My name is Elliott, and I started Spaghetti Lab to help share all this great info I had been picking up over the years working as a sound artist and studying the future of technology at a school called OCAD University in Toronto.

I realized that while many of the tools in this guide are commonly used by adults, there is no reason why younger audiences can’t be using them today. And the tools aren’t limited to technology, as we have a section of creative techniques too.

So i’ve compiled a whole bunch of tools for you to check out. I hope you find them useful, and keep in mind this list only scratches the surface as to what’s out there.

WELCOME!

Software is a great place to build your toolkit.

There are plenty of applications available, many of them free, that let you design your own concepts.

Software is also a great place to begin when learning how to code, which will ultimately help you when working with hardware too.

SOFTWARE

1. MAX

Max (formerly known as Max.MSP) was created by programmer Miller Puckette while working at a place in France called IRCAM.

It was originally geared towards sound artists and composers, but has numerous other uses in your toolkit. For starters, it’s a great way to explore programming without having to write code.

You connect objects to each other, and test out the results. The set of tools known as Jitter adds video and 3D capabilities into the program. Max is made by the software company Cycling ’74,and it costs money. However, there are very flexible educational discounts.

Miller Puckette is also the creator of a similar program that is free called Pure Data.

To use an Arduino in Max (which we discuss later on in the Hardware section), you can read and write data to the Serial object, but for a more reliable connection look into the Maxuino project which involves flashing your Arduino with Firmata.

2. Pure Data

Also known as Pd, this program works in a similar fashion to Max in that you build programs and systems by connect objects to each other.

Its video library is called Gem, and while not as smooth as Jitter in Max, it is certainly sufficient for many projects.

To use an Arduino in conjunction with Pure Data you can look into using the pDuino library.

The big advantage of using Pure Data over Max is that it’s free and open source, with versions available for Linux and Raspberry Pi.

3. Scratch

Scratch is a free program by MIT, one of the most prolific universities in the world for teaching and researching technology.

It is aimed at teaching younger students how to code by arranging blocks and running your program. Scratch is useful beyond just learning how to code, though. Explore the community to see just how far people are able to take a fairly limited set of tools to the next level. You can remix other projects, or simply use them as inspiration for your own games or applications. While the program and its mascot might look a little childish, don’t write it off. Keep it in your toolkit!

Scratch can run in the browser or on your operating system - including Linux on the Raspberry Pi.

4. Sonic Pi

Is a free program that lets you make music by writing code. As the name suggests, it runs on the Raspberry Pi, but is also available for the Mac and PC.

Sonic Pi is a good introduction to the world of ‘live coding’, which is a type of performance that is done using programming in front of an audience.

5. Little Big Planet

Little Big Planet, now on version 3 for the Playstation is an amazing game which lets users create their own levels and share them on the network.

To design levels, your character repels around like a construction worker, and you place objects and chips which perform various tasks.

The environment is colourful and engaging, and the combination of tools makes it almost limitless considering you are able to do all this with a Playstation controller.

6. Processing

Coding is a very popular these days, but not all coding environments are very engaging.

Processing aims to help teach you the fundamentals of programming, and it does so with an extensive library of demos and tutorials.

Some of the best tutorials for Processing are by Daniel Shifman and his channel The Coding Train.

7. SketchUp Make

Sketchup Make is a great introduction to the world of 3D modeling.

Also known as CAD design, this tool allows you to design your ideas in a space that resembles the real world.

CAD is also part of the skills also the skills necessary to build prototypes with a 3D printer.

8. Supercollider

A more advanced program than Sonic Pi, Supercollider also lets you make music in realtime using code. It is also possible to launch graphical widgets in the program too.

The results can be far more bizarre than working with a regular audio program, so it’s worth experimenting with some of the examples to see what we mean.

Supercollider runs on the Mac, PC and Linux.

9. IFTTT

IFTTT stands for “If This Then That”, which is a bit of programming lingo. The service lets you mashup different web services, but also Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as the Particle Photon.

The way it works is you start with one application and decide what the triggers are. For example, if a tweet shows up in your feed with the word “apple”, you can have it send you an email or turn on a light in your home. There are all kinds of “recipes” from the community which you can try out for yourself.

IFTTT is very useful for programming different ideas, without having to type out code.

10. MadMapper

Projection mapping is the act of projecting an image onto a surface that might not look like a traditional movie screen.

Let’s say you want to project images onto a cube to make it come “alive”, some sort of software will have to be used to manipulate the video in a 3D space ahead of time.

While there are many tools available to do this, MadMapper is the industry standard and a household name by many projection mapping artists.

