Prototyping/2025-2026/XPUB2
Compared to last year, prototyping is a bit different this year. Where in the first year prototyping provided you with a lot of input, the second year is all about you processing this input (mixed with other sources of input of course), to find something specific that you would like to focus on this year.
In the beginning of the year, it is quite likely that you do not know exactly yet what this focus point is, and that's oke! ☺ The prototyping classes will support you in this search, in different ways, through:
- prototyping (of course!)
- peer learning
- tutorial support
- public try-outs/release events
An important note to add is that you can choose to work collectively or individually throughout the whole year, or find a combination of the two. You cannot write a thesis collectively[1], but you can graduate with a collective research project! Maybe some parts of your prototyping research are done collectively, while other parts are done on your own. Or maybe you and others work on something very specific that is presented within a collective framework at the gradshow. Just find a way of working that works for you!
Another important note to add is that the thesis and the research project (can) go hand-in-hand! It is up to you how you combine the two, we recommend to not approach these as two separate things. How can the one feed the other and visa-versa?
The public try-outs/release events of this year:
- XPUB try-outs night #1: Monday 1 December 2025 @ PZI
- XPUB try-outs night #2: Monday 23 March 2026 @ Leeszaal(?)
- XPUB gradshow: July? 2026 @ ???
Trimester 2
WEEK 0
Monday 5 January
No class (workshop with Clara)
WEEK 1
Monday 12 January with Manetta
pad: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/XPUB2-prototyping-trim2-WEEK-1
morning: collective organising
- introduce this trimester
- feedback/reflect on Try-outs night #1
- Try-outs night #2
- graduation publication
- workshops.xpub.nl proposal
afternoon: tutorials with Manetta
14:00-15:00 kiara + lexie 15:00-16:00 eleni + kim 16:00-17:00 wyn + claudio
WEEK 2
Monday 19 January with Manetta + Kamo
morning: workshops (self-organized)
10:00-11:30 <workshop> 11:30-13:00 <workshop>
afternoon: tutorials with Kamo
14:00-15:00 kiara + ... 15:00-16:00 ... + ... 16:00-17:00 ... + ...
afternoon: tutorials with Manetta
14:00-15:00 eleni(got a tut last week too, so if anyone needs this slot lmk) + ... 15:00-16:00 ... + ... 16:00-17:00 ... + ...
WEEK 3
Monday 26 January with Manetta
pad: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/XPUB2-prototyping-trim2-WEEK-3
morning: collective organising + workshop
11:00-11:30 collective organising 11:30-13:00 <workshop> ✧ Charlie's ZineFair Magic Workshop Prototype Workshop ✧
afternoon: tutorials with Manetta
14:00-15:00 ... + ... 15:00-15:30 ... (From 15:30-17:00 Manetta in check in + resubmit.)
WEEK 4
Monday 2 February with Manetta + Kamo
morning: workshops (self-organized)
10:00-11:30 <workshop> 11:30-13:00 <workshop>
afternoon: tutorials with Kamo
14:00-15:00 ... + ... 15:00-16:00 ... + ... 16:00-17:00 ... + ...
afternoon: tutorials with Manetta
14:00-15:00 ... + ... 15:00-16:00 ... + ... 16:00-17:00 ... + ...
WEEK 5
Monday 9 February with Manetta
pad: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/XPUB2-prototyping-trim2-WEEK-5
morning: collective organising + workshop
10:00-11:30 collective organising 11:30-13:00 <workshop>
afternoon: tutorials with Manetta
14:00-15:00 ... + ... 15:00-16:00 ... + ... 16:00-17:00 ... + ...
WEEK 6
SPRING BREAK
WEEK 7
Monday 23 February with Manetta + Kamo
morning: workshops (self-organized)
10:00-11:30 <workshop> 11:30-13:00 <workshop>
afternoon: tutorials with Kamo
14:00-15:00 ... + ... 15:00-16:00 ... + ... 16:00-17:00 ... + ...
afternoon: tutorials with Manetta
14:00-15:00 ... + ... 15:00-16:00 ... + ... 16:00-17:00 ... + ...
