Spaces & systems · Programs & events · Aug 2022 – Dec 2023
Yazaki R&D Playground
The space before the Makerspace: exhibits, events and 40+ visits that brought people back to the office after COVID.
Yazaki created the Playground in late 2022 to draw people back to the office after COVID, and my role was created to build and lead it. I made technology exhibits from Yazaki’s own work, including connector cross-sections, VR experiences and robotics teardowns, and ran events like the AI Olympics. I also designed its identity, featured every intern, and photographed the demos.
- Wrote “R&D Playground 2.0: Excite the Excitable”, with a Proving Ground for intern projects and university clubs and a Main Stage for presentations, demos and broadcasts from MIT’s Industrial Liaison Program
- Re-themed the space through the year to keep it fresh for returning employees: the World Cup, March Madness, Rubik’s Cube and robotics demos, and a Spot teardown
- Created a composite nameplate poster for each intern
- Supported 40+ visits from OEMs, a bank, suppliers and Yazaki groups
- Hosted a U of M Dearborn autonomous go-kart presentation and an EMDEP demo, plus 40+ riddles of the day and 25+ bake deliveries
- Photographed 200+ moments, from Kids Day’s Terrific Towers to the 2023 intern class
- Its smart systems, tools and lighting helped launch the Makerspace in 2024