Makers’ Inquiry

This is a research format based on an open and replicable online survey , which aims to explore the condition of producers operating in a certain geographical reality. External researchers will be able to carry out the survey in their countries starting from the same format. In this way, it would be possible to extend the database as time goes on and compare the results at an international level.

The main concepts of the makers’ Inquiry are:

1. The survey was carried out not only on makers, auto-production designers or lab managers as subjects, but also on making, micro and self-production as an economic activity;

2. The different subjects (makers, designers and lab managers) were involved in the phase where the dedicated questions were formulated;

3. The results are released as open data, directly usable by the maker for the development of its activities.

The first edition was tested in Italy in 2014, it involved 134 makers, lab manager and designer-autoproducers and was officially presented in March 2015 at Polifactory.