WEEK 8
Monday 2 March with Manetta
pad: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/XPUB2-prototyping-trim2-WEEK-8
morning: collective organising + workshop
10:00-11:30 collective organising 11:30-13:00 <workshop>
afternoon: tutorials with Manetta
14:00-15:00 ... + ... 15:00-16:00 ... + ... 16:00-17:00 ... + ...
WEEK 9
Monday 9 March with Manetta
morning: workshops (self-organized)
10:00-11:30 <workshop> 11:30-13:00 <workshop>
afternoon: tutorials with Manetta
14:00-15:00 ... + ... 15:00-16:00 ... + ... 16:00-17:00 ... + ...
Wednesday 11 March with Kamo
afternoon: tutorials with Kamo
14:00-15:00 ... + ... 15:00-16:00 ... + ... 16:00-17:00 ... + ...
WEEK 10
Monday 16 March with Manetta
pad: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/XPUB2-prototyping-trim2-WEEK-10
morning: collective organising + workshop
10:00-11:30 collective organising 11:30-13:00 <workshop>
afternoon: tutorials with Manetta
14:00-15:00 ... + ... 15:00-16:00 ... + ... 16:00-17:00 ... + ...
WEEK 11
Monday 23 March with Manetta + Kamo
morning: workshops (self-organized)
10:00-11:30 <workshop> 11:30-13:00 <workshop>
afternoon: tutorials with Kamo
14:00-15:00 ... + ... 15:00-16:00 ... + ... 16:00-17:00 ... + ...
afternoon: tutorials with Manetta
14:00-15:00 ... + ... 15:00-16:00 ... + ... 16:00-17:00 ... + ...
+ evening: Try-outs night #2
WEEK 12
Monday 30 March
No class (XPUB1 assessments)
morning: workshops (self-organized)
10:00-11:30 <workshop> 11:30-13:00 <workshop>
Trimester 1
To support the explorative making process of your research this year, we will focus on making a range of prototypes this trimester! The idea is that you make (at least) 5 prototypes in the coming 10 weeks, either collectively or individually. A prototype can be many things: different (small) performative situations, a range of mini-games, a technical exploration, a material research, a range of tools made with a specific intention, a series of scripts for writing particular stories, a set of poetic webpages... (etc!). Make sure that (1) these prototypes can stand on their own feet to some degree, in other words: they don't need your presence to be meaningful to someone else; and (2) that you document them well.
To activate and share your process, we will organise peer learning workshops every Monday morning. During these sessions you are asked to translate your research (in whatever state it currently is) into a workshop. The format of this workshop is totally open and up to you to fill in. These workshops can be hosted collectively or individually and will last 1 hour, after which we will take 30 minutes for a conversation and feedback moment. This makes the workshops short, which is something to keep in mind for your preparations, and will force you to filter something out of all the things that you in the middle of. Each of you is asked to do at least one, there are 18 slots in total, so there is space to do a second one eventually.
There will be time in the afternoon for tutorials, again in groups or individually -- that's up to you, in which you can ask for any kind of support, related to your prototypes, workshop or adjacent things.
At the end of the trimester we will organise a XPUB try-outs night on the 4th floor of the PZI!
SESSION 0
Monday 15 September
with Manetta
- morning: Welcome to prototyping season II!
- afternoon: Q&A with Michael + tutorials (individual this week, in groups of 3)
- 14:00-15:00 - Q&A with Michael
- 15:00-16:00 - kiara + Feline + Tessa
- 16:00-17:00 - Fred + sevgi + Kim
https://pad.xpub.nl/p/XPUB2-prototyping-sept-15
SESSION 1
Monday 22 September
with Manetta
- morning: workshops
- 5 minute conference how to not dual boot (Kiara can show life examples)
- Glitches Corruption and Noise - How To Gore Files
- Knitting 101
- afternoon: tutorials (individual this week, in groups of 3)
- 14:00-15:00 - imre + lexie + chrissy
- 15:00-16:00 - charlie + claudio + zuhui
- 16:00-17:00 - eleni + ... + ...
https://pad.xpub.nl/p/XPUB2-prototyping-sept-23
SESSION 2
Monday 29 September
with Michael
- morning: workshops
- Feline + Sevgi → User:Sevgi/Word Workshop
- Michael on git → https://git.xpub.nl/XPUB/git_workshop/src/branch/main/NOTES.md
- afternoon: tutorials (individual, in groups of 3)
- 14:00-15:00 - lexie + ... + ...
