Killer Apps for Makers
Image via Verbalplusvisual
Research on creative behavior and motivation proves that tinkering helps us forge new paths towards discovery, fresh ideas, and entrepreneurship. A host of fantastic apps inspire collaboration and drive innovation. There are the standard bearers: crafts-for-sale Etsy and the idea photo board Pinterest. Here are some more creative applications to get you to putter around and play.
With this app by Autodesk, 3D meets DIY. 123D Make lets you turn 3D models into 2D build plans with assembly instructions. Draw a profile curve and 123D Make turns it into a revolved construction. Next, you can print, save and share your 2D build plans to construct your creation out of standard corrugated cardboard. This app is especially good for students who are interested in building 3D assemblies. The desktop version includes a dinosaur, spiral and other preset kits.
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"I used this app to build a model of a retrofitted building in 3D," says Michael, a junior at High Tech High in Lincroft, New Jersey. “It is easy and really helped me to conceptualize my project.”
All projects need resources, whether they’re tiny DIY ventures or multinational research projects. Browse through this virtual lab and find the resources you need to make your crazy idea a reality. makerSQR brings together people and projects to develop inventions. The simple interface matches resources with creatives who need them.
Plus, its designers have real personality. Here’s how they walk you through the app. “As a maker, Joe browses through the lab and finds the old aviation machinery resource that he needs for his zeppelin rain dispenser.”
Maker Faire, a melting pot of crafters, hobbyists, engineers, tech enthusiasts, science exhibitors–you name it, began in the Bay Area and has spread around the world. This app is a portal to the Greatest Show and Tell on Earth. Use it to discover Maker Faire exhibits and presentations.
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It updates hourly with any changes at the Faire. This family-friendly festival of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness is part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new.
This app is perfect for engineer types and electronics DIYers. It simplifies electronics reference calculation so you can have more fun hacking, making, and building your projects. Use it to decipher resistor and capacitor codes, find colors for LED wavelengths, calculate component values, convert between decimal, hexadecimal, binary or ASCII characters, and find power, resistance, current, and voltage with Ohm’s Law and Power Calculator modules.
This app is a design and print shop that is great for small businesses or individual crafters. You can make everything from bridal shower invitations to tote bags to temporary tattoos. Use it to create a logo and get your brand off the ground.
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"I use this app to explore layouts that I will include on my website," says Sarah Laforte, whose French paper company launches this spring.
Discover and create how-to guides on any topic. This app covers arts and crafts, lifestyle, gardening, beauty, home, food, automotive, and technology. With step-by-step instructions, it’ll teach you how to build or make anything you dream up. The ultimate library of how-to guides can teach you how to store paintbrushes, sharpen mower blades, or turn a log into a lamp. Snapguide is a community of users with endless ideas, and you can add your own guides as you bone up on your skills.
"This is my go-to when I have to make drinks for summer house guests," says Rachel Coin, who frequently hosts at her home on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. “I have my phone in the pocket of my shorts, and there’s the recipe for creamsicle cocktails and rosemary blackberry limonata.”
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