Creation of Digital Archive of Japanese Products' Design process ...

Creation of Digital Archive of Japanese Products’ Design processOkamoto RinaKeio University Graduate School Policy and Media CourseProgram of Environmental Design Governance1. Introduction: Background and the Purpose of this ReportRecently, the number of its corporate archives by the enterprises (especiallymanufacturers) keeps increasing. However, these archives are generally likecatalogues and frequently they don’t emphasize the process of designing ormanufacturing products.As a part of the project “Design base creation in Akihabara”, I defined adigital archive that focuses the design process of Japanese products inpostwar days, namely, digital archive of Japanese products’ design processand aim to produce it.In this report, I produced prototypes of contents of digital archive of Japaneseproducts’ design process and designed the way for it. Moreover, I suggestedthe meaning of the design process archive by indicating possibility of using it.Review: Existent digital corporate archiveRecently, corporate archives or museum archives keep increasing.Especially, many big companies are rapidly forming corporate productsarchives, because the transition of the lifestyle that started at the higheconomic growth period of postwar stopped and enough amount of productswere accumulated. We can see dynamism of the growth of Japanesetechnology in the accumulation of those products.

・Case1: CANON CAMERA MUSEUMFig1, 2Public contents in the Internet. Presentation of all models ofCANON's cameras and corporate historyCANON CAMERA MUSEUM・Case2: Matsushita Electric Industrial’s company history digital archiveIn-house contents in the Intranet. Presentation of materials about corporatehistory and founder・Case3: Nippon StyleFig3.4Nippon StylePublic contents in the Internet. Presentation of Japanese productssymbolizing change of Japanese lifestyle postwar.・Case4: Dai Nippon Printing “SHASI no MORI”Public database of corporate history published by DNPOriginally, archive is to preserve materials and arrange them. But we paidattention not only to materials as result of action but also to the process ofproduction, because we noticed that the wisdom helping breakthrough andtacit information for manufacturing products rises to the surface by dividing

and demonstrating the designing process in detail. It might be profitable formanufacturing products (not only of today but also of the future) to formalizethis tacit knowledge that has been unconsciously shared. The accumulationof the designing process will also help to grip the tendency of themanufacturing products in Japanese culture as tourist attractions.Now we are editing the design process of Japanese products, mainlyconsumer electronic produced postwar. We also aim to design the productiontechnique of this archive to edit the creation process of various products thatgave the impact to Japanese society.Definition of digital archive of Japanese products’ design process andits objectsDigital archive of Japanese products’ design process is a digital archiveedited focusing the design process of Japanese epoch-making products (forexample, electrical appliance or electric parts). Each contents has commonformat to demonstrate each designing process. Definition of Japaneseepoch-making products is a little vague, but it’s decided by their newness orsocial impact.Method: 8 frames-storylineBefore producing the prototypes, I supposed astoryline consisted of 8 frames. I obtained thebasic idea from the manufacturing process of ageneral industrial commodity.Contents of 8 frames:1. Social background2. Grasp the situation3. Formation of product’s concept4. Production of prototype5. Outbreak of problem6. Grope the new solution7. New form / Completion of product8. Change of societySocialbackgroundFig5 design track (INOGUCHI, 1971)“8 frames‐storyline”to edit creation processGrasp the situationFormation ofProduction of prototypeproduct’s conceptOutbreakof problem Grope the new solution New form/ Completion of productChangeof societyFig6 “8 frames-storyline”

