Well-making in social design: Opening the potential for makerspaces in social design projects

Abstract

This article highlights well-being outcomes reported by participants in three social design projects where making has featured as a community engagement and research tool. The spaces created through the projects are framed as makerspaces, a well-documented model of physical locations designed purposefully to support people making and mending together, often in a community setting. Using reflections from the perspectives of two practitioner researchers on co-designing, making and using these spaces, the article is part of ongoing research on developing ideas about well-being and making. We call these spaces well-maker-spaces. The aim of this article is to expand understanding of how makerspaces as a social design tool benefit participants and communities. Drawing on evidence generated through art-based research of ways that making with others contributes to well-being, we propose that makerspaces in social design projects can proactively support well-being alongside other social and environmental outcomes.