Virtual Workshops

Connect with the Jacobs Institute by joining a virtual workshop! These workshops are open to all members of the UC Berkeley Community. Please check back often, as new workshops are being regularly added to the schedule. For all workshop inquiries, please reach out to the workshop leader directly. Miss a session but are still interested? Recorded workshops will be added weekly to each listing, and you can find workshops from past semesters archived below.

Use the below calendar to add workshops to your summer schedule! Simply click on an event and select “copy to my calendar” to make sure you don’t miss a day.

Summary of Weekly Workshops:

The following workshops occur on a weekly schedule from June 8 to August 7, excepting the July 4 Academic Holiday, which begins Thursday, July 2 at 12:00 PM. Additional details about each workshop can be found below.

Note: In line with Berkeley convention, all workshops will begin 10 minutes after their listed starting time (i.e. “on Berkeley Time”).

Summary of Seasonal Workshops:

The following workshops run a limited number of times during the semester. Check back regularly for more listings!

Other Resources:

Below you’ll find selected links to external resources for Digital Fabrication education and practicum. Have a favorite tutorial series, podcast, webinar, or how-to guide? Let us know and we’ll include it below!

Summer 2020 Workshop Details:

Intro to Fusion 360 • Led by Nicole Panditi
Topics: 3D modeling in Fusion 360
Recurring Tuesdays @ 12:00 PM

Each week we will cover a different skill for 3D modeling in Fusion360.

Email Nicole: npanditi@berkeley.edu
Required materials: Fusion360, download is free for students
Relevant links: Fusion

Recorded sessions: 

Intro to Rhino • Led by Cody Glen
Topics: Rhino
Recurring Tuesdays @ 12:00 PM

In this workshop series, Design Specialist Cody Glen will demonstrate the fundamentals of Rhino 3D, and introduce attendees to basic concepts of 3d modeling. The workshop will concentrate on design for fabrication, proper geometry, and best-practices.

Email Cody: codyglen@berkeley.edu
Must have Rhino installed prior to joining the workshop

Recorded sessions:
6/9 | 6/16 | 6/23  

Fusion 360 Fundamentals: Weekly Project Build • Led by Adam Hutz
Topics: Fusion 360, CAD, Rendering, Hybrid Workflows
Recurring Tuesdays @ 4:00 PM

Each week we’ll pick an everyday object and see how much we can develop it in a single hour’s time! Submit your ideas to adamhutz@berkeley.edu by Sunday noon, and a selection will be made and posted by Sunday night. These builds will be used to explore specific functionalities and best practices in Fusion 360, and each meeting will end with a rendering of your object that you can show your friends, family, and potential suitors. The level of each tutorial will vary based on the experience of its attendees, but whether you’re starting Fusion for the first time or a seasoned veteran, this collaborative build time will help structure your practice.

Email Adam: adamhutz@berkeley.edu
Recommended materials: Fusion 360; measuring device (tape measure, ruler, calipers, etc)
Link to Autodesk

Recorded sessions:
6/9: “Intro; modeling a phone case (part I)”
6/16: “Modeling a phone case (part II)”
6/23: “Table Set (part I)”
6/30: “Table Set (part II)
7/7: “Gear Trains”
7/14: “Swan Chair”
7/21: CAM Intro (Flat-Pack Chair)
7/28: CAM Continued (2.5D Gear, multi-process setups)

Generative Art using Processing • Led by Chris Parsell
Topics: Programming, Processing, Generative Art, Computational Art,
Recurring Thursdays @ 3:00 PM

Generative art is art programmed using a computer that intentionally introduces randomness as part of its creation process. In this workshop, Chris Parsell will introduce the beginner’s fundamentals for creating visual sketches using Processing, a coding language designed for visual artists (and engineers, architects, app designers, and graphic designers). We will learn how to draw basic geometries, create interactive programs, and add some controlled chaos into our sketches. Processing was made for non-programmers to use so no programming skill is necessary. Each week, the content of this workshop will vary and new techniques will be introduced.

Email Chris: cparsell@berkeley.edu 
Recommended materials and links: Please have Processing installed. Go to processing.org and download the Processing sketchbook app

Recorded sessions: 6/11 | 6/18 | 7/23 | 8/6

Design For Manufacturing (in Jacobs) • Led by Nicole Panditi
Topics: DFM, Laser Cutter, Vinyl Cutter, 3D Printer
Recurring Thursdays @ 12:00 PM

Each weekly workshop session will focus on a different fabrication method available in Jacobs hall, and go over the design considerations and best practices for creating a great project on that machine.

