This presentation argues that first-time users decide whether a makerspace is “for them” within moments of arrival, often before speaking to a single person. It challenges the assumption that onboarding begins with instruction or staff support, instead positioning the environment itself as the primary interface for participation. What a space communicates through signage, layout, tool visibility, and organization can invite engagement or quietly signal exclusion.Drawing on findings from a multi-year research program, the presentation examines how first-time users read and interpret makerspaces through three recurring framings: “this is for me” as signals of welcome, “this is not for me” as signals of exclusion, and “this could be for me” as moments of surprise and delight. These interpretations emerge through rapid, often unspoken assessments of the space rather than through formal guidance.The presentation introduces the concept of passive guidance to describe how users rely on environmental cues to navigate participation. Instead of immediately seeking interpersonal help, first-time users look for clues that indicate what is possible, expected, and allowed. In this way, the space communicates before any human interaction occurs.This work calls for a shift in how makerspaces and similar environments are designed. Rather than treating inclusion as something delivered through people, it highlights the importance of designing spaces that make belonging and participation immediately legible through clear, intuitive, and accessible environmental cues.
