SVA Design research
Interview Profile
Daniela B. R.

Alexander Susse
New Lab

After looking at a picture that is in New Lab’s web page, where it shows a large group with predominant white guys, my agenda was set, I was ready to uncover the race and gender injustices of the tech world through Alexander Susse. How does New Lab encourage participation of minority groups? Do you see value in creating diversity and having more voices to participate? These were some of the questions that will expose the nasty true of a white male predominated world community.
A large group of us got early to New Lab at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and decided to explore the place. The first thing we saw is how beautiful a space it is, brand new, well-crafted design, airy and hip spaces to work and chill. Caffeine addicts that we are we decided to get some coffee at New Lab’s cafe. This is when I realized how many women where actually around, working, talking and in meetings. I thought to myself, maybe they just allow females in the first floor but I’m sure the second floor is males only. We meet the rest of the group and two young women Sarah and Hannah give us a tour around. I was actually able to go up the second floor, women were allowed. I’m judging now.
Finally, we get into the 3D printing lab a very open and well light space and we see Alexander Susse for the first time. He is white, 30 something year old, lab coat, beard and black rundown leather boots, just the typical lab manager swag. He gives us a very informative talk about 3d printing methods, machines and materials, and a vision of what the future of 3d printing my bring to the world.
The talk ends, we get tiny orange 3d printed skulls and I start to like him just a little bit. Just a tiny bit. Everybody goes out and Komal, Navit and I set up our interview space. He sits in front of us just like a friend would do, and start the interview with a very informal “So what’s up?”. O my god, hating him would be more difficult than what I thought it would be.
He started as a tinkerer/hacker and played with hardware along his dad when he was a kid. He actually went to film school but didn’t wanted to hustle so he entered the 3d printed community because it offered a steadier salary. Plus, he says he wanted to impact people’s lives in a more direct way than what the art world could do. He worked for Makerbot before the New Lab were he boosted up his 3d printing tech knowledge. At New Lab he is in charge of several machines and supporting the 80 plus companies that inhabit the space. In addition to this, he creates educational workshop so when Lab member go out the space they have more knowledge about the 3d printing world.
And here he started disarming my judgement about white guys in tech. He said he also taught a class to local High School students that morning, and that ultimately he would like for New Lab to donate the old technology to high schools where they can be further used, he studied at a public school in Brooklyn and they received a lot of used material from big companies.
He portrays the spirit of the maker community of collective help and although there are access challenges to tech and knowledge, it seems that people wouldn’t be turn down if they want to participate. This is what ultimately the maker movement is up for.
At the end I speak to Sarah Wilson- Art director and person who give us the tour. She told me that although there are some white dudes around, women are the ones who run this place and that there are lot of only women companies. Brooklyn might have the new future of tech diversity.