PrototypeUsing above storyline, I made prototype of contents based on an interview toproducers. Material is “speaker G-205”, the speaker invented for Japanesefirst domestic transistor radio TR-55.Design process of speaker G -205(Foster E lectric C om pany)〈~1954〉Production ofSocial background Grasp the situation Formation ofRadio becomes popular by Request for manufactureprototypeproduct’s conceptnational policyof micro speakerFrame is reduced to theMicro speaker able to putAfter warm society wasDevelopers answeredlimitoutprivatized“We try it”Scale-down each partnecessary compass forDomestic electricaland try to reduce the entireradioappliance becamesize.Research of existingmainstreamtechnology and simulation〈~1954 〉Problem :Difficulty ofcom patibility of size and tone quality問 題 の 発 生 :サイズと :音 質 の 両 立 が 困 難OKAMOTO OKAMOTORina: Rina:この 部 分 の 長 さが 長 いほど、写 真 入 れ 替 え大 きな 音 が 出 る図 式 :フォスター 電 機 水 口 様 提 供Outbreak of problemThe sound is smalland the band balance is badGrope new thesolution1.Review of sound qualityof corn paper (accelerationof development cycle byadoption of domesticproduction)2.Design without polepeace〈1954 .3〉New form /Completion ofproductRe-design of sound circuitand magnetic circuitAdopted for transistor radioTR-55〈1955.8〉Change of societyA minimum speakerwithout the Paul peace ismade standard.Sale of mimicry, pricecompetitionChange of lifestyle bymobile radioWhen the speaker is downsized, the sound becomes small and especiallythe bass becomes extremely small. A big speaker is more advantageous fortone quality. However, it is a small speaker that is requested.The magnet (which decides the length of speaker) was plane as much aspossible. However, it cannot carry out the function as the speaker of theradio because the sound within the range from 400 hertz to 5000 hertzcannot be produced when the magnet is plane any further and a magneticcircuit is thinned.Fig7 8 frames-storyline of speaker G-205Solution1:Im provem ent of C orn-paper解 決 策 1:コーンペーパーの 1改 良お 札 と 同 じ 技 法 で、 引 き 上 げるように 梳 く 断 面 図 縁 部 分 を 薄 くして 低 音 を 出 す図 式 提 供 (2 点 とも):フォスター 電 機 水 口 様 コーンペーパーを 透 かすと、 縁 部 分 が 薄 くなっているThe Vibration System was the key to produce low tone. Production of theCone-Paper of those days was depending on subcontract. They tried toquicken development cycle of Cone-Paper with smoothen the feedback bymaking it to domestic production.Optimizing the thinness on the edge, the material and the shape of thecorn paper, they improved the output of low tone. And by increasingcontent rate of Japanese paper from lack of knowledge of papers, theacoustic effects have improved and was suited with the characteristic ofthe transistor by chance.The company's first in-house development product was adopted for G-205.Simultaneously, the reliability of the speaker has advanced too.Fig8~12 speaker G-205 story (second half)Solution2:Im provem ent of m agnetic circuitRemovalof P olepiece and m iniaturization解 決 策 2: 2 磁 気 回 路 の 改 良ポールピースを 取 って 小 型 化The length of magnet couldbe left enough by polishingblack rust of magnet,making the magnet the samediameter as the Polepiece,and put the same functionwith Pole Piece. This methodis standard now.It was not in the recordwhether they acquired thepatent. In a tendency at thattime, there was no trend toacquire the patent andmonopolized it.図 式 提 供 :フォスター 電 機 水 口 様Completion of Transistor radio TR-55of Tokyo T TelecomT m unication- Engineering東 京 通 信 工 業 TR-5555の の 完 成Afterwards… Foster and Speakersフォスターとスピーカーのその 後フォスター 薄 型 TV 用 スピーカ433994画 像 出 典 : 東 京 通 信 工 業 TR-55カタログThe first transistor radio in Japan was completed. The small-sizing andlightening of Radio advanced by adopting the transistor, and it becomesthe first personal electronic equipment. Thou, the diffusion of family radiowas reached to 74%, personal radio ,excepting personal made by Amateurs,wasn’t existed at that time.Afterwards, the commercialization of the transistor radio leading theworld contributed to the rapid development of the electronic industrialproducts very much.( 国 立 科 学 博 物 館 産 業 技 術 史 資 料 情 報 センターアーカイヴより)コーンペーパー 生 産 も 自 動 化 へ 抄 紙 機 導 入各 種 トランジスタラジオ画 像 出 典 :『 昭 和 二 万 日 の 全 記 録 第 10 巻 』 講 談 社 平 成 元 年The lifestyle has vigorously changed by personalizing and portablization ofradio. As technology side, polepiece was standardized, and the speaker waswidely developed.Succeeded Foster came to be trusted as a pioneer in the micro-speakermarket, and eminence and sales was extended by original productdevelopment since G-205.Afterwards, the material of the magnet jumped in prices for war, and thereview of the change in the material and the structure is urged.Discussion of findings: Adaptability of 8-frame storylineIn case of “speaker G-205”, 8 frames-storyline functioned. In the same way,“Stainless steel sink” (first mass-produced stainless steel sink for publichousing, produced in 1957) could be captured as 8-frames storyline. Theseproducts are common in the following points;

