career limelight

career limelight
understand user experiences, designers get to come up with the most workable product. It was in 1995, upon completion of a Product Design degree from Tama Art University, that Kimura stood poised to take the design world by storm. It started with a stint in Japans largest sanitary equipment manufacturer, where he was involved in designing and marketing. Interestingly, one of his earlier successes was with a washbasin which he designed for the company in 1998. Because of its wide, flat rim, users especially elderly persons were able to rest their arms and elbows on it, making it an innovative blend of design and ergonomics. During the same year, he started working at a wireless telecommunication equipment manufacturer as product designer, until 2001. After a time at the University of California to attain an Extension in Marketing, he became a design consultant and assistant manager of marketing/ merchandising for an American-based home cordless telephone and wireless equipment manufacturer in 2003. The following year, he joined Fujitsu Limited, and he has stayed ever since. In addition to his work with the Lifebook range, Kimura has created the Turn Table PC, made for DJs and music aficionados to mix and create songs, the