That is what Kaori Nappa, office manager, is hoping to accomplish with four new art installations throughout the Toyota Connected North America office in Plano, Texas.
“Art is meant to touch your heart,” Nappa said. “I want everyone who comes to this space to understand our passion and to show the impact our team members have.”
Toyota Connected Office Manager Kaori Nappa spearheaded the history mural project.
The project was born in the summer of 2024. During an office renovation, Toyota Connected Senior Advisor Chris Yang, COO Mark McClung and Chief People Officer Jennifer Brown wanted to bring a fresh perspective to the workspace and create even stronger ties to our global roots. Since then, Nappa and a group of dedicated team members have been working tirelessly to capture the essence of the company’s storied past.
Nappa spent hours searching for local talent who could bring that vision to life. Enter Dallas-based Nicolette Capuano, who has been a full-time artist since she was 16. When Nappa saw her work, she felt instant akai ito, the Japanese phrase for “red strings.” Akai ito translates to a thread connecting heart-to-heart with another person. The partnership was meant to be, Nappa recalled.
Artist Nicolette Capuano brings the Toyota Connected history to life through her paintings.
With Capuano on board, Nappa then tapped Chief Commercial Strategy Officer Daniel Hall and UX/UI team members Louie Solomon and Steven Schroeder, who had worked on previous company branding projects. She also partnered with team member Jet Sato, who was instrumental in providing resources and historical information to ensure there was global synergy. They worked together every step of the way – providing feedback on Capuano's renderings to ensure the project achieved all its objectives.
“It is my job to convey the spirit of Toyota Connected’s vision and rich history. It's a very personal process,” Capuano said. “I feel incredibly grateful to do what I love every day and work with such an amazing group of people. My hope is that this space uplifts and inspires."
During a special unveiling ceremony of the mural, Toyota Connected North America President and CEO James George commended the team for their work.
“The final product strikes a great balance between understanding the origins of Toyota Connected while also setting our sights on the future,” George said. “We have a better understanding of all that we have inherited and how we are taking that inheritance into the future by building meaningful journeys for our customers and partners.”
Toyota senior leaders celebrate the unveiling of the history mural.
A Walk Down Memory Lane
During the unveiling, Brown walked team members through the origins of each element and how it reflects important milestones in Toyota Connected’s history.
“This mural is such a unique way for us to appreciate the important role we play in the Toyota ecosystem,” Brown said.
“Our founder Akio Toyoda has such passion,” Nappa said. “His innovative thinking is the reason why we are here. It’s important for all of us to carry that torch in our daily work so we can continue to improve the customer experience.”
The history space mural displayed in Toyota Connected’s office is a visually stunning representation of the company’s origin story.
Capuano’s work starts with an image of Akio Toyoda, Toyota Connected’s visionary founder. He wanted the company to evolve in ways that were unheard of for a carmaker. To accomplish that, he set off on a journey to pioneer emerging technology to strengthen the business while also building happiness for customers. Those first collaborative teams donned the name gazou, or “image” in English, which later changed spelling to the slightly catchier moniker Gazoo Media Services.
The mural goes on to showcase the company’s transition from analog to digital means of reaching customers, which bore the invention of an Internet-based commerce customer touchpoint for cars called the E-Tower. E-Towers were placed in high-traffic convenience stores throughout the country, which meant customers could easily browse for a car when they wanted and access real-time dealer inventory instead of waiting for information in the local newspaper. The idea was revolutionary in that it met customers where they were and sped up sales at dealerships.
Taking it one step further, Gazoo Media Services developed even more ways to connect with customers well after their vehicle purchase. G-Book was Toyota’s first telematics service offering, giving customers access to important information inside their car – whether that was providing points of interest, weather and news, or later on, emergency services using call center agents. The G-Book is the foundation for what the teams in Toyota Connected work on each day to deliver telematics services to more than 10 million vehicles in North America.
Tying the whole piece together is the symbolic red string, akai ito, that also doubles as a nod to Toyota’s history as a loom company. In addition, a physical E-Tower and G-Book are displayed alongside the mural as a complement to the storyline. Collectively, team members, special guests and visitors alike now have a wholistic and visually appealing view of our storied history.
