The Augmented Apprentice Manifesto

Welcome to Augmented Apprentice, a space where curiosity meets creation, and technology becomes a partner in the process of learning and exploration. This project is about more than just building things; it’s about finding ways to grow our skills, our creativity, and our sense of connection in a world shaped by new tools and technologies. It’s also one person’s journey to discover how people and technology might interact together rather than be seen as purely separate.

Why Augmented?

We live in a time where technology has immense potential—not to replace us, but to augment us, enhancing what we’re already capable of and opening doors to what we never thought possible. Augmented Apprentice is rooted in the belief that technology can be a personal, empowering resource that helps us learn, create, and explore the limits of what we know.

This journey doesn’t aim for mastery in one area but for adaptability across many. Here, we celebrate the process of learning by doing, experimenting, and sharing those experiences openly with others.

Our Core Principles

• Shared Knowledge: Knowledge should be free and accessible to everyone. Whether through open-source tools, public resources, or shared insights, we’re building a space where everyone is welcome to explore and learn.
• Creative and Community-Driven Exploration: The DIY and maker communities thrive on shared experiences and encouragement, and that sense of belonging drives Augmented Apprentice. Every project here is an invitation to play, discover, and collaborate. By sharing what we build and learn, we aim to contribute to this vibrant community, inspire others, and grow together.
• Balanced and Responsible Creation: Technology enables powerful, creative projects but also bears real environmental and ethical costs. From the resources used in production to the labor involved, each piece of technology represents both possibility and responsibility. Augmented Apprentice seeks to balance the enjoyment and utility of tech with awareness of these costs, exploring ways to make projects thoughtful, sustainable, and respectful of the impact they carry.

What to Expect

Here at Augmented Apprentice, you’ll find:

1. Projects and Prototypes: Creative, sometimes quirky builds that make use of XR, AI, IoT, and traditional crafts, all aimed at learning by doing.
2. Reflections and Lessons Learned: Open reflections on the successes, challenges, and lessons from each project, because growth often happens through the bumps along the way.
3. Tools and Resources: Detailed notes, resources, and toolkits are housed at notes.augmentedapprentice.com, where everything from tutorials to favorite tools can be found.

Join the Journey

Whether you’re here to build, learn, or just follow along, thank you for joining one dreamer’s journey toward better understanding. Augmented Apprentice is a living, growing project, shaped by curiosity and the desire to do more, learn more, and share more. Together, let’s explore what’s possible when we let technology become a tool to enhance - rather than replace - human creativity and connection.