Spaces & systems · Programs & events · 2024 – now
Yazaki Makerspace
A 4,654 sq ft makerspace open to every Yazaki employee. I built most of its systems and taught almost half of its classes.
One place where anyone at Yazaki can solve problems by making things. We pulled print resources, electronics and a photo lab for employee and product photos together from around the building, then added 3D printing and lasers. It opened for early access in March 2024 and officially in July 2024, and it’s open to every employee for work and personal projects.
- Built most of the systems: the SharePoint site and its class booking, OneDrive, and each machine’s console, software and accounts
- Wrote the class content and marketing, taught almost half of all classes, and oriented new makers and instructors
- Created the associate-instructor model, where makers grow into instructors and Supermakers
- Built a self-serve headshot studio that 1,000+ people have used
- Built the Makerspace identity: logo system, mascots, skill-area signage, maps and apparel
- 103 projects in the project gallery so far
Classes and workshops
Every machine has a class, booked through the site I built on SharePoint and logged in the class record book. I developed the Photo Lab classes, the laser class, sublimation and Cricut, brought 3D printing Fundamentals, Intermediate and TinkerCAD online, and taught almost half of all classes.
Classes I wrote: Bambu A1 Mini, Bambu P1S, TinkerCAD for 3D Printing, Laser: Falcon 2 Pro, Product Photography, Headshot / Passport, Image Gen: Brand & Promotion, Image Gen: Restore & Remix, Cricut, and Sublimation & Heat Press.
- Feb 2025: Introduction to Lithophanes, taught by a community instructor
- May 2025: Introduction to 3D CAD with FreeCAD, run twice
- Jul 2025: Print-in-Place workshop, the best received, now a step toward Supermaker
The Supermaker system turns regulars into teachers. Michael Manor started as a maker, became an instructor, then finished the Supermaker prerequisites with the Print-in-Place workshop. In one month of fall 2024 I taught 13 classes and brought in 20 new makers.
Events
Four kinds of events: Workshops, Make & Tell show-and-tells, Community Projects and Make & Go pop-up builds. Make & Go is my favorite: fast, exciting and a fun design challenge. Next, each Make & Tell will focus on one or two topics.
- May 2024: Soft launch
- Jul 2024: Ribbon cutting to open the Makerspace, hosted by our team
- 2025–26: Make & Tell show-and-tells
- Apr 2025: Kids Day
- May 2025: SAE Micro-Electric Vehicle Competition, hosted at Yazaki. I set up the event’s look
- Jul 2025: Intern events: Minion Monologues and Make Banners
- Aug 2025: Summer Vibes competition
- Oct 2025: Make & Go at Yazaki’s Worldwide Engineering Conference (WWEC): 3D-printed traveler’s tools and custom T-shirts for 50–70 people, with Engineering and HR
- Nov 2025: Lithophane Library: a Make & Go thankfulness wall of 3D-printed photos
- Jul 2026: Maker Cup: a build-and-race electric car competition organized by interns I led. I designed its look: logo, promo photos, trophy, medals and finish line
Clubs grew out of the Makerspace too: a jump rope club, a chess club and the Gardenspace. We also hosted a FIRST robotics demo.
How it all runs is on the Makerspace systems page.