Make something,
create something,
try something new.

What is an x-in-x?

The ITP 30 Show is a platform for participants to make, document, and share new projects — all within a single day. Whether you're working solo or collaborating with classmates, the goal is simple: create something and put it out into the world. Learn about RSVP opportunities, scholarship support, and census participation that help sustain this creative community. Explore our featured article on making complex projects clear, useful and memorable: Make Complex Projects Clear, Useful And Memorable

The ITP 30 Show is a community-driven event where participants set aside a single day to make something new, document the process, and share the outcome with peers. Rooted in the spirit of the Interactive Telecommunications Program, the show celebrates rapid experimentation and creative risk-taking across disciplines, from physical computing to interactive design. It is not about polished final products but about the energy of making in a compressed timeframe, surrounded by a supportive network of fellow creators who understand both the challenges and the joys of bringing an idea to life quickly. For a deeper look at how systems thinking and feedback loops have shaped the school’s projects over time, Cybernetics and the Evolution of ITP Creative Work traces that arc from early experiments to today’s interactive work.

At the heart of the showcase is a simple yet powerful idea: anyone can create something meaningful in a short burst of focused effort. Participants might build a weighing scale that tells a story, a knife that triggers sound, or a window that illustrates data in unexpected ways. The only requirement is a willingness to try. By removing the pressure of long-term development, the format opens the door to playful exploration and often leads to surprising breakthroughs that might never emerge under more conventional circumstances.

Collaboration is woven into the fabric of the event. Creators often work alongside classmates, forming impromptu teams that combine diverse skills and perspectives. One person might bring coding expertise while another contributes fabrication knowledge or storytelling instinct. These spontaneous partnerships mirror the collaborative ethos of the broader ITP community, where learning happens through shared making and the exchange of half-formed ideas that grow richer through conversation and collective iteration.

Documentation plays a vital role in the experience. Each project is captured through photographs, written reflections, and sometimes video, creating a living archive that extends the life of the work beyond its single day of creation. This practice encourages participants to think about how their projects communicate to an audience and how the story of making can be as compelling as the finished piece itself. The resulting catalog becomes a resource for future inspiration.

The event also serves as a gathering point for the extended ITP network, bringing together current students, alumni, and faculty in a shared space of curiosity and mutual encouragement. The atmosphere is informal and generous, with conversations flowing between strangers who quickly become collaborators or sounding boards. This cross-pollination of ideas across cohorts and experience levels is one of the most valued aspects of the showcase, reinforcing the sense that creative community is something actively built and sustained.

Traveling editions of the showcase have extended its reach beyond a single location, allowing the format to adapt to different contexts and communities while preserving its core principles. Each iteration brings local flavor and new participants into the fold, demonstrating that the model of concentrated making and immediate sharing resonates across varied settings. These traveling events also create connections between dispersed groups, weaving a broader fabric of creative exchange.

The RSVP and scholarship components ensure that participation remains accessible and that financial barriers do not stand in the way of involvement. By keeping the structure lightweight and the commitment manageable, the organizers aim to lower every possible obstacle to entry. The goal is a gathering that reflects the full diversity of the community, where anyone with curiosity and a willingness to make can find a seat at the table and a voice in the conversation.

Looking through the project archive reveals recurring themes and unexpected through-lines. Certain materials, sensors, and conceptual frameworks appear across different years and different makers, suggesting shared fascinations that ripple through the community. At the same time, each project bears the distinct fingerprint of its creator, shaped by individual sensibility and the particular moment in which it was made. The catalog is both a historical record and a map of evolving creative concerns.

Ultimately, the ITP 30 Show is about more than the projects themselves. It is about building the habit of finishing, the courage to share imperfect work, and the recognition that creative practice thrives in community. The single-day constraint teaches participants to make decisions, let go of perfectionism, and trust their instincts. These lessons extend far beyond the event, shaping how makers approach their work long after the day is over and the documentation has been filed away.