11. Resolume

VJing is the act of performing with video clips in front of an audience. It is usually done in conjunction with a sound or DJ performance. Resolume is one such tool that is very popular for achieving this task. You prepare your video clips ahead of time, and then inside the software you can control how fast or slow they play, or layer them with other clips.

Taking Resolume one step further, it is possible to output the results into MadMapper to create a video performance or installation that is projection mapped.

12. Ableton Live

Ableton Live has been a staple in the electronic music community for over a decade.

However just being a music tool isn’t enough to make the cut for the Young Innovator’s Toolkit. Ableton goes a step further for the tinkerer because it is well equipped to take messages from a variety of sources using the Max for Live add-on.

Using the Connection Kit, it has capabilities for talking to Lego Mindstorms, Arduino and more platforms.

13. TouchOSC

While we are able to create our own controllers using a platform such as the Arduino, and we can use all sorts of midi controllers as well, a program like TouchOSC allows you to accomplish this task with just your mobile device.

The connection is between the phone and computer is made over a wi-fi network.

In the “old days” there was a stigma around promoting your work and marketing it new audiences. However this work is essential for getting feedback on your ideas and improving them. This next set of tools will help you achieve these critical tasks.

PROMOTION AND MARKETING

14. Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe’s programs are probably the most popular in the creative community. In the past they were very expensive, however they now operate on a subscription model with educational discounts.

For this guide we will highlight the program InDesign which is useful for making booklets and zines to promote your projects, and Photoshop for creating and remixing images.

Those two programs are just the tip of the iceberg though, as there is Premiere and After Effects for film production, and Audition for audio editing and podcast creation.

15. Mailchimp

While many youngsters believe email is irrelevant these days, statistics show otherwise.

Mailchimp is useful for maintaining a connection with your fans, and also lets you get data on what they’re interested by seeing what they click on.

Start your first newsletter and play around. Using its drag-and-drop the process is very easy. Grow your list by adding signup forms on your website

16. Wordpress

There are plenty of tools for creating a website and blog quickly, and many of them are free such as Squarespace, Weebly and Wix. However there are many limitations to these platforms.

Wordpress is the most popular tool for creating a website that you own, by installing it on a webhost.

You can then extend its functionality by adding on plugins and installing new themes. Many of the best themes cost money, but they are worth it.

A great use for your Wordpress website would be a portfolio that showcases your projects.

17. Trello

Trello is a project management tool that is based on the kanban method which was originally by Toyota in the context of the factory assembly line.

It’s useful for keeping track of your projects, but also motivating you to continually improve them by moving cards across the board.

A common setup for Trello would be to have a column for Backlog - which is the features you would like to see, Doing - for tasks that are being worked on, QA - for tasks that are being reviewed and seeking feedback - and Done.

1. SurveyMonkey

Surveymonkey is a tool for getting feedback from potential users, or people who have already engaged with your project.

Getting feedback is one of the most important tools in your toolkit, and failure to garner this insight will be very costly to the quality of your work moving forward.

Make a habit of getting feedback from your friends or even better, strangers, early on in your creative process.

18. iMovie/Garageband

These two programs which are free on the Mac platform are being lumped together because they essentially do the same thing, with different focus in each case.

Garageband is great for writing and arranging music, but is also an excellent choice for making podcasts as well. It has a great library of loops and sounds which are convenient to get the inspiration flowing.

19. Behance

Being creative and making things can sometimes be a lonely task. Always make sure to be looking out for a network that can help inspire you and support your work.

Behance is one such destination for artists to share their work and make new friends. Known as a ‘portfolio’ tool, it is also helpful to post your projects to keep track of the progress you are making.

20. Shopify

Made something cool and ready to start selling it? Shopify makes it easy for you to set up a store and start taking orders. Adding products and placing them into categories is also easy to do.

Sell your stuff in person using the new card reader connected to your mobile device.

If you are younger, you should ask your parents about how to proceed to make sure they are onboard and so all matters related to banking can be worked out.

Traditionally, hardware was something that you bought, used and didn’t question. Everything has changed in this area as you now have the tools to build your own hardware tools quickly, test them out and then bring them to the market (or the schoolyard).

HARDWARE

21. Arduino

Arduino is a platform for prototyping projects that use electronics. It is a small board about the size of a credit card, and you program it over USB.

Used alongside a breadboard, you can set up little experiments with LED lights, sensors and even small screens.

The UNO model is the most popular starting point, and from there you can advance to other models that have features such as WiFi built-in or the Lilypad which can be sewn into garments for wearable technology projects.

