Won reddot design award: best of the best!
I won the red dot award: design concept 2013 and this time it’s ‘best of the best’ prize! The concept itself is the one I posted on this blog a few years ago, but I revised it based on some positive feedback from the readers for more practical use. I really appreciate everyone who helped this to happen. It’s now live on the red dot’s website.
Infographic Coins are a set of coins whose values are easily recognized by anyone. By utilizing shapes of pie graphs, which are widely used around the world by a variety of ages of people, one can instantly figure out how much these infographic coins are worth. One more important aspect of this concept is that by making the empty space in a pie chart, it saves the usage of materials, which is environmentally friendly.
If I have a chance, I want to mention the reason why I chose this kind of non-digital, old fashioned concept this time somewhere.
http://www.red-dot.sg/en/online-exhibition/concept/?code=808&y=2013&c=24&a=2
My previous work that won the red dot concept award in 2009Cake Server Development Project
Project code name “Shiro”
It’s been quite a while since I thought of this cake server concept and from last year I started developing it with a great help from Mono-Lab Japan.
And here are the first photos of the first prototype made just with their 3D printer.
I’ll update the development progress here on my blog and Facebook, so be sure to check it out though the update will be very slow.
I’m thinking of bringing it to public using crowd funding some day.
Sora – Simple Clock Concept
A clock for your desk.
There’s a magnet on the back of the clock, so it stays on the v-shaped stand.
The stand has 7 days printed on it.
Hide the other days with the clock so that only the day of today is revealed.
Only 3 days are printed on one side (I couldn’t arrange more than that), so how about using the back side of the stand for Sunday?
It’s a clock that changes its style every day.
Future AI Search?
Since Siri gives you clever replies, why not the same for search engines in their ‘suggest’ lines?
Futuristic Concept Mock-ups for Personal Exhibition
I’m hoping to hold a personal exhibition in NY or somewhere else for my future concept designs I’ve made. Although the mock-ups are just non-working prototypes, it must be a lot of fun for people to see, feel and touch very futuristic devices that we dream of. With some 3D movies and cool animations, I believe lots of people will visit the exhibition.
(Photoshopped just a bit)
These are some of the first rough mock-ups I made last year. I was planning to bring them to Re:publica in Berlin for my speech there. However on the very same day when the first mock-ups arrived to my house on March 11th, the earthquake happened (I was miraculously at home waiting for the delivery), which caused catastrophic damages not only in this country but places all around the globe, and my business was also affected from it. So I had to hold the plan for some time. And now I’m restarting to make the dream come true.
They are the very first mock-ups and pretty roughly made, so it’s not the level to show anyone yet, but I hope you can picture what it will be like to hold it in your hand.
I’m now looking for a sponsor to make this dream come true. Contact me if you’re interested.
Works for Tokyo Motor Show 2011
As I tweeted, I worked on a lot of concept designs for the movies of AGC (Asahi Glass Company) and TOYOTA for Tokyo Motor Show 2011.
Movie by AGC: Glass Can Change The World
Concept Car
Dashboard UI
Smart House
UI for Glass Fridge / Energy Management Pane
Roll-up Newspaper / Newspaper Graphic
Robot
Car Dashboard Mockup Panel Screens
It was my first time ever to design a car and a robot, but I had lots of fun making them.
Asahi Glass now introduces their great technologies in a booth for “Smart Mobility City 2011” in Tokyo Motor Show.
http://www.agc-smc2011.com/en/
TOYOTA Smart Mobility City 2011 Concept Movie
(I’ll post the movie when it’s officially uploaded on YouTube. This is the old version.)
One of my mobile phone concepts “Glassy Glass” was again picked up and used in the movie.
Dial to Unlock (Concept)
Please email me if there’s anybody who wants to develop this app.
I have other more practical ideas waiting to be developed!
Dial to unlock by Mac Funamizu is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at petitinvention.wordpress.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://petitinvention.wordpress.com.
See also the similar previous post.
Kaya – Future Microwave Oven Concept
I’m not a cook, but I know what the food should be like for me to eat. I know it shouldn’t be burned or it should be defrosted. I just don’t know exactly how long it should be cooked. I wish there were a microwave oven like this that ‘shows” me what the food will be like after cooking.
But first, I wish a microwave oven was movable so that it could get close to the table when necessary.
Put a dish in it and this oven tells what kinds of foods are in it.
Adjust the ‘look’ of the food displayed on the glass by dragging the button. You can control the cooking time while looking at what it will be like after cooking the adjusted length of time. You’ll know exactly when it boils or burns.
Inspired by a dome tray when I was watching Ratatouille.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Koriko – iPhone Dock Concept
I want an iPhone dock that can change its forms reflecting various kinds of notifications needing attention as well as some simple controls for applications. The feelings you can get with that kind of tangible output & input are what touchscreen lacks.
Koriko is a simple iPhone stand with speakers and a flexible long arm (tail?).
Notifications are represented with the tail forming simple shapes.
When a song is played, it works as music control buttons you can push directly.
It not only changes forms, but also makes certain movements for some time. It waves good-bye when you turn it off.
There are so many possible other applications that would work with Koriko. It would be really fun to see it working.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Slide to …
I was really impressed with the idea of the New MIUI Lockscreen. So I thought of something fun myself. Note that this is a concept.
Polaroid iPhone Dock Concept
I wish there were an iPhone dock that instantly prints out the photo you take.
If you upload the photo to a website, you can add an QR code for the url on the back. For a geo-tagged photo, you can also include the map to show where the photo was taken.
