What is an x-in-x?

The Idea

Make something. In a day.

The x-in-x format is simple: pick a creative challenge, build it within a fixed window of time, and share the result with your community. It's about momentum, not perfection. Whether you collaborate with classmates, friends, or teachers, the goal is to try something new and document the process.

At ITP, this spirit of rapid experimentation has fueled countless projects — from playful hardware hacks to reflective art pieces. The ITP 30 Show captures that energy and invites everyone to participate.

The ITP 30 Show celebrates a long-standing tradition of creative making at NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program. The x-in-x format, which challenges participants to conceive, build, and share a project within a single day, captures the essence of the program's ethos. It is not about polished perfection but about the act of doing, of pushing past hesitation to create something tangible. Over the years, this rapid prototyping spirit has produced everything from whimsical hardware experiments to thoughtful software interventions. The show brings together a community of makers, alumni, and friends who believe that the best way to learn is by making.

This year's exhibition features an extraordinary range of work from the ITP community, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and interests of its participants. The projects on display span interactive installations, physical computing experiments, and multimedia storytelling pieces. Each work represents a unique response to the challenge of making something meaningful within a constrained timeframe. The result is a collection that feels both spontaneous and deeply considered, playful and purposeful. Visitors can expect to encounter works that invite participation, provoke thought, and reveal the creative process behind each piece. The show is as much about the journey as the final outcome.

The ITP 30 Show is also a reunion of sorts, bringing together current students, faculty, and alumni who have shaped the program over the years. Names familiar to the community appear throughout the exhibition, each contributing their own perspective on what it means to make in a day. The show's catalog and accompanying materials document not just the finished projects but the ideas and conversations that sparked them. This gathering underscores the collaborative, supportive nature of the ITP network, where feedback is generous and experimentation is encouraged. The show stands as a testament to the enduring value of creative community and shared practice.