There is also the Arduino software, which either runs on the desktop or in the browser. It flashes the device with whatever code you want, and has plenty of examples built-in.

Shortcut: To operate the Arduino without having to write code, flash it with the Firmata program (link to Firmata page).

22. Firmata

Firmata is technically software, but since it is only really used for the Arduino, we’re filing it in the hardware section.

Firmata is a library that you upload to your Arduino so that it can be controlled more easily by other programs such as Max or Processing.

The downside to using Firmata is that other sensor modules which require their own library might not be compatible in this mode.

23. Raspberry Pi

Raspberry Pi is a mini-computer that runs a special version of the Linux operation system. It plugs into a monitor using a HDMI cable, and then you connect a keyboard and mouse to it as well.

While it has a graphical interface similar to Mac and Windows, it often runs a little slowly.

The best way to operate the Pi is using the command line, which will help train you to become a real power user of any computer system. Some models have WiFi built-in, and there is an Ethernet port to connect it to the modem over a cable.

The limitations of the Pi make it fun, so don’t be discouraged if you find that it can’t do everything your laptop can.

When running a Pi without a screen, it is known as “headless”… ewwww!

24. littleBits

littleBits is a platform for creating electronics projects by using small modules that snap together with magnets.

Although they can be costly compared to most Arduino kits, they are very user friendly. There are many different kits to choose from, or you can purchase modules individually.

There is also an Arduino module which you can program yourself.

25. Makey Makey

Makey Makey was born out of the Lifelong Kindergarten at MIT, the same place where Scratch comes from.

It’s a simple board that lets you attach anything you want with metal clips, which in turn can trigger things to happen in the computer. The classic example is being able to play the piano by tapping bananas or running up and down the stairs.

While it seems a little simple compared to the Arduino, many people enjoy all the creative results you can achieve with such limitations.

26. Particle Photon

While higher end Arduino boards have wifi on them, the Particle Photon is focused on wireless connectivity specifically.

The code editor is accessed through a web browser, and there’s also a mobile app for sending and receiving messages from the device.

There are even versions of the Photon that have cellular connectivity.

27. 3D Printers

3D printing is so hot right now, and we mean that literally since it operates on the principle of melting plastic or filament. Known as additive manufacturing, a 3D printer will construct a shape based on a 3D model or CAD drawing.

In its current state, most 3D printers available to consumers are quite slow, but it is possible to use other services such as Shapeways to order designs that get delivered to you.

This process would be useful for making cases for your prototypes, or if you are designing a board game you can make custom tiles and chips with engravings on them.

28. Midi Controllers

Midi (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a communications protocol that was originally designed for musical keyboards to talk to each other and with computers.

These days they often just connect over USB, and in some cases wirelessly.

While their use in music is a case for Captain Obvious to tackle, it is worth noting that midi controllers come in all shapes and sizes. Some of them have all kinds of buttons that light up, and don’t represent a musical keyboard at all.

29. Portable Recorders

While including a camera in this guide would be another page out of the book of Captain Obvious, one tool that is commonly overlooked is a portable sound recorder. These are devices that are focused on recording sound alone, and can uncover amazing creative results. You can record nature sounds, the sound of the city, or use it to produce a podcast by interviewing your friends and family.

The most popular brand is Zoom because they make good devices at an affordable price. The H2 Model is a good choice for something portable and can recording in surround. The H4N models and up are great because they are more sturdy, can accept different types of microphones, and also have inputs for plugging in external microphones.

Portable recorders can be used in conjunction with a DSLR camera to help capture better sound that the camera isn’t capable of otherwise.

30. Soldering

When doing projects say from a typical Arduino kit, the parts come together by plugging in wires. Sometimes though, you want to take the project to the next level and “glue” it together. This is called soldering.

It is kind of like using a glue gun, except it requires the use of both hands. One hand will hold the solder (like a metal glue), and the other hand will hold the iron. You have to be careful to not breathe the fumes in, so there are “extractor fans” which help suck up the smoke.

While sometimes it seems like all of our electronics appear out of ‘magic’, many people around the world are hard at work in factories soldering parts together.

31. BBC micro:bit

Micro:bit is a tiny programmable computer, which aims to help make learning coding more fun. The board was designed by broadcaster BBC as an education initiative in the UK.

Its main feature is a grid of lights with two buttons, but it also has the ability to read a signal using analog inputs (similar to Makey Makey).

Micro:bit can be programmed using a “blocks” editor which is a great introduction to programming, and can also be used to learn Python for more advanced students.