Yes, I’m one of those people who still relish the feel (and smell) of photos.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Mobile Phone Sketch: Zimmer
This post is to tell all of you that I’m OK.
After the tragic magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit Japan on March 11th, I’ve received many many messages from around the globe asking how I was or even if I was alive. As I tweeted about my situation, I’m doing fine. I truly appreciate all your considerations not only for me but for those who have been badly affected by the earthquake, tsunami and the nuclear power plant issues. I’ll keep tweeting how I’m doing on my Twitter.
Also I wanted to tell you that Japan will get back to its feet for sure. Currently I’m going through many inconveniences that I have never experienced in my life (lack of water, gasoline, vegetables, power etc. etc.), so I’ll be able to think of ideas to overcome those difficulties. But for now, let me show you sketches I’ve been making since before the earthquake. It’s a mobile phone concept named Zimmer. (There’s nothing new or innovative here this time.)
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Klipp — Future Camera Concept
I was really impressed with the WVIL camera shown in CES 2011 and I’m very much inspired by the concept. I was wondering what it would be like if there were a WVIL for amateurs. So I made it smaller and thinner. The lens has a clip on its back so that you can place it on various places. No matter where you clip it, the lens sends the images to the screen wirelessly.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Fake Hook Lock
This hook does NOT actually prevent the rotation of the handle. It’s just a slide-type lock.
When the door is locked, it really looks like it is.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Thru –Lucent Mobile Phone Concept
Just like some of my previous mobile phone concepts, the transparent body would be pretty attractive.
What’s different this time though is that this Thru has a function to show 3D images behind the screen. It looks as if there were another world behind it because the images are made to look natural on the floor behind the screen.
So the email notification would be made like a game, which sounds fun.
There could be a fierce battle on your desk. In any case, I’m pretty sure it would be so fun that you couldn’t stop watching it.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
TOYOTA Smart Center 20XX
It’s such an honor that one of my future mobile phone concepts “Glassy Glassy” is in the TOTOTA official near future mobility life short movie!
It was aired on January 1st 2011 and you can see the movie on YouTube and GAZOO.
It depicts a smart life of a middle aged man in the near future.
I worked on this project last year and have been really excited to be able to get involved. Initially I was planning to design many other objects and gadgets in the movie (including the car), but this and that happened and the mobile phone was finally left in the end. But I’m really happy to see my concept ‘alive’ in a movie like this.
It’s been such a pleasure to be involved in projects of big-name brands such as TOYOTA and SOFTBANK. I’m hoping to have more chances to work as “concept artist”.
Tsugai
If all of your family members use chopsticks, there are twice as many sticks as the families. You know chopsticks are usually kept apart, so you have to find right pairs among all of them for each meal.
So something to pair up the chopsticks would be useful.
Tsugai is a chopstick rest made of metal that you can also use as a chopstick bundle when put in the kitchen cabinet.
It makes the chopsticks stay afloat, so it can keep the chopsticks clean.
Inside the back of it there is a magnet, so when it stands, it sticks with another one to support each other. (It stands itself alone of course though.)
Tsugai means “a pair” in Japanese.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Pop It!
I’m pretty sure I see this beach ball circling on my desktop for at least 10 minutes a day in total. I don’t know what’s taking so much time (especially when I’m using Illustrator CS5). What do you do when you can’t wait any more?
Well, when I can’t stand it any more, I really want to pop this ball.
So I want a tool like a dart I can throw at the ball.
Yeah of course when you hit it, it pops with the popping sound! I’m sure it will relieve your stress (to some extent).
Mobile Phone Sketches: Nagisa
Just a sketch again. A part of it is glass.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Motion Graphic Designs For SOTBANK 30-Year Vision Movie
I had a chance to design concept models for a movie titled “Information Revolution” which was aired at the 30th Anniversary Event by SOFTBANK.
Here I designed the user interface for a future computer.
This is a concept model of future computer program. I made lots of images and the below movie is the motioned sequel of them. I tried to make it look organic. (Not all of the below cut was used in the final version.)
(View it on Behance Network.)I also made some concept images of future medical technology.
I was invited to the anniversary event in Budo-kan, Tokyo. I was truly impressed with the vision of the SOFTBANK president Song-san.
Comically Conical – Door Knob Concepts
I was looong wondering if there’s a good way to let one notice if the door is to push or pull only with the shape of a normal (round/tulip shaped) doorknob. Thinking of a good knob design for pushing is not so difficult but in most cases the shape is also good for pulling and vice versa.
So I thought differently; it might work if I can find a shape that makes it HARD to push/pull. Then a user instinctively notice which way the door should open. (Not sure if this has already been used.)
The above knob is for pulling. It a little hard to turn this knob and push.
Likewise the above knob makes it a little hard to turn and pull.
There are times when you have to push a pull-door and pull a push-door, such as when you release a door stopped with a door-stopper, so I made it “a little” hard to push/pull. Will these doorknobs help many people you think?
For manufacturers, please contact me for development.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Face Door Hanger
I started freelancing from this month and have more time to work at home than before. My son, by the way, is 2 years old and can’t read yet, so he ignores a door hanger that says ‘Do Not Disturb’ in words. That’s why I came up with this concept. He understands what this face door hanger means, but there’s one problem: he got to like it so much that he cries out for it in front of the door of my room… So he’s disturbing me much more now. Oops!
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
“Donald” Paper Tray Concept
For A4 sized paper.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
petitinvention 