GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2012
A total of nine products developed by ITOKI have won the "GOOD DESIGN AWARD" and "GOOD DESIGN BEST 100" awards at the "2012 Good Design Awards" (sponsored by the Japan Design Promotion Organization, a public interest incorporated foundation).
GOOD DESIGN BEST 100 Award Winner
GOOD DESIGN AWARD Winner
Office supplies/equipment
Cacomi
A furniture system that realizes a new style of communication in the office. By combining sofas with three types of backs with frames, a variety of setups can be realized, from open meetings where team members can gather casually, to closed meetings where members can gather in private and gather to thoroughly discuss things. Even in a closed meeting setup, by controlling the line of sight when seated and leaving appropriate gaps above and below, the atmosphere of active communication taking place within "Cacomi" can be casually conveyed to those around, which also has the effect of sharing information and stimulating other members.
Evaluation Comments from the “Good Design” Committee
While various proposals have been made for how offices should be, I think the most important point to evaluate this product is its balance between ``public feeling and private feeling.'' Even in the office, which is a public place, what is exchanged there is the interaction between real people, so isn't it ideal for this kind of office furniture to create a relaxing time while maintaining an appropriate distance? . When I stepped inside, I felt the excitement of starting a journey, and I felt that this feeling was evoked by the shape of the furniture. The back is covered with fabric, so your voices won't echo each other. The way the sound resonates is different from the outside, so you can feel a sense of unity inside. It has a moderate sense of openness, with a gentle sense of continuity with the surroundings, and is also air-conditioned. The furniture was also highly praised for its careful attention to detail, which set it apart from other office system furniture. The design gives the feeling that smooth and creative communication will occur.
Instate
In the "Creative Office Promotion Campaign" advocated by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to increase the competitiveness of Japanese companies, in recent years, it has become important to have a place where people can change their thinking mode apart from their individual desks. With the need to perform even routine work creatively, and the need to work creatively in order to improve productivity in all occupations, we have developed a workstation based on a unified design concept that provides a place for mode change by making full use of three items: a personal desk, a large tabletop, and a meeting table.
Evaluation Comments from the “Good Design” Committee
Since the level of each item's elements is the same, it is easy to change the layout. I feel that consideration was given to the size and shape of the wiring holes. I appreciated the fact that it was very rational and carefully thought out.
Move
This multi-purpose chair realizes new workspaces such as hot desking offices and collaboration spaces other than individual seats. Many of the interiors for these new workspaces are planned to encourage a change in thinking mode, and chairs without rocking mechanisms have been adopted to prioritize design. Move's design is such that the back and seat are integrated and at first glance appear to be stationary, but the back and seat rock in unison, allowing it to be sat on comfortably for long periods of time while being designed to suit new workspaces.
Evaluation Comments from the “Good Design” Committee
While ensuring functionality as an office chair, the attractive design features the finishing of the mechanical parts and a gentle, furniture-like atmosphere. The handling of the moving parts is also careful and gives a good impression.
Systema Key Unit II
Items that could not be managed by conventional key management devices, such as mobile phones and digital cameras, can be managed by case types, while conventional keys and USB memory sticks can be managed by key types. By combining case types and key types according to their respective purposes, centralized management is possible. In addition, by configuring the case types and key types with the same dimensional modules, horizontal or vertical connection is possible, making it easier to combine them dimensionally.
Evaluation Comments from the “Good Design” Committee
It is designed to be easy to use not only for administrators but also for individual users, while making use of the know-how cultivated in key management devices to meet the new demand for security cases for mobile phones, digital cameras, etc. The high-precision sheet metal finish, secure interface, and clean-looking graphics achieve both the sense of security required for a security case due to its robustness and a low-noise finish that harmonizes with the installation space.
Advertising, promotion, brand building, CSR activities
Econifa
Econifa is a solution that connects wood producing areas and tree species throughout Japan, connecting production areas with cities. 70% of Japan's land area is forested. Of that, 40% is artificial forest, and many coniferous trees are reaching the age of harvesting. However, due to the drop in the price of imported timber and the lack of successors in forestry, much of the wood is not being used as a resource under traditional systems. In order to utilize resources in a circular manner, we have developed a design template that maximizes the potential of coniferous wood, overcoming the shortcomings of conifers and successfully ensuring their quality as durable consumer goods. By developing a new model for wood utilization, we have established a forest circulation with carbon fixation as the key and an economic circulation through the development of local industries, contributing to the realization of a sustainable society.
