From Flexpod to AIPod
PARTS COUNT: 106 PIECES
DIMENSIONS (CM): 7.4(W) X 10(L) X 7.2(H)
(INCHES): 2.9(W) X 3.9(L) X 2.8(H)
NetApp is a data management company, offering infrastructure that combines storage, services, and CloudOps solutions to help businesses realize possibilities. They recently developed the AIPod™ Mini with Intel and came to Playwell Bricks searching for an employee gift that would help the business mark this milestone.
Playwell Designs
Previously, NetApp had commissioned a custom Playwell Bricks set of the Flexpod server rack they had developed with Cisco. That set was a hit, so they returned to Playwell to commission this new set.
Playwell Bricks designer Eric Dubois Yang took a moment to talk a little about his experience designing the brick AIPod™, “The design process started with the form of the pod. How do we recreate the texture of the different electrical components in bricks?
“This is where I started to look into the underside of some 1x2 bricks with channels, and then positioned them in a way that exposes this usually hidden aspect for aesthetic purposes.
“The next challenge was mainly about trying to make the 2-5 SNOT-that’s brick designer lingo for ‘studs not on top’-ratio work up the front, as we're dealing with 2 different directions. The rest of the build's structure mostly focuses on efficiency in creating a flat, tiled surface to place the branding decals, and to keep it within the budget.”
Building Instructions
In addition to the branding decals and the AIPod™ itself, Netapp also included content for their builders in the instructions. The build instructions for custom Playwell Bricks sets offer a unique marketing opportunity wherein companies have their audience’s attention while they are fully engaged in the building experience.
“Assemble the Core,” NetApp’s instructions read. “Construct the heart of your model to symbolize Open Platform for Enterprise AI (OPEA), AIPod™ Mini’s blueprint for generative AI use cases like Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). This open, modular framework ensures seamless integration with your existing workflows and enables agile, workflow-driven AI innovation at scale.”
Conclusion
Inspire gratitude, elevate your brand, and celebrate relationships with intention. Playwell Bricks partners with you to brand well, build well, and gift well, delivering gifts that lift your culture and message. Contact us to schedule your discovery call today.