6/11: Injection molder
6/18: Vacuum former
6/25: Vinyl cutter
7/2: [Early closure for July 4 Academic Holiday Weekend]
7/9: 3D printers (FDM)
7/16: Laser cutters
7/23: Shopbot
7/30: SLA & Polyjet 3D Printers
8/6: Fablight
Email Nicole: npanditi@berkeley.edu

Intro to CAD/CAM in Fusion 360
Topics: CAD/CAM, Fusion 360, CNC routers
Tuesday, 6/30, at 11:00 AM

This workshop will be an introductory course in how to prepare a file for CNC routing. We will be using Fusion 360 for this.

Past Workshops:

Some of the below workshops were recorded for asynchronous viewing. Check the links associated with each workshop for availability.

Recurring Mondays in April, 4/6, 4/13, 4/20, 4/27: Fusion 360 Fundamentals: Weekly Project Build • Led by Adam Hutz
Topics: Fusion 360, CAD, Rendering, Hybrid Workflows, CAM

Each week we’ll pick an everyday object and see how much we can develop it in a single hour’s time! Submit your ideas to adamhutz@berkeley.edu by Sunday noon, and a selection will be made and posted by Sunday night. These builds will be used to explore specific functionalities and best practices in Fusion 360, and each meeting will end with a rendering of your object that you can show your friends, family, and potential suitors. The level of each tutorial will vary based on the experience of its attendees, but whether you’re starting Fusion for the first time or a seasoned veteran, this collaborative build time will help structure your practice.

Email Adam: adamhutz@berkeley.edu
Recommended materials: Fusion 360; measuring device (tape measure, ruler, calipers, etc)
Link to Autodesk

Tuesday 4/7: Introduction to Design Process • Led by Tony Ngo
Click here for the slide deck
Topics: Mechanical Design, Product Design

This workshop, “Introduction to Design Process”, is lesson 1 of 5 where I hope to teach everyone the processes and steps involved in mechanical/product design. Every lesson works independently as a separate unit, however together they paint a larger picture of how to take a design from a conceptual idea to a finalized design. This course will take a mechanical engineer’s approach to solving a problem; however, students from all majors are welcomed and encouraged.

Specifically, this lesson will give a broad introduction to how an engineer will begin a design and the steps that are required to execute it successfully. In this lesson, I also plan to go over basic mechanical principles, hardware selection, and simple hand calculations necessary when starting a design.

Email Tony: tonyngo16@berkeley.edu

Wednesday 4/8: Fusion 360 Fundamentals: Parametric Wearables • Led by Adam Hutz
Topics: Fusion 360; CAD, Parametric Design; Wearables

Who is “the human” in “human-centered design”? When developing wearables we sometimes find ourselves designing for a specific body: mine, yours, or a hypothetical user’s far away. And yet no two bodies are the same. How can we use Fusion 360’s parametric capabilities to ensure that whatever design we come up with can be quickly adapted to other people we meet, or all the many potential users of our product? This workshop will cover the basics of parametric design in Fusion 360 with an eye towards wearables.

Email Adam: adamhutz@berkeley.edu
Recommended materials: Fusion 360; measuring device (tape measure, ruler, calipers, etc)
Link to Autodesk

Thursday 4/9: Design of Materials – Material Selection • Led by Tony Ngo
Click here for the slide deck
Topics: Mechanical Design, Product Design

This workshop, “Design of Materials – Material Selection”, is lesson 2 of 5 where I hope to teach everyone the processes and steps that are involved in mechanical/product design. Every lesson works independently as a separate unit, however together they paint a larger picture of how to take a design from beginning to end. This course will take a mechanical engineer’s approach to solving a problem; however, students from all majors are welcomed and encouraged.

Specifically, this lesson will look into the importance of material selection when designing your product and will give a brief introduction to the theory of finite element analysis (FEA).

Email Tony: tonyngo16@berkeley.edu
Slide deck will be posted on the day of the presentation.

Thursday 4/9: Graphic Design + Adobe Illustrator Basics: Designing Your Portfolio • Led by Arianna Ninh
Topics: Adobe Illustrator, Graphic Design

In this workshop, you will learn how to apply basic graphic design principles in Adobe Illustrator to create a portfolio that you can use to showcase your work. I’ll teach you how to use Illustrator to arrange photos and text into aesthetically pleasing compositions, as well as visual design tips and strategies for how you can make your portfolio land a good impression.

