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SUMMARY OF THE ADJUDICATION
Most products in this Unit are at a mature
stage in terms of both design and technology, and it is difficult
to carry out a clear and precise screening merely on the basis of
the G-Mark's uniform screening criteria of "good design,"
"superior design," and "design that points the way
to the future." Thus, we divided the category of passenger
vehicles into three groups: flagship vehicles, practical everyday
vehicles, and specialty vehicles (including sports utility vehicle).
The vehicles were evaluated as to whether they surpassed expectations,
met expectations, or were below expectations.
The Screening Committee took the daring approach of applying strict
criteria based on their own expectations to the flagship and specialty
vehicles, the vehicles that are expected to play a key role in the
trend toward motorization in the 21st century and the point the
way for the automobile industry. The Screening Committee required
winning entries to impart a feeling of having surpassed expectations,
which means greatly exceeding the users' pre-expectations and making
their own case to the consumers. In contrast, practical everyday
vehicles were awarded prizes if they met or exceeded expectations.
If we assume that "meeting expectations" means hitting
the mark in a number of aspects (multiple axis evaluation), then
the product makes the evaluator feel that it has hit some sort of
target or displays certain points of superiority.
There was a total of 72 entries this year, including one recommended
by a Screening Committee member. Of these, 43 passed through the
First Adjudication with documents and became eligible for the Second
Adjudication, in which the entries are judged by looking at the
actual items. If an entry was not yet on the market, we not only
inspected the actual vehicle but also asked the developer to make
a presentation. Twenty-eight entries passed the Second Adjudication,
a final success rate of 38.9%.
THE SELECTION OF THE CANDIDATES FOR THE GOLD
PRIZE
The seven candidates for the Gold Prize were
selected from among the entries that all four members of the Screening
Committee had graded as passing and on the basis of their recommendations.
They were the Mitsubishi eK Wagon, the Honda
Fit, the Toyota Soarer,
the Volvo S60, the Nissan Skyline
and Primera, and Michelin tires.
The eK Wagon gave us a look at Mitsubishi's
new directions with its superbly functional streamlined look. The
Fit shows us the archetype of the next-generation high-mileage car,
distilling all of Honda's expertise in building minivans and its
strengths in automotive design. The S60 combines Volvo's concern
for safety and dynamic running to give the feeling of a new brand
identity. The Skyline is an understated sedan
for adults built upon 40 years of experience with GT cars. Michelin's
tires have brought a breath of fresh air to tire design with the
revolutionary new idea of putting broad colored lines in the tire
tread pattern. The final recommended entry for the Gold Prize was
the Nissan Primera. There is not much interest
in mid-size sedans in Japan, but in Europe and North America, this
category is the mainstream type of car, and the competition to develop
new models is fierce. The Primera is part of
Nissan's international strategy and has been assigned the mission
of competing with such vehicles as the Volkswagen Passat,
the Peugeot 406, or the Alfa Romeo 156.
We gave it high marks for facing up to this pressure and for displaying
Nissan's ability to take a car that overflows with new strength
and equip it with a superbly designed form.
Beginning this year, there is a new requirement to
check the Adjudication results for each Category and Unit objectively.
As a result of this process and of the deliberations of the conference
of unit chiefs that occurred after the Second Adjudication, the
Primera and the Soarer were
selected as nominees for the Gold Prize. At the Adjudications for
the Gold Prize and the Special Screening Committee Prizes, both
were singled out for the Gold Prize. In addition, the Soarer
was nominated for the Grand Prize and proceeded to the Grand Prize
Adjudication on October 30.
THE ADJUDICATION FOR THE GRAND PRIZE
Toyota has been a world leader in dealing
with environmental and energy problems by building a practical hybrid
car, but the Soarer carries with it another
important message, namely, dreams of mobility. Things that are full
of dreams have a certain magic that delights our heart in surprising
ways and make us eager to face the future. The Soarer
convertible impresses us with Toyota's unique potential, or the
kind of potential found only in Japan, for automotive craftsmanship,
refined to a high quality while taking care to preserve a sense
of fun.
We tried to make a strong case for the Soarer
at the Grand Prize Adjudication on October 30, but regrettably,
it did not attract much attention. This may be because we are in
the midst of a major transition from an era in which the manufacturer's
spirit is neatly incorporated into every aspect of the product to
an era of making abstract products that are based on communication.
Be that as it may, during the Adjudications and evaluations for
this Unit, we were once again reminded that it is important to perceive
both the spirit of the designers trying to improve their craftsmanship
and the true meaning of the design.
OTHER ENTRIES
I would like to mention some of the entries
other than passenger vehicles. While most of the car audio devices
entered never went beyond superficial surface styling, Fujitsu's
Eclipse series drew our attention. Kyushu Matsushita's
Panasonic KX-GP1 was a shining example of a
car navigation system. Denso's optitron meter was problematic for
two reasons. We wondered how to evaluate a component product that
cannot be purchased as a separate unit, and we saw a contradiction
with the manufacturer's description of the item as "allowing
easy visibility even far away" when it is used together with
ordinary types of meters. The two child seats entered by Carmate
were judged to have achieved a sufficient level of design.
Automobile-related products offer broad possibilities for customization.
We hope to see more entries of desirable products that improve the
design level of personal vehicles.
Takashi Hasumi
Chief Jury of Unit 5
Professor, University of Tsukuba
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