Bas van Abel is Creative Director of Waag Society. With a background in interaction design and a personal interest in prototyping technologies and electronics Bas has been working on many Waag projects both as a designer and technical engineer. As head of the Open Design Lab the current focus of his work is on designing tangible interactive experiences and open design.
Prototyping is an essential part of Waag Society’s design based research. Bas developed several workshop formats based on prototyping techniques, ranging from design education to innovation processes.
Waag Society’s prototyping facilities are open to the public under the Fablab program. Fablab is an abbreviation for Fabrication Laboratory. In a Fablab, (almost) any type of object can be created beyond the confines of Research & Development departments of industrial monopolists. Fablabs directly facilitate self-expression through personal fabrication. According to Waag Society, Fablabs may be the key to true open innovation.