NEWSROOM

Unleash your stories – Johanna Lloyd

For Johanna Lloyd, a medical student at  the University of Auckland, inspiration came straight from the Maker Space. Using Maker Space equipment and materials, she created a Harry Potter-themed “Settlers of Catan” board game.

Johanna’s story

Johanna has always enjoyed handicrafts, but had never made anything machine-based before. So when she heard about Unleash Space, she immediately signed up and began her training to use all the machinery and equipment in the Maker Space. Throughout these training sessions, ideas just popped into Johanna’s head of the many things she could make with the equipment at the space. One of these ideas was a Harry Potter-themed “Settlers of Catan” board game, which Johanna thought would make use of a multitude of technology, teach her a variety of skills, and be a perfect gift for an enthusiast.

Johanna used the laser cutter to make the board and pieces, the vinyl cutter to decorate the front cover of the box, the 3D printer for the dice, and the vacuum former for the box insert. There was a bit of “trial and error”, but eventually, with the help of the creative technologists at the Maker Space, the board game turned out very well.

Working on this project was an enjoyable experience for Johanna, and she is planning to work on  more creative projects in the future at the Maker Space. Learning the skills to use this technology, as well as the mindset of designing and testing things out yourself, is something Johanna believes is important no matter what your field.