JAPANESE
2010 Outline

General Impressions

深澤 直人
Chairman, 2010 Good Design Awards
Naoto Fukasawa

Design for Lasting Enrichment of Everyday Life


The Good Design Awards constantly reflect their background, the social conditions, trends, and culture of each year. With the evolution of technology, the forms of objects are going to the absolutely essential, and individual elements and differences are disappearing. The trend is towards a narrowing of focus to perfected forms that may be termed iconic. Through the screening, that trend was conspicuous this year. Somebody may doubt this phenomenon as producing a design without vigor; a design possessing little individuality. However, we may also view this as a natural phenomenon that objects are going to their ultimate functional forms; a trend to be welcomed, without necessity to add excess meaningful or decorative elements.
The fact that objects have been reduced to their chief functions indicates that there is no necessity for people to invest excessive feelings in such forms. In the future, designs compete in terms of the individuality of their forms and colors will disappear, and the Good Design Award will be granted to companies and designers on the basis of their approach and their efforts in attempting to accurately grasp the essential forms of objects. In the case objects require a form, the trend will be in the direction of the further refinement for highly finished quality, while the design without form will be required to be with further user-friendly interface. If we enter an age in which the sharing of elements reduces excess, the trend will move to use on common platforms and the scope will be system creation and the value of applications. The concept of "possession" will probably change. Perhaps, since design has been required constantly to "change" and "make things new", another way of thinking will grow such as "modifying" to better suit the needs of the times. The power of design has previously been directed towards the production for the individual. Today, given the existence of environmental considerations and the necessity of realizing recycling-based economies, the power of design must become able to produce a more lasting enrichment of everyday life by contribution to the creation of common goods and public goods. We must view living spaces and buildings as a single thing with equipment, materials, and in those areas that are not seen or not shown.
It seemed to me that signs suggesting future directions of this type were found everywhere in this year’s Good Design Awards. Particularly, the Long Life Design Award raised excellence that is already recognized to an even higher level. On the other hand, we could see the possibility in some fields increasing their appealing individuality with constant change, such as fashion, entertainment, and the media. The Good Design Awards must consider such individualistic fields as well.
If the value of design changes, the concept the Good Design Awards will be changed accordingly.
But whatever may eventuate, there will be no change in the fact that good design enriches our daily lives.