About

What are the project aims?

Simply

The project seeks to create a framework for the creation and maintenance of instructions for opensource appropriate technology products.

My goal is that it take 10 minutes or less for someone to have the instructions they need to start building. No more questions, just the answers. And that these instructions are appropriate for their user. Websites are not enough. We need field manuals for disaster relief workers. Black and White printable instructions for developing countries. CAD models for developers. Videos and slideshows for trainers. All on free to use or opensource platforms.

 

In depth

The project seeks to tackles the fundamental question “How much documentation is necessary before it can truly be considered open?”

The project seeks to make access to open source appropriate technology simple for organisations and individuals alike. The knowledge exists, it is simply a job of making it accessible by providing clear and appropriate multi-modal documentation sensitive to the use of the instructions in conditions ranging from extreme scarcity to abundance.

The project seeks to develop tools, conventions and potentially a platform that allows the several types of instructional documentation, ranging from videos to printouts, and their various revisions, translations and source material,  to exist cohesively in an open, collaborative friendly, decentralised, but non-fragmented environment.

The project seeks to make documentation a distinct step in the open hardware development process.

How are you going to do that?

It begins at the same place the original project began. With one good example of multifaceted documentation. Then another, and another until we have a few good examples. Whilst building these examples, we analyse the process of building this level of documentation and break it down  into component parts, so that the next step of building the framework that future documentation will sit in begins with an understanding of the complexities that is nested in the real world as opposed to the conceptual. Then comes the testing of the system by building a few more examples.

Where are we?

The project is in the startup phase. So far it has been a solo voluntary effort and has started with the Plywood Hexayurt. I am now formalising it and creating the legal entities required to solicit funding and so on and so forth. I have a scholarship for the use of Hub Westminister for a month. A promotional video, website and branding are in the works.

What do I/we need?

Collaborators, donations, publicity and advisers. Send me an email at alrazimasri@gmail.com if you can help. Proper donations page is in the works

Team

Graphic Designer

Film Maker

…. Other non-specialist skills

Who am I?

My name is Al Razi Masri. I graduated with an MEng in Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering with Sustainability from Warwick University in 2010. I then spent some time travelling and now I am here. I volunteer for Engineers Without Borders-UK and the Hexayurt Project. My twitter is @jumplogic and my blog is jumplogic.co.uk