؜Sprint Brief

؜Students will design and build playful drawing machines powered by different mechanisms. Experiment with gears, cranks, pulleys, and linkages to invent unique ways of drawing. Then, turn it into a game—challenge yourself or others to complete drawing missions, create specific patterns, or compete for the most inventive designs.

WHAT WE ARE DOING

WHY WE ARE DOING IT

Different ways to create artwork using innovative mechanisms

to learn how movement can be used as a form of artistic expression through kinetic art.

Final Project Expectations

The final project will include many mechanisms that move a drawing tool (pen, marker, etc.) to create visible marks or patterns on paper or another surface.

Students will custom-design the structure (using cardboard, wood, plastic, etc.) and ensure the machine can draw.

The machine will include a playful or competitive element:

1. This could be a solo challenge (e.g., trace shapes), a two-player game (e.g., battle drawing bots), or a collaborative mission (e.g., draw as many spirals in a time limit).

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Instructions

A good example of signals are "the launch of chatGPT" or "the fall of the iconic tunnel tree redwood" and good examples of drivers would be "artificial intelligence" or "climate change"

Then, identify signals (glimpses of the future we already see today) and drivers (what made the signal possible)



~15 min

؜Documentation + Art Exhibition

Create a drawing without holding the art instrument in your hand.

Create a final exhibition. Give the exhibition and art works titles. Invite an audience. Talk about your artwork.

؜Brainstorm ideas and sketch your machines movement in three frames. You will select from a menu of game challenges for your bot's design

Conceptualization

Bring your prototype sketch to life by building a cardboard model that recreates your movement.

Model Making

2

3

4

~50 min

~ 150 min

~ 20 min

1

Warm up

~10 min

Look at past examples to get inspired

Precedent Research

؜5

Week 1-2

Week 3-5

Week 6

ACTIVITY MATERIALS

Cardboard

Paint Brushes

Bristol Papers

Zip-ties

Straws

Metal Ruler

Pencil

Markers

Cutting Blade

Masking Tape

Hot Glue Gun

String

Brads

Popsicles and wooden skewers

Warm up!

؜Create a drawing without holding the pen/pencil/marker/paint-brush directly in your hand.

Note: you can extend your reach with other objects like a stick

Instructions

1. Brainstorm how you might make your drawing.
2. Think about what you want to draw
3. Make your drawing!

1.

A precedent is a real-world example or project that you can research to better understand ideas related to your work.

Precedent Research

2.

As pairs:

Go to the toolbox folder and you will find a library of various drawing machines

Select 1 project and answer the following questions on a sheet of paper:

1. What is the primary function of the drawing machine you studied?
2. In what ways do you find the machine innovative or creative?
3. Can you identify any unique materials or technologies used in the machine?

In brainstorming, students collectively generate ideas that will shape the concepts for their group projects. They typically begin by listing ideas individually, then come together to share and discuss them using a pin-up brainstorming board filled with writing, drawings, Post-it notes, and lively conversation.

Conceptualization

A. Brainstorming

What kind of movement will your machine use?

Answer each question and combine the answers to get your final idea!

1. What draws or makes the mark? makers, paint...
2. Drawing Pattern : circular? random? straight? wavy? dotted?
3. Bot Motion: Will it spin? Shake? Roll? Swing?

Examples

1. Paint+ Repeated Circle + Spin = Paint Fan
2. Markers + Random+ Shake = A Box with a vibrating motor and markers taped to the sides

3.

~10mins

Sketching in design thinking is a quick and visual way to explore, communicate, and develop ideas. It helps designers think through problems, test concepts, and share their thoughts with others—without needing polished drawings. Sketches can be rough, but they’re powerful tools for brainstorming, prototyping, and collaboration.

Conceptualization

3.

B. Sketching

Frame 1: Setup

Draw what your machine looks like before it starts moving. Show the parts: the drawing tool, moving parts, and structure.

Frame 2: In Motion

Draw your machine in action. Show what’s moving, how it moves, and how the drawing tool interacts with the surface.

Frame 3: The Mark It Makes

Draw or show the kind of art your machine creates on the page.

~20mins

How to Diagram

• Use multiple sketches in sequence
• Use arrows and text to explain
• Use different views (top, side, etc.)

B. Game Challenge

Let’s turn it into a game! Choose ONE of these fun challenges to guide how you’ll build or play with it:

1. Target Draw: Try to hit or draw on a target! Add a bullseye, shapes, or even a friend's drawing.
2. Speed Round: Set a timer—how much can your machine draw in 60 seconds?
3. Bot Battle: Compete with a friend—whose bot makes the wildest or most beautiful drawing?

Add anything it needs to help play the game: → a paper guide, a spinner, a timer, colors, or a place to mount your machine.

Give your game a fun name and write 1–2 simple rules (e.g., “Draw for 30 seconds. Stay inside the circle to win!”)

Conceptualization

3.

Prototyping is the process of turning your sketches and ideas into physical models that you can test and improve. It starts with drawing your concept, then building simple versions using materials to explore how it moves or works. Prototyping helps you test mechanisms (how parts move or connect) and kinetics (how motion happens), so you can find what works and what needs fixing.

Model Making

4.

You will first select choose 1-2 mechanisms that your machine would use to create the art. Then you will recreate the mechanisms using lo-fi materials.

For example

1. A swinging motion that can be used to drip or drag paint
2. Rotating Arm – A spinning part that can draw circles or spirals (e.g., like a spirograph or spinning marker).
3. Crank and Arm – A hand-turned crank that moves a pen back and forth (like an old sewing machine).

CARDBOARD TECHNIQUES: SHAPING

Bending

Scoring

Curving

Faceting

Layering

Hinging

CARDBOARD TECHNIQUES: JOINERY

Brads

Flanges

Brace

Skewer

Bend

Hinge

Slots

Butt Joint

CARDBOARD TECHNIQUES: Mechanism

Gears

Scissor lift

Grabbing

Waving

Tentacle

Curving

Cam & Follower

Crank & Slider

Find all the resources for basic prototyping techniques and mechanisms in the toolbox!

Model Making

4.

Student Examples

Rotational + Linear Movement

Linear Movement

Rotational Movement

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؜Design a final exhibition.

1. Put the final drawings/artworks around the room in a visually pleasing way.
2. Give the exhibition a title.
3. Invite an audience to see your innovative drawings
4. Afterwards, sit in a circle and reflect on your experience. What kinds of drawing experiences did you like? Why?

؜Art Exhibition

5.

End of Challenge!