DAKboard Project for Lowell Makes

Lowell Makes has been using DAKboard for a number of years. Our utilization has fluctuated, and presently we are at a minimal implementation. I am offering to step up and volunteer to drive this project in a way that brings value to the Lowell Makes community.

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Current Status

• Subscription: Essentials Plan
• Devices: 5 total (billed monthly at $21)
• Billing: Monthly (potential savings if switched to annual billing)

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Opportunities for Improvement

We are very interested in using features available only in the Plus Plan, which comes at a small step up in cost. These features could allow us to greatly improve the experience for members.

Key Plus Plan Benefits

• Screen Loops (Flows): String multiple screens together on a display for more informative and engaging layouts.
• Screen Scheduling: Automate display changes for special events, open houses, and recurring events.
• Unlimited Calendars and faster refresh rates.

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Example Use Cases

• Schedule Open House nights or special events directly on displays.
• Rotate between multiple screens on a single device (e.g., shop updates, calendar, weather, and announcements).
• Improve relevance and engagement by tailoring displays to what’s happening in the makerspace.

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Pricing Ramp (Essentials vs Plus)

Screens	Essentials Plan	Plus Plan
3	$11	$10 ✅
4	$16	$16
5	$21 ✅	$22

Note: Essentials cheaper at 5 screens, Plus cheaper at 3. Tie at 4.

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Resources

• DAKboard Support Center

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Next Steps

1. Evaluate switch to annual billing for cost savings.
2. Consider upgrade to Plus Plan to unlock flows and scheduling.
3. Identify potential display loops and event schedules for Lowell Makes.
4. Document best practices and manage configurations in this repo.

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Project Charter

Purpose

Empower the Lowell Makes community to make better use of the DAKboard platform across the makerspace by:

• Enabling engaging, rotating content (calendars, videos, reservation info, announcements).
• Training shop champions to design effective screens.
• Providing documentation and processes so all displays deliver value to members.

Current Status (Expanded)

• Plan: Essentials (monthly billing at $21, 2 custom screens + 3 add-ons).
• Devices in use: 5 (Front Entrance, Front Warehouse, The Studio, LM Projector, plus one unassigned).
• App Integrations: Google Calendar, Google Photos, Google Drive, Instagram.

Opportunities

• Switch to annual billing for lower per-screen cost.
• Upgrade to Plus Plan for:
  • Screen loops (flows).
  • Scheduling (special events, recurring).
  • Unlimited calendars & integrations.
• Leverage Raspberry Pi hardware for flexible DIY expansion.

Example Use Cases for Plus Features

• Rotate screens showing:
  • Open House schedules.
  • Shop reservation info.
  • Media Studio announcements.
  • Special events.
• Feature videos, photos, and social feeds to highlight member projects.
• Standardize layouts (calendar + rotating shop highlights + weather).

Roles & Responsibilities (By Audience)

For Shop Champions

• Design and maintain engaging screens for your shop.
• Use and contribute to shared templates in the repo.
• Participate in training sessions and help onboard new users.
• Ensure your shop’s events and updates are reflected in the display.

For Volunteers and Community Members

• Provide event information, calendars, videos, and photos for inclusion.
• Suggest new features or display ideas to Shop Champions.
• Share feedback on the clarity, usefulness, and engagement of displays.

For Admins / Project Captain (Josh)

• Coordinate overall project direction and task delegation.

• Manage billing decisions (monthly vs annual, plan upgrades).

• Maintain repo structure, documentation, and best practices.

• Review display loops and content schedules with stakeholders.

• Project Captain (Josh): Coordinate, document, delegate tasks, manage repo.

• Shop Champions:

  • Design engaging screens for their shop.
  • Contribute guides & templates.

• Volunteers/Stakeholders:

  • Suggest content, provide calendars, videos, and event feeds.
  • Participate in review of screen effectiveness.

Process & Documentation

1. Content Creation

   • Define screen templates and shared assets in repo/docs.
   • Maintain a “Media Library” for approved graphics and logos.

2. Configuration Management

   • All display configs tracked in GitHub repo.
   • Versioned “screen definitions” shared for reuse.

3. Training & Onboarding

   • Step-by-step guides for creating/editing screens.
   • Troubleshooting quick reference (based on DAKOS support docs).

4. Governance

   • Regular review of displays by task force.
   • Feedback loop from members → Shop Champions → Captain.

Next Steps (Expanded)

• Decide on annual vs monthly billing.
• Consider Plus Plan upgrade to enable loops & scheduling.
• Define initial rotating screen loop for Media Studio display.
• Draft documentation & style guide.
• Train Shop Champions in screen design.

Repo Structure

dakboard-lowellmakes/
├── README.md   # Project overview (this file)
└── docs/       # Supporting documentation, setup guides, and configuration notes

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Cheers,
Josh Mazgelis
Media Studio Captain, Lowell Makes