Elements of Japanese Design by Boyé Lafayette De Mente

Author:Boyé Lafayette De Mente
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-8048-3749-1
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing

Katachi

(Kah-tah-chee)

Making Things Shapely

Appealing to the Sensual Sense

The original meaning of the term katachi is “form” or “shape,” and by extension it refers to things that are well-proportioned or shapely. It relates to the perfect union of form and function, whether the object is a man or woman, a motorcycle, a television screen, or a violin. Miniaturization of form and maximization of function is, of course, a hallmark of commercial design in Japan. When one of Canon’s first miniaturized cameras came out, it was so attractive, so charming, that it became a fashion accessory that celebrities and others in Japan, the United States, and Europe wore as necklaces. And as is well known, this same expertise was applied to a wide range of other products, including calculators, laptop computers, and language translators.

One story about the Japanese compulsion to make things smaller and more refined involves Akio Morita, cofounder of Sony Corporation. Dissatisfied with the size, appearance, and weight of a new tape recorder, Morita ordered the engineers who designed it to confine themselves to a hotel room and stay there until they had reduced the size of the recorder down to where it could be held and operated in one hand.

Throughout their history the Japanese have been deeply interested in the shapes of things. This first appeared as a part of Shinto, which was in effect nature worship that included paying extreme attention to the details making up things in nature, especially things of extraordinary beauty such as flowers and tiny sea creatures. When Zen Buddhism came along near the end of the twelfth century, it added the even more powerful philosophical and ethical idea that the form or shape of something is not correct until it has been pared down to its essence and made perfectly functional.

In the West, and among American manufacturers in particular, the traditional philosophy has been the idea that the first obligation of designers and engineers is to come up with products that are easy and cheap to fabricate. In contrast, Japanese designers have been dedicated to the concept that design, ka-tachi, and functionality take precedence over the manufacturing process. It is left up to engineers to figure out how to make the product efficiently. Hence the commonly noted difference in the quality of Japanese and American products.

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