors for hundreds of years. Students will learn the basics of cutting and sewing a pattern, as well as how to add reinforcing rivets and buckles to a softgoods project.

When?
Workshop A: Jan 6-7 — 1-5pm
Workshop B: Jan 15-16 — 1–5pm

Where?
N52, sewing area

Who?
Chris Haynes

Registration coming soon

What?
Learn the fundamentals of metal turning, focusing on turning techniques, tool operation, and finishing skills.

When?
Jan 8 & 10; Jan 14 & 16; Jan 27 & 29
6 hours per day for two days

Where?
The Deep

Who?
Seth Avecilla

At capacity

What?
Learn about introductory methods of bookbinding in this 2-day workshop! In this course, we will learn how to make books using both Japanese stab binding and long stitch techniques, as well as get a general overview of common bookmaking practices. At the end of this, you will walk away with at least 2 books handmade by you! No previous bookbinding experience is needed, and all supplies will be provided. Space is limited and registration is required.

When?
Jan 7 & 9, and Jan 14 & 16 — 1-4pm

Where?
4-013

Who?
Katherine Gilbreath

Registration coming soon

What?
TBC

When?
3 sessions of 2 hours; dates TBC

Where?
Metropolis makerspace 6c-006b

Who?
Aashini Shah

Registration coming soon

What?
Dive into the mechanics of automatons and design your own engaging toys.

When?
Jan 20–24 — 10am–2pm

Where?
4-013 & Metropolis (6c-006b)

Who?
Jess Osserman & Seth Avecilla

Registration coming soon

What?
In this 2-session course, learn the basics of the Internet of Things (IoT) and build an Internet-enabled temperature and humidity sensor with a web dashboard. No prior programming or electronics experience is required.

The course will cover the following:

· Basics of IoT: what it is, how is it used, and security and privacy concerns.

· Using Adafruit IO: Adafruit IO is a platform for IoT projects used to communicate, store data, and display dashboards.

· An Introduction to CircuitPython: CircuitPython is a version of the popular Python programming language designed for use on microcontrollers.

· An Introduction to Microcontrollers and I2C: The course will be using an Adafruit Feather microcontroller and a sensor connected via the Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) protocol, enabling fast solder-free prototyping.

When?
Two 3-hour sessions in consecutive weeks, dates TBD

Where?
TBC

Who?
Chris Murphy

Registration coming soon

What?
Make your own electric guitar. Previous woodworking experience and musical knowledge of the instrument is required.

When?
3 sessions per week, 3 hours per session during all of IAP
Jan 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 27, 29, 31 — 2-5pm

Where?
Metropolis makerspace 6c-006b

Who?
Santiago Yrigolla & Edwin Balderas

Registration coming soon

What?
Who doesn’t love colorful blinking lights? In this 2 session workshop we will look at how Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) work, how to connect and power them, and a variety of ways to control and animate them. Whether you’re looking for a simple indicator light or an art display with 100s of LEDs, this workshop will get you started. Students will be introduced to microcontrollers and CircuitPython, but no prior electronics or programming experience is required.

When?
Two 3-hour sessions in consecutive weeks, dates TBD

Where?
TBC

Who?
Chris Murphy

Registration coming soon

What?
A design portfolio is essential for students, prospective interns, and graduate school applicants to showcase academic design work to both prospective graduate school programs and future employers. Design portfolios have the potential to describe the way students think, relate their previous exposure to industry, and communicate a student’s worldview.

Our Design Portfolio Workshop will be open to both undergraduate and graduate students. Acceptance into the workshop will require a body of design work, a collection of documented or documentable design projects, from all design-related classes or activities completed at MIT. Collected and documented design work will be utilized in the process of conceptualizing and assembling a design portfolio.

WEEK 1: BUILDING THE PAGE
Week one will have two primary goals: 1) Help students acquire skills needed to conceive and produce a complex graphic design project; 2) Help students ask, and answer fundamental questions: What can a book be? How do individuals curate essays in an edited volume or journal? What are the connections between text and image authorship in publications?

WEEK 2: BUILDING THE PORTFOLIO
Week two will focus on the question: What can a portfolio be? How can the practice of book making apply to the design of a portfolio to communicate complexity of thought and practice?

Students have the choice to participate in Part 1, Part 2, or Parts 1 and 2. Software: InDesign

When?
Building the Page & Portfolio 1: Jan 13–16 — 12–4pm
Building the Page & Portfolio 2: Jan 27–30 — 12–4pm

Where?
TBC

Who?
Miko McGinty

Email Paul Pettigrew for information

What?
This course will explore the design of various musical instruments and how design affects functionality for wind, string, percussion and brass instruments. We'll review the history of musical instrument design, a basic overview of acoustics and sound production, and finish with students creating their own musical instrument prototype — physical or digital.

When?
Jan 15 — 9:30am-4pm

Where?
N52 Garage

Who?
Lauren Witte

Register

What?
"Exploring for Inspiration" is an interactive workshop designed to open new perspectives and elevate creative problem-solving by using inspiration as a powerful catalyst. In this engaging session, participants will explore how inspiration fuels innovation across diverse fields, examining examples from art, music, and technology to uncover the elements that drive creativity. Students will be encouraged to reflect on the question, "What inspires me?" as they define problems — drawing from a variety of sources and their own unique personal and professional experiences. This self-reflection will guide participants in discovering the "why" behind their creative pursuits and constructing their own "inner mood boards."

Next, participants will learn techniques for harnessing inspiration during the problem-solving phase. They’ll explore methods for conducting both visual and functional research, integrating insights effectively into their work. Through hands-on activities, participants will identify impactful sources of inspiration and see how these insights can shape their approach to creative solutions—whether their project involves technology, a physical object, or a conceptual idea.

When?
January 7 — 10–11:30am

Where?
TBC

Who?
Yossi Hayut, MITdesignX

Registration coming soon