If you’d like to see the finished project in action, take a look at our video.

The team here at Green Custard collaborate with each other every day as it’s the key to successful delivery of our customers’ projects. So, our summer activity was less about a traditional one-off team building session, and more about celebrating the way we work together.

We approached the ‘life-sized’ activity using the Green Custard project process and enjoyed lots of laughter along the way. This is how the day unfolded…

Here’s the scene, our group of engineers were taken away from their screens for an afternoon and placed into an empty room. The challenge? To build a set of structures which would set off a confetti cannon at one end of the room with just a drop of a ball from the other. In essence, a giant game of the 80s classic: Mouse Trap!

“It’s great to do some engineering outside of the laptop sometimes!” – Filipe

With the objective of the task clear, we began our planning process. We reviewed the information that was available to us (by chatting to the team running the day), the tools we had (lego, balloons, sticky tape), and even audited what had been done before (through picture cards of the main structures). With all of this knowledge, we were able to assess the best way forward.

Splitting into smaller groups, we then set about building the frameworks of each of the main structures. As soon as one was built, we tested it. Then, thinking about the journey across the room, we came up with ideas to connect the structures together. In true agile fashion, we tried and tested different solutions (particularly with the balloon popping transition!) to get the best and most robust outcome.

“We can now say with confidence that there is no engineering challenge which can’t be solved by the application of masking tape.” – Geoff

Once everything was in place, we were ready to trial it, a soft launch if you will. After the mishap of a team member leaning on the structure (ok, that was me, whoops!) we watched how the whole thing operated. After a few minor adjustments, it was ready, it was time to go live! We watched with bated breath as the structure came alive and cheered as the confetti cannon exploded. Of course, in the pub afterwards, we discussed ideas of enhancements that we could have made, the addition of a lego car was most certainly at the top of James’s list!

“It was great to see the team share their strengths and successfully create a ‘chain reaction’ together. Fun was had by all!” – Amanda