・ Developed after the war, “high economic growth and supply shortage”period・ More innovative and newer caseOn the other hand, in case of morecontemporary products like cell phoneor digital camera, they go through thecompressed processes in the first halfand go through more multiple processesin the middle part.These contemporary products arecommon in the following points;・ Developed lately, “saturation anddifferentiation of products” period・ Refinement of existent modelsAdaptation of 8frames-storyline■IXY Digital・EOS}Kiss(digital single-lens camera, 2000s)■FOMA (cell phone series, 2000s)Formation ofSocial background Grasp the situationProduction of prototypeproduct’s conceptIntervention of Sales division(Marketing)Estimation divisioncover with knowledgeaccumulated manufacturing by thenOutbreak of problemNew form / Completion of productNew formCompetition with other brands/ Completion of product(by a case) defeated and forgottenChange of societyFig13 8 frames-storyline of IXY, Kiss, FOMAPossibility of using digital archive of design process: Analysis ofvariation of design process along flow in ageFrom context of the previous paragraph, I expect the cause of the partialcompression and the omission of the design process of contemporary casesis below:・ Efficiency improvement in design process by accumulation ofmanufacturing knowledge・ Meeting between different divisions based on the marketing systemNot only the accumulation of production knowledge, but also introduction of asystem of marketing had given production big influence. Below is transition ofJapanese market postwar.・Age of production … Postwar days~1960's(Period of shortage)・Age of sales … 1970's~around 1985(Period of promotion)・Age of marketing … around 1985~(Overflow of products)

It may be said that manufacturing process that was linear became multilayerafter marketing (concretely, introduction of a meeting and evaluation betweendifferent organizations or market research) was generalized.Moreover, with the same product, manufacturing processes are greatlydifferent by full model changeover or a minor change. In the case of a minorchange based on the production knowledge of an existing product, amanufacturing process is promoted efficiency of and tends to shorten.Promotion of efficiency of a process is effective for competition betweenbrands.Present analysis is still insufficient. But analysis and comparison of thechange of a design process will clarify a change of production with a flow ofthe times. I think that digital archive of design process may help it.Possibility of using digital archive of design process: Adaptation toSustainable Knowledge GlobeBy collaboration with Toyoaki NISHIDA laboratory (Kyoto University), we takecontents of digital archive in the three-dimensional archive systemSustainable Knowledge Globe (KUBOTA, SUMI, NISHIDA, 2005), forsmoother understanding and pleasant reference of contents.We have adopted prototype ofcontents to the system experimentallyand now we're investigatingunderstanding degree and feeling ofuse. Sustainable Knowledge Globehas the structure that a user can mineinformation depending on his interest.If affinity of contents and SustainableKnowledge Globe is good, we willpush forward investigation and want topursue ideal method collaboration.Development on“Sustainable Knowledge Globe”Possibility of free data miningSeparate grainStory flowGrain of informationBunch of knowledgeSingle frameas StoryFig14 image of development on SKG

Fig15, 16 Sustainable Knowledge GlobeConclusionIn this report, I defined digital archive of Japanese products’ design processbased on the present conditions and produced prototype of contents.And I showed use possibility of digital archive by performing analysis of adesign process and adaptation of contents to an archive system.Foresight of this studyThe interview of manufacturing becomes difficult by complication ofmanufacturing system (for example, production “business to business” or“business to business to consumer”) and competition of manufacturers.Actually, in our digital archive, contents bias to old cases. I insist on the meritof collecting design processes and comparative study about theseprocesses. And I make effort for accomplishment of digital archive ofJapanese products’ design process.ReferenceBook & Journal- Inoguchi (1971) Solid Product- Kubota, Sumi, Nishida (2005) “Sustainable Knowledge Globe: The Sustainably -- Developed Time-Spatial Memory”Web (2007/8/15 reference)- CANON CAMERA MUSEUM http://web.canon.jp/Camera-muse/- Nippon Style http://www.nipponstyle.jp/- DNP“SHASHI no MORI” http://shashinomori.dualchives.jp/