Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization

The super computer [SX-4] developed by the Computer Division, NEC was announced to the press as the fastest processing computer in the world in November 1994.
To be a herald of the parallel processing super computer, the design of [SX-4] was totally changed from that of earlier models of [SX-2] and [SX-3]. The form, spreading out radially around a pentagon, expressed the concept of the parallel processing super computer and is consisted of surfaces and lines created by individual units. Matte black was adopted as a implicit color of silence. What was attempted in the design of [SX-4] was to show "the form" to give rapidly changing technology. On [SX-4], a simple form like cut-out natural stone was created, and for the outer covering of the processor unit, a distinctive expression was added by the red accents. These attempt was an implicit appeal of the designers to suggest the high intelligence or the Soul of The Machine hidden in silent black box.
The [SX-4] was awarded the Good Design Grand Prize in 1995. In this article, Muneyoshi Mikuni of NEC Design discusses the industrial design and in particular the design process of [SX-4], designed jointly by NEC Design and the in-house design sector, the Corporate Design Division of NEC. Also introduced is Greenhouse Project, which is product design innovation movement at NEC and was engaged in the search for design language of the [SX-4].

The history of JVC has always been pioneering the new era. To begin with [HR-C31GZ-S3], a camera and video deck separate system in 1982, their products such as [GR-C1], the first single-unit movie camera in 1984 which appeared in the film "Back To The Future", [GR-C7], the palm-size movie camera in 1986, [GR-C9], the ultra-compact light movie camera in 1987 and the movie component [GET'S] in 1990 were epoch-making products and designs. In December 1995 JVC released the next generation movie camera [GR-DV1] employing the digital video format system, "the DV method". [GR-DV1] received unexpected large market response from the beginning of its release and became a major hit with the sales unit of twenty thousand per month.
Development of [GR-DV1] was commenced not as extension of existing camcorders but by going back to the basics and by reconsidering how the products should be. The tasks of design were, by some new approaches, to increase the opportunities to its use and to expand the potential applications.
In this article Hiroshi Yomogida and Hiroyuki Arai of Design Center, JVC, designers of [GR-DV1] which was developed with the concept "pocket movie camera", discuss the design process from the concept-making stage to the the user communication. Regarding the creation of form, the emphasis was placed on an ideal model of easy operation for either side of one's eyes and hands.

This year is called "the first year of Digital Audio-Visual. "Digital video cameras, released for the first time last year, are widening its market, and mini-discs (MD), now becoming one of the top ranked items desired among the young, are gaining more supporters. Also DVD players, which are said to become large size products of this kind for the first time in some time, are scheduled to be released by several companies. In addition to these home audio-visual products, we observe movement to multi-media society brought by chips in many quarters.
Makoto Ezaki introduces the key items among the new products released in rapid succession such as game equipment, car navigation devices, televisions, and networking PCs, and reports on the home audio-visual products market, which is experiencing generation alternation, and the future direction in design development of the field.

Design News plans a new series of reports to introduce the designers of the next generation. In this issue we focused on freelance designers aged around thirty. We present the works and ideas by sixteen freelance designers who are active in the Tokyo Metropolitan area and other parts of Japan. We also recorded an open discussion held for the feature and revealers the process to become freelance designers, how to proceed design contracts, and the problems facing freelance designers in Japan. The sixteen designers who appear in this feature are as follows: Ross McBride, Hisae lgarashi, Atsushi Ishii, Futoshi Ishida, Ichiro lwasaki, Noriyuki Ebina, Genta Kanayama, Suguru Kanno, Gwenael Nicolas, Shinichi Sumikawa, Shukoh Hayashi, Mitsunobu Hohzumi, John Maeda, Naomi Makihara, Natsue Mohri, Toshiaki Morita.