Email Arianna: ariannaninh@berkeley.edu
Recommended materials: Adobe Illustrator
Link to Adobe Creative Cloud

Recurring Fridays 4/10, 4/17, 4/24 & 5/1: Intro to Fusion 360 • Led by Nicole Panditi
Topics: 3D modeling in Fusion360

Each week we will cover a different skill for 3D modeling in Fusion360.

Email Adam: npanditi@berkeley.edu
Required materials: Fusion360, download is free for students
Relevant links: Fusion

Recurring Saturdays 4/11 & 4/18: Photogrammetry 101 – Capturing Everyday Objects • Led by Adam Hutz
Topics: Photogrammetry; editing Mesh files

In this workshop we will learn how to use standard smartphones to “capture” everyday objects and bring them into a virtual spaces for editing, processing, and even fabrication. We’ll divide this workshop across two sessions to allow you a week’s time to capture and process some objects on your own. When we resume the following week, we’ll discuss strategies for processing the mesh files to ready them for fabrication.

Email Adam: adamhutz@berkeley.edu
Recommended materials: Camera or smartphone; Autodesk ReCap Photo, which is a part of ReCap Pro (Make sure you get the version for students and educators!); MeshMixer; Blender (optional)
Relevant links: Autodesk, MeshMixer, Blender

Three-part workshop on Tuesdays 4/14, 4/21 & 4/28: Introduction to Rhino • Led by Cody Glen
Topics: Rhino

In this 3-day intensive workshop, Design Specialist Cody Glen will demonstrate the fundamentals of Rhino 3D, and introduce attendees to basic concepts of 3d modeling. The focus of the workshop will concentrate on design for fabrication, proper geometry, and best-practices.

Email Cody: codyglen@berkeley.edu
Must have Rhino installed prior to joining the workshop

Tuesday 4/14: Solidworks Finite Element Analysis Package (FEA) • Led by Tony Ngo
Click here for the slide deck
Topics: Mechanical Design, Product Design, FEA, Solidworks

This workshop, “Solidworks FEA Package,” is lesson 3 of 5, where I hope to teach everyone the processes and steps that are involved in mechanical/product design. Every lesson works independently as a separate unit, however together they paint a larger picture of how to take a design from beginning to end. This course will take a mechanical engineer’s approach to solve a problem; however, students from all majors are welcomed and encouraged.

Specifically, this lesson will look into setting up a basic and intermediate Solidworks FEA analysis of a part. The aim of this workshop is to introduce the majority of the features available in this package and how/when to use each feature.

Email Tony: tonyngo16@berkeley.edu
Slide deck will be posted on the day of the presentation.
Recommended materials: Computer with Solidworks (If not, you can just follow along).

Wednesday 4/15: Solidworks Fluency for Design • Led by Michael McNabb
Topics: Solidworks, Solid Modeling, Time Saving

This workshop will detail shortcuts, UI tweaks, and design strategies which increase user familiarity with the software and cut corners significantly in the design process. We will cover how to utilize the user interface practically, time-saving shortcuts, leveraging component and assembly geometry, and various tools to aid in mechanical design. This workshop is intended for people of all skill levels.

Email Michael: michael.mcnabb@berkeley.edu
Recommended materials: Solidworks installation optional

Three-part workshop on Wednesdays 4/15, 4/22 & 4/29: Advanced Rhino + Grasshopper + C# – Parametric Design • Led by Cody Glen
Topics: Rhino, C+

In this 3 day intensive workshop, Design Specialist Cody Glen will demonstrate the fundamentals of visual programming for 3D modeling software. The focus of the workshop will concentrate on parametric design, coding geometry, and best-practices. We will take a deep-dive into Rhinocommon core and API documentation.

Email Cody: codyglen@berkeley.edu
This workshop is intended for those who have Rhino 3d installed and are familiar with Grasshopper / C#.

Wednesday 4/15: Generative Art using Processing • Led by Chris Parsell
Topics: Processing, Java, Generative art

Generative art is art programmed using a computer that intentionally introduces randomness as part of its creation process. In this workshop, Chris Parsell will introduce the beginner’s fundamentals for creating visual sketches using Processing, a coding language designed for visual artists (and engineers, architects, app designers, and graphic designers). We will learn how to draw basic geometries, create interactive programs, and add some controlled chaos into our sketches. Processing was made for non-programmers to use so no programming skill is necessary.