- 15:00-16:00 - .sevgi. + ... + ...
- 16:00-17:00 - Claudio + kim + ...
https://pad.xpub.nl/p/XPUB2-prototyping-sept-30
SESSION 3
Monday 6 October
with Manetta (Michael will be filling in)
- morning: workshops
afternoon: tutorials (individual, in groups of 3)
14:00-15:00 - Feline + sevgi + fred 15:00-16:00 - wyn + Charlie + Imre 16:00-17:00 - Claudio + ... + ...
https://pad.xpub.nl/p/XPUB2-prototyping-oct-7
SESSION 4
Monday 13 October
with Michael
- morning: workshops
- Lexie - Crafting Digital Stories - Interactive Fiction
- Eleni and Kim - Alt Text Workshop
- afternoon: tutorials (please sign in to pick a grouping)
15:00-16:00 - kiara + eleni + martina16:00-17:00sorry i needed to reclaim this slot 17:00-18:00 - Lexie + ... + ...
https://pad.xpub.nl/p/XPUB2-prototyping-oct-14
BREAK
Monday 20 October
Vacation: Autumn break
SESSION 5
Monday 27 October
with Michael
- morning: workshops
- martina: collective mapping
- Deno - CLI Quizes???
- afternoon: tutorials (individual, in groups of 3)
14:30-15:30 - KIM + Chrissy + eleni 15:30-16:30 - Lexie + Fred + tessa 16:30-17:30 - Claudio + zuhui + Charlie
https://pad.xpub.nl/p/XPUB2-prototyping-oct-27
SESSION 6
Monday 3 November
with Manetta
- morning: workshops
- charlie: Protocols for Magic
- kiara: XPUB Magic webring
- afternoon: tutorials (individual, in groups of 3)
14:00-15:00 - collective temperature check (prototypes, mock assessments, try-outs night #1) 15:00-16:00 - imre + sevgi + Feline 16:00-17:00 - Kiara + Lexie + Fred
https://pad.xpub.nl/p/XPUB2-prototyping-nov-3
SESSION 7
Monday 10 November
with Michael
- morning: workshops
- sevgi (willing to trade slots if you need this spot)
- Feline
- afternoon: tutorials (individual, in groups of 3)
14:00-15:00 - wyn + ... + ... 15:00-16:00 - lexie + ... + ... 16:00-17:00 - ... + ... + ...
https://pad.xpub.nl/p/XPUB2-prototyping-nov-10
SESSION 8
Monday 17 November
with Manetta
- morning: workshops
- kim: writing script(s)
- fred
- afternoon: collective check-in try-outs night (20 min) + tutorials
15:00-16:00 - Lexie + Fred + ... 16:00-17:00 - Claudio + Chrissy + Sevgi
https://pad.xpub.nl/p/XPUB2-prototyping-nov-17
SESSION 9
Monday 24 November
with Michael (afternoon) + Manetta (morning)
- morning: workshops
- Claudio: https://git.xpub.nl/c3/workshop-lost-in-terminal
- chrissy: weasyprint workshop
- afternoon:
14:00-15:30 - workshop with Wyn 15:30-16:00 - tryouts night check-in 16:00-17:00 - claudio + ... + ...
https://pad.xpub.nl/p/XPUB2-prototyping-nov-24
SESSION 10
Monday 1 December
with Manetta + Michael
Building up for XPUB Try-outs night #1 tonight!
Open questions:
- start & end time: proposal 17:00-19:00
- announcement: poster? message to all PZI students?
- snacks: ?
- available spaces: Tryoutnights available space 2025
Footnotes
- ↑ Though you can individually write about your respective roles in a collective project in your thesis, as was the case in the project Habitat, by Jacopo Lega and Federico Poni.