The Good Design Award aims to improve lives and society through design. Today, with an aging society, the advent of the Internet, and disaster countermeasures, more complex perspectives are required in design.

The Good Design Award considers anything that people have built to fulfill some ideal or purpose as design, regardless of whether it has a physical form or not. In the second part, we selected seven products from the Best 2019 Good Designs of 100 that are close to people's lives and enrich their lifestyles from Premium Japan's perspective.

Whether at home or in the office.
Hakubi products that create beautiful spaces

1. “Alex Products Alex Shelf”
Alex Shelf, designed by Naoto Fukasawa (Naoto Fukasawa Design), is a system shelf for offices, commercial facilities, and living spaces. In addition to its delicate appearance, the aluminum extrusion technology and the development of a shelf support method (patent pending) have enabled it to withstand a load of 10 kg per shelf at a thickness of approximately 80 mm.

With conventional shelves, the shelf itself becomes invisible when books and other items are placed on it. However, the Alex Shelf has a beautiful design with plenty of blank space even when no items are placed on it. One of its features is that it has a design that balances load and aesthetics while also making it easy to install shelves and providing safety to prevent falling. Additionally, LED lighting can be installed within the thickness of the shelf board. By incorporating lighting into the cross section of the pillar, the aesthetic appearance will not be compromised by wiring. It can be said that the careful attention to detail is taken into account.

2. Glass sound speaker “LSPX-S2”
Sony's LSPX-S2 is a glass sound speaker that beautifully fills a space with lighting and clear sound. The key points of the design are compact size, materials and shapes that optimize sound quality, and LED lighting that gently illuminates a wide area. The acoustics are designed to vibrate transparent organic glass tubes and spread the sound in 360 degrees, achieving both high sound quality and high resolution support.

It has a compact design that blends into your living space, so it won't block conversations even when placed in the center of the table. The harmonious combination of realistic sounds similar to live music and soft lighting is effective in creating a space. Designed by Yuto Morisawa and Manabu Fujiki (Sony Creative Center). While following the concept of the previously developed LSPX-S1, we aimed to achieve both a compact size that can be placed on a table and high sound quality. During the judging process, the products were evaluated for their ability to eliminate the image of electronic products and for the peacefulness that not only sound but also light brings to the space.

3. Pottery [1616/arita japan]
``1616 / Arita Japan'' is a ceramic brand created by designer Teruhiro Yanagihara together with the experienced and highly skilled people of Arita. The key point is a simple shape that accommodates new materials and a variety of dietary habits, and its flexible shape does not limit its uses. Another feature is that it uses extremely strong, high-density clay.

With the goal of developing products and brands that will still be used at dining tables around the world even after many years, Yanagihara proposed a design and concept that had never been seen before in Arita ware. This completely changed the way Arita's craftsmen thought, leading them to explore not only traditional techniques but also new techniques. The judges noted that ``while looking back on the culture of the historical production area, it provided an opportunity for the revitalization of the current production area.''

4. Tableware “HIBITO”
HIBITO was developed with the aim of passing on high quality Japanese craft technology to the world. Cecilie Manz is in charge of the design of this series, which is designed to be "close to your daily life." The design incorporates ceramics from the Hasami area of ​​Arita, where Mantz lived as a child, and has a style that is a fusion of Japan and Denmark. It is simple, timeless, and timeless tableware.

The thickness and shape of all products are adjusted to the millimeter or less. At the same time, we aimed for a good feeling of use, such as a good texture and ease of grip when held in the hand, while also pursuing high functionality, such as ease of stacking and washing. In addition to its high design and functionality, it is also attractive for its affordable price.

A coffee maker that allows you to share brewing recipes with users around the world.
Also pay attention to the ignitable incense created through a collaboration between the traditional industries of matches and incense.

5. Smart coffee maker “Gina”
A coffee maker developed with the brand concept of "making your everyday cup something special." Fully automatic machines are not suitable for the diversifying needs of coffee in recent years, while it is difficult to consistently produce the desired flavor with hand drip coffee. This product is located between a fully automatic dripper and a hand dripper.

Equipped with a measuring device and Bluetooth on the pedestal, it is possible to accurately measure the amount of beans, amount of hot water, and brewing time via smartphone, so it was praised for its ability to always deliver the flavor you want. Achieves three extraction methods with one device. The app will guide you through the brewing techniques and allow you to share your brewing recipes online with users around the world. I feel the uniqueness of this new way to use the function of an app during the special time of brewing coffee.

6. Incense with ignition function “hibi 10MINUTES AROMA”
hibi was developed as an incense stick that can be used easily without a fire starter. It can be used as incense just like traditional matches. The burn time is 10 minutes, so it's a great idea to enjoy a short relaxing time in your busy daily life. I was also drawn to the story of how it was created through a collaboration between Harima Matches, a traditional industry from Hyogo Prefecture that boasts a 70-90% domestic production share of both matches and incense, and Awaji Island Incense.

The design was by Yasuhiro Horiuchi (trunk design). The window frame-shaped graphic represents hibi (sun and sun), and the typography is inspired by rising smoke. The judges commented that this was a ``beautiful answer'' that connects the history and culture of traditional industries to the future. It also meets the market needs of those who want to relax even for a short period of time without leaving the fireside.

7. Fire extinguisher “+ Residential fire extinguisher”
A residential fire extinguisher from +maffs, a disaster prevention brand launched by a long-established disaster prevention manufacturer with 129 years of history. Based on the philosophy of ``making disaster prevention a lifestyle,'' we have adopted a design that is in harmony with the home, which is the opposite of conventional design. Fire extinguishers, which tend to be hidden and do not match the atmosphere of a home, can be placed where residents can see them, making it possible to extinguish fires quickly.

The matte black-and-white paint and the design, which challenges the most sophisticated display within the standards, blend effortlessly into a beautiful home. With packaging that conveys the brand's worldview, the company was able to expand its sales channels as household goods. It comes with a tag that allows users to write in the expiry date, which they often forget. The intention is that by using your own hands, it will remain in your memory and increase awareness of regular exchange.

As mentioned in the first part, the aging society, the advent of the Internet, disaster countermeasures, etc. require more complex perspectives in design. There is no doubt that the power of design is increasingly needed in an increasingly complex society. For more than 50 years, the Good Design Award, along with the G Mark, has conveyed the wisdom of design from a Japanese perspective, and will continue to serve as a guide to enriching our lives.

(Titles omitted)

[Good Design Award Schedule]
10/31
Grand prize selection event (along with award celebration), special award announcement
13:30-16:30 Live broadcast of award celebration & grand prize selection (from Grand Hyatt Tokyo)
13:30-14:30 Good Design Award voting reception (voting by visitors to winning stores)
Voting venue: Tokyo Midtown (Area A Midtown Hall B special stage)
Around 15:00 Good Design Award Announcement
18:30-19:00 Special Award Press Presentation

[Good Design Award winning exhibition “GOOD DESIGN EXHIBITION 2019”]
Date: October 10st (Thursday) - November 31th (Monday)
11:00-20:00 Last day until 18:00 / Entrance until 30 minutes before closing
Venue: Various locations in Tokyo Midtown (9-7-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo)
Register
http://archive.g-mark.org/gde/2019/index.html

→Click here for 2019 Good Design Best 100 (Part XNUMX)