Email Chris: cparsell@berkeley.edu 
Recommended materials and links: Please have Processing installed. Go to processing.org and download the Processing sketchbook app

Recurring Wednesdays 4/15 & 4/22: Designing Your First Portfolio Workshop • Led by Purin Phanichphant 
Topics: Portfolio building

Having a great portfolio is key to landing a job in the design profession. This workshop aims to help get a student’s portfolio off the ground by showing good and bad examples, strategies on creating impressions for reviewers, and a step-by-step guide on how to put one’s first portfolio together. We’ll review/critique student portfolios together as a way to learn and build up on each other’s work. Students will receive 1:1 feedback on how to refine and push their portfolios past the first finish line.

This is a two-part workshop – to get the most benefit, please attend both parts.

Email Purin: purin@berkeley.edu

Three-part workshop on Thursdays 4/16, 4/23 & 4/30: Fusion360 + Generative Design: Designing for Forces
2 PM, led by Cody Glen
Topics: Fusion360

In this 3 day intensive workshop, Design Specialist Cody Glen will demonstrate the fundamentals of Generative Design for Fusion360. The focus of the workshop will concentrate on parametric design for forces, problem-conditioning and best-practices. We will take a deep-dive into Generative Design for Fusion360.

Email Cody: codyglen@berkeley.edu
Recommended materials: Please have Fusion360 installed
Relevant links: Autodesk

Thursday 4/16: Hand-Sewing Basics: How to Spice Up Your Clothes with Custom Alterations
3 PM, led by Arianna Ninh
Topics: Hand sewing, Clothing Customization, Tailoring

In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn how you can easily customize the clothing you already have in your closet with basic hand-sewing and tailoring techniques. I’ll start by demonstrating a few common examples of clothing alteration methods. Then students will introduce their own project ideas based on their clothing, and I will walk them through how to sew/execute their ideas according to their style choices.

Email Arianna: ariannaninh@berkeley.edu
Recommended materials: Sewing needle, cotton thread, clothing that you want to customize, and an idea about how you want to alter your clothing.
Relevant links: Sewing Kit from Amazon

Recurring Thursdays 4/16 & 4/23: Graphic Design: Typography!
5 PM, led by Katherine Qiu
Topics: Graphic Design, Typography

This two-day workshop will go over some of the basics of typography, branding, and layout. Learn how to manipulate vectors in illustrator and use various tools to create a unique font! This will be half slides, half demo format! The first meeting will give you the basics, some inspiration, and a project. In the second meeting, we will reconvene, share our work, and answer any questions you might have. Hopefully you will walk away from this with a nice graphic design portfolio piece that explores type in a fun way!

Email Katherine: qiukatherine@berkeley.edu
Required materials: Downloading Adobe Illustrator is highly recommended! (And a necessity by the second workshop date) 
Links: Download for Adobe Illustrator

Tuesday 4/21: Solidworks Drawings + GD&T
3 PM, led by Tony Ngo
Click here for the slide deck
Topics: Mechanical Design, Product Design, Solidworks, Engineering Drawings

This workshop, “Solidworks Drawings + GD&T,” is lesson 4 of 5 where I hope to teach everyone the processes and steps that are involved in mechanical/product design. Every lesson works independently as a separate unit, however together they paint a larger picture of how to take a design from beginning to end. This course will take a mechanical engineer’s approach to solve a problem; however, students from all majors are welcomed and encouraged.

Specifically, this lesson will focus on creating an engineering drawing on Solidworks, and introducing the majority of features and how/when to use them. Furthermore, this lesson will teach basic GD&T practices and how/when to use each symbol.

Email Tony: tonyngo16@berkeley.edu
Slide deck will be posted on the day of the presentation.
Recommended materials: Computer with Solidworks (If not, you can just follow along)

Thursday 4/23: Machine Sewing Basics: How to Sew a Face Mask
3 PM, led by Arianna Ninh
Topics: Machine sewing

The coronavirus outbreak has led to a global shortage of face masks, and sewers across the US are filling the gap for healthcare providers on the frontlines by stitching their own at home. In this sewing workshop, we will cover the basics of operating a sewing machine, discuss the properties of different textile materials in face masks, and finally, I’ll guide you through a step-by-step tutorial of how to sew your own face mask.

Note: Homemade face masks are not as effective as surgical face masks or N95 respirators. But when hospitals are running out of masks altogether, they can be used as a last-resort measure.

Email Arianna: ariannaninh@berkeley.edu

Recommended materials: A sewing machine, spool of thread, and threaded bobbin that fits in your sewing machine. 2 pieces of 9”x6” 100% cotton fabric (any tightly woven cotton fabric works, such as denim, flannel, bedsheets or cotton heavyweight shirts). A bit of metal wire (such as a paperclip), 2 pieces of ¼” elastic band (or other stretchy elastic cord, such as hairbands. Alternatively, string or fabric strips will work too), sewing pins, and an iron (optional).