Evaluation Comments from the “Good Design” Committee
Although wood is inherently more difficult to handle than steel, an experienced office equipment manufacturer is working to utilize Japan's available forest resources and concretely proposing new sustainable designs. It is commendable that the company has developed a design template based on the concept of using domestically produced wood that overcomes the drawbacks of softwood while ensuring high quality as durable consumer goods. By connecting the artificial forests throughout Japan, their wood-producing areas, and the cities where furniture is consumed, through the media of wood furniture, we will not only contribute to the environment, but also make use of wood. We are proposing a new economic cycle model for the production, distribution, and consumption of.
Equipment and equipment for the public realm
Alant
Traditionally, lobby chairs used in airports tend to be made primarily of metal, with emphasis on safety, strength, and ease of maintenance. However, in recent years, the economic downturn has created a demand for comfort in public spaces as well.
With the renewal of Haneda Airport, a "garden" was installed and trees were planted based on the concept of conveying the beautiful original scenery of Japan and the spirit of living in harmony with nature to people all over the world. ITOKI proposed a design that expressed kindness, warmth and hospitality by using domestic materials while keeping the basic specifications for airport lobby chairs in check, and this matched the grand concept and was chosen to decorate the space as part of the interior of Haneda Airport.
Evaluation Comments from the “Good Design” Committee
In airport lobbies, which tend to be impersonal, lobby chairs play an important role. This lobby chair, "Alant," is made from domestic wood, and the bending process of the plywood molding creates gentle curves and moderate elasticity, giving the chair a warm overall design. It will soothe the tired bodies of travelers and businessmen who are forced to stay for long periods of time due to flight cancellations, and provide a moment of comfort. It is also important to note that the "Law on the Promotion of the Use of Wood in Public Buildings, etc." enacted in 2010 has given it a boost.
Smart Style I
A simple design created with minimalist lines and surfaces that does not interfere with the binding of books or the presentation of library spaces. In contrast to the stripped-down design born from the pursuit of functionality and honeycomb structure, "Smart Style I" is a bookshelf system that combines many functions and maximizes the richness of library spaces and books.
Evaluation Comments from the “Good Design” Committee
The biggest challenge for libraries is storing the increasing number of books every year. This bookshelf, "Smart Style I," uses paper honeycomb to achieve both light weight and high strength, and the main components are as thin as possible. The basic structure is maintained by only side and back panels, and the angle of the shelves can be easily changed, allowing for a variety of storage and display options. In addition, there is a sufficient gap at the back of the shelves to create air convection, which helps prevent books from becoming damp and accumulating dust. We evaluated this product as one that fully understands that the main focus of libraries is the books on the shelves.
Equipment and facilities for research, education, and medical care
Medi Work Cart
As ICT is increasingly used in the medical field, medical styles are changing day by day, such as carrying a laptop or tablet to input data at the patient's bedside and checking medication and injections by barcode. By placing the necessary tools on the cart, it can quickly and actively support a variety of tasks in the patient's room or staff station. This is the Medi Work Cart that supports such nursing activities.
Evaluation Comments from the “Good Design” Committee
In recent years, the introduction of ICT has progressed in the medical field, and the use of PCs and tablet terminals during nursing activities, data entry in hospital rooms, barcode checking, etc. is increasing. This wagon with casters was designed to support nurses who were now heavily equipped in such situations. One of the unavoidable issues in the medical environment, such as a shape and structure that is easy to clean, material selection that takes chemical resistance into consideration, provision of optional parts that correspond to specific usage, and ease of running even on small steps. In addition to solving one problem, it can be said to be a representative measure for medical furniture design that takes advantage of office furniture know-how that has a proven track record in ICT measures.
Equipment and facilities for distribution and sales
Ektal
The new task and ambient lighting system aims to achieve both environmental performance and comfort in modern workplaces, and has been designed as a lighting system that can be easily set up to match office furniture modules. The lighting design is based not only on the brightness (illuminance, luminance) of the desk surface, but also on the amount of visible light, realizing an evaluation that takes into account the relative feeling of light (sensory amount) rather than just the physical amount of light (photometric amount). An application built on a new theory was used for the lighting design, which made the brightness after completion visible, and systematized everything from the spatial composition of the workplace to the lighting environment.
Evaluation Comments from the “Good Design” Committee
We evaluated the approach to lighting in offices as a system based on equipment and spatial configuration. I also like the idea of ``feeling brightness,'' which has been a review of the simple illumination design up until now and has been carefully thought out with a focus on how the user feels. It has a convincing track record of achieving 60% power savings.
For more information about the Good Design Award, please visit the Good Design Award official website.