32. LilyPad Wearables

Lilypad is a family of Arduino-based boards intended for use in wearable technology. Using “conductive thread”, which is a type of thread that is able to move electricity, you can sew together circuits for things like costumes or other uses related to assisting people with disabilities.

The challenge with Lilypad projects is making sure the threads do not cross over each other - this is called a short circuit and can lead to damaging or frying the board.

33. Drones

Drones are currently most popular in the world of photography, capturing amazing shots from a vantage point that most people couldn’t get to previously.

However drones are useful for areas that we are only starting to imagine. For example, people are starting to envision drones being used to deliver packages.

What else might we use a drone for? You might not have access to play around with one now, but keep the idea of it in your toolkit.

34. Leap Motion

Many years ago, movie audiences were wowed by the character John Anderton in the movie Minority Report (played by Tom Cruise). The character operates a computer just by waving his hands and speaking to the computer.

While most computers are still operated with a mouse and keyboard, you can add on the Leap Motion controller to enable hand control. Additional ‘gestures’ can be set up as well to perform different tasks.

The classic quote “80 percent of success is showing up”, rings true when thinking about the creative process. But sometimes showing up is difficult... we’re not in the mood, we’re a little discouraged. So we need to employ some tricks to keep the flow going when the going gets tough.

CREATIVE EXERCISES

35. Meditation/Yoga

The world can be a stressful place. If you live in a big city, you are exposed to advertisements and noise throughout the day, and it’s very possible to lose sight of who you are and what you’re interested in achieving.

Meditation and its friend mindfulness is a way of slowing down, focusing on your breath and getting in touch with your emotions.

You can take a meditation class to assist in this process, and another great way to get into this state is through Yoga classes as well.

36. Future Scenario Building

Innovation requires the foresight to not only address today’s problems, but those of tomorrow too. We are aware of many issues facing us this year, but what do you think the planet is going to look like in 2050? How about 3080?

Using exercises to help envision random scenarios in the future, it is possible to come up with inventions that can be used today.

Card games such as Thing from the Future help us get into this frame of mind.

37. Science Fiction

Similar to Future Scenario Building, engaging with Science Fiction is a great way to come up with innovations for the future. By immersing ourselves in storylines that paint a picture of the future, we can imagine what are some of the issues that follow us around as humans at any time.

For example, in the movie Blade Runner, we learn about replicants, which are artificial humans from another planet who have made it back to Earth and need to be hunted down.

We have a lot of issues amongst humans as it is, what will the world look like if we are able to essentially manufacture new people in factories?

38. Gratitude

Gratitude, or the act of being thankful is something that you can practise every day at any time, and should help you feel better about your situation.

The creative process can be challenging at times - some times we have difficulty turning on ‘the idea faucet’, or we have difficulty convincing others that our idea is a good one. Alongside tools like meditation, practising gratitude is empowering at these times.

For example, do you see your situation as being at a disadvantage, or are you able to recognize all the awesome forces that have made you into the person you are today?

Are you able to recognize all the forces that came together to create your life at this very second?

39. Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is a great way to come up with new ideas, or keep an inventory of the progress you are making already.

The way it works is you create circles with a topic (called a “node”), and then connect it to related topics.

This image should help explain what we mean:

It’s a great tool to use when you’re stuck on an idea, or want to help explain an idea to others.

40. Business Model Canvas

Don’t let the word Business scare you - this tool is great for any project you’re working on. The Business Model Canvas (BMC) helps identify all the angles of your project, be it from the standpoint of how you will make money from it to identifying any potential partners or competitors.

The BMC works the best on a large piece of paper and sticky notes. As your project evolves, you can update the information on the sticky notes.

Why this is useful: A traditional business plan was kind of written in stone. However, that’s not really how things work in practise. The BMC is an innovative way of keeping track of your idea and letting it evolve over time.

41. Life Interviews

Not sure what you want to be when you “grow up”, or are you a grown up who still isn’t sure what they want to be?

Life interviews is a technique from the book, Designing Your Life. The idea is simple, if you’re interested in a particular area of work, say becoming a professional filmmaker, you should do whatever it takes to be able to meet with someone who is already doing this successfully.

This will help you learn about some of the skills needed to succeed in an area you’re interested, or find out what are some of the pitfalls that most people commonly have. Should you get the opportunity to sit down with someone, make sure to have a list of good questions written down ahead of time. Show this person that you have taken the time to research their career and make the conversation about them, not you.

Conversations that continue over a period of time is known as the process of mentorship.