Note: if you don’t have all of the recommended materials, I encourage you to be creative in using what you might have at home. I suggested some alternatives in the materials list above. The fabric you use should be tightly woven organic material like 100% cotton, to ensure breathability. Avoid any synthetic fabrics, because they aren’t breathable. You should wash and dry your fabric beforehand to prevent shrinkage.

Friday 4/24: Low-Touch Arduino: Hands-Free Automators for the New Normal
2 PM, led by Adam Hutz
Topics: Arduino Microcontrollers, Arduino IDE
Email Adam: adamhutz@berkeley.edu

In this workshop, we will use an Arduino microcontroller to create a proximity-sensing actuator for a light switch or soap dispenser. While this kind of device could be very useful around the house for preventing the contamination of shared surfaces, the project will also serve as a pretext for our learning how to program and use microcontrollers! We will start from zero—what is a microcontroller?—and proceed to build what is fundamentally an input-output device.

A note about materials: We’ve pushed the date for this workshop to allow for material shipping time. Please order early if you’d like to build along! If you are not able to acquire the below materials, or are only able to secure a portion of them, you can still join us for the tutorial! If you DO plan to build along with us, then do your best to order your kit or components early, as shipping times have been impacted considerably by the shutdown of the global economy.

Materials we’ll use include: An Arduino (or knockoff), breadboard, jumpers, USB cable, 5v power supply (or 4 AA batteries + battery pack); 9v power supply (or 9v battery + battery pack), servo motor, and proximity sensor (kits below). We’ll also need the Arduino IDE, a free software package that can be downloaded from here. The below kits each include all of the above materials and more for decent prices. I’ve included four options in the event that shipping from any particular source becomes compromised. If you already have some of the above components, you can also simply buy the individual pieces you need and forego the kit. We’ll also need some cardboard, some way to cut that cardboard (good scissors, Exacto), and a way of adhering that cardboard (tape, glue). Check back for more updates on the recommended materials!

Links to materials can be found: here, here, and here.

Tuesday 4/28: HSMWorks (Solidworks) + Design for Manufacturing
3 PM, led by Tony Ngo
Click here for the slide deck
Topics: Mechanical Design, Product Design, Solidworks, Manufacturing, HSMWorks

This workshop, “MasterCam(Solidworks) + Design for Manufacturing,” is lesson 5 of 5 where I hope to teach everyone the processes and steps that are involved in mechanical/product design. Every lesson works independently as a separate unit, however together they paint a larger picture of how to take a design from beginning to end. This course will take a mechanical engineer’s approach to solve a problem; however, students from all majors are welcomed and encouraged.

Specifically, this lesson will teach students how to use HSMWorks on Solidworks and how to design a part for manufacturing. This lesson will conclude the entire course and aims to wrap up the entire engineering process.

Email Tony: tonyngo16@berkeley.edu
Slide deck will be posted on the day of the presentation.
Recommended materials: Computer with Solidworks + HSMWorks(If not, you can just follow along)

Wednesday 4/29: Casting Livecast – Make It Chocolate!
2 PM, led by Adam Hutz
Topics: Casting, silicone 

Have you ever looked at a light bulb, salt shaker, or computer mouse and thought, “Yes, it is good, but it’s no chocolate?” Fret no more! Let’s learn to take small household objects and make them chocolate. We’ll cover the very basics of one- and two-part mold making using a food-safe silicone putty. The skills and considerations described in this workshop will translate to replicating 3D-printed parts, and even, to some extent, mass production techniques like injection molding. The molds you create can be used to make chocolate or ice facsimiles, or you can invest in any number of two-part urethanes or platinum silicones (with mold release) to mix up and use on your own.

Email Adam: adamhutz@berkeley.edu
Needed materials: Food-grade silicone putty Chocolate chips! (if you want to make chocolate reproductions) Water (if you want to make ice cube reproductions)
Relevant links for materials: Amazon

Thursday 4/30: UIUX: Figma Basics
5 PM, led by Katherine Qiu
Topics: UIUX, Figma

Learn how to use components tool on figma (free UIUX design software that is collaborative!). Create repeatable designs that are easily changed by editing one master component! (applicable for sketch and adobe XD too)

Email Katherine: qiukatherine@berkeley.edu
Required materials: Make an account for Figma
Slides will be provided day-of