New Experience Spotlight

Inspired by honey bees, Design Park is an exhibit focused on the value of collaboration, communication, and the pursuit of new ideas. This circular process has no real ending or beginning, as solutions are always being improved and re-designed.

Why bees?

  • Honey bees exemplify the qualities of collaboration and communication. These insects live in well-organized groups and divide up work in the pursuit of a common goal—supporting the hive.
    • Explorers can choose to work with others or more on their own, but all are working towards the common goal of designing a vehicle to their best ability.
  • Bees have several ways of sharing knowledge among individuals, one being an intricate dance telling where other bees can find food.
    • Explorers can share knowledge through group workspaces or from watching others race their vehicles down the testing alley.

The layout of Design Park lets kids choose how they learn best. Stations are arranged to enforce the process of creating, building, testing, and re-designing—proving that mistakes pave the way to growth and improvement. 

Building Zone
Sponsored by Mid State Industrial
A group workspace for team-focused design, creation, and learning.

Designer's Bench
An individual workspace for more introspective creators and learners.

Hive Wall
This honeycomb wall features space for younger designers--a series of ramps to manipulate the path of a traveling ball. 

Rodda Construction Testing Alley

 Here, designers can test the efficiency and speed  of their latest ideas. Powered by air, designers' vehicles will soar through the tunnel to the finish line. 

Bonus: Un-BEE-lievable Art

Just outside Design Park is the Junior League of Greater Lakeland Atrium. Air cannons are positioned along the edge of the atrium for children to manipulate the art piece, Cloud Lake.
Made of many pieces forming a whole, the artwork represents both how a hive operates and how minds can come together to build the technology of the future.  Whether used as inspiration for design or simply for play, Cloud Lake demonstrates the power of collaboration.

Help the Hive