42. List of 100

Sometimes having to stretch your mind as far as it can go will yield amazing results. Making a list of 100 is like a brainstorming tool on vitamins.

Let’s say you’re making a zine, and you don’t have anything to write about. Make a list of 100 topics. If this might seem daunting, break them down by groups of ten. One category might be things involving school, another might things around the house.

Pair this technique with mind mapping and you will be an idea machine!

43. Bodystorming

When designing an app or some kind of service, we tend to think that all of the design process happens on paper. The problem with this is that it leaves out the human component to everything we do. Bodystorming is like brainstorming, except you act an idea out with your colleagues.

One of the best examples of bodystorming is in the movie The Founder, about the creators of McDonald’s. The fast food industry in the 1960s was anything but fast, so the McDonald brothers wanted to change that. When designing a new kitchen, they took their staff to a nearby tennis court, and drew plans for kitchen with chalk on the ground.

Then they got everyone to act out the process of making hamburgers and kept tweaking it until everything seemed just right.

With that information, they were able to go ahead and re-design the kitchen for real.

44. Inspiration Journal

There are so many great ideas out there, and if you don’t take the time to note them down somewhere you will probably forget that they exist.

One way to solve this is by creating a journal just for your inspiration. This can contain magazine clippings, screenshots from websites, or anything relevant to your area of interest.

Using a tool like Evernote, you can clip all kinds of media, including sound files.

45. Prototyping

A prototype is a low-resolution model of an idea that you are trying to test. The goal is to make simply a representation of your idea - just enough to be able to show it to others and test it.

Many innovators lose precious time because they don’t believe their prototype is ‘good enough’ to show to anyone. So they plow forward with their head down, unaware that no one is interested in what they’re doing, or that the way the idea functions is flawed.

The Prototyping Mindset means you are ok with making these low-resolution models and are willing to show them to other people. The models are even useful for yourself to try out.

You can make prototypes of interfaces using paper, plates, string, or just about any material. In the digital realm, a prototype can be made with programs like Balsamiq or Invision. On the hardware level, a platform like Arduino is designed exactly for this use.

46. Patience

We want everything to happen now.

We want to figure out how something works by the end of the day. This is not how the creative process work though.

Ideas need time to percolate. We have to make a lot of mistakes and be ok with failing before we get it right.

It’s not an easy lesson to learn, but just know that when things seem impossible, you have to pull patience out of your toolkit.

47. Storyboarding

Storyboarding is a technique that originates from the film world, but it can be used in many more areas such as web or product design.

A typical storyboard is divided up into small squares, and is filled in with an illustration. To apply this technique to the design process, can you map out how you expect your user to use a particular invention that you’re working on? Maybe this can help you before you come up with a solution to a problem?

48. Pomodoro Technique

Also known as “time boxing”, the Pomodoro Technique helps get your projects done.

The way it works is simple: you set a timer for say ten or fifteen minutes, and try to get a task done in time before it goes off. Some advocates of this technique encourage the use of a kitchen timer and the ticking sound it creates, while others might want to use an app (and there are hundreds of them available now).

Have you been putting off trying out an experiment or getting a certain project going? Give the Pomodoro Technique a shot.

49. Playful Triggers

Playful triggers is a technique by which you use physical objects to either plan out a scenario or visualize a project. You can also think of it as ‘playing with toys’, however you are doing so with a goal in mind.

The process can be used to increase communication with your teammates, or uncover any new ideas that weren’t previously explored.

50. You

You are the most important tool in the Young Innovator’s Toolkit. Working with you starts by believing in yourself and knowing that you can accomplish anything by focusing on the things that are most important.

Don’t get discouraged when you see others accomplishing projects that you don’t feel like you are capable of. Instead, be inspired by their ability to finish the task.

When coming across friends or classmates who cause problems, learn to acknowledge them kindly but not let them get in the way of what you want to achieve.

Make a habit of working on your creative projects every day, and keep a journal to track your progress.

Spaghetti Lab believes in you, but you have to believe in yourself first!

Wow that was a lot of stuff hey? You might feel overwhelmed by all the tools in this guide, but if they inspired you then just take your time as you look into which ones you want to start using.

Important: To get new tutorials on things mentioned in this ebook, make sure to sign up to our mailing list over at spaghettilab.net/signup.

WRAPPING UP

Version 1.1

The Young Innovator’s Toolkit was written and researched by Elliott Fienberg.

Graphic design by Valentina Stankovic.

Thank you to Suzanne Stein from OCAD University who helped inspire the Creative Exercises section.

This eBook can be shared amongst classmates and printed in schools with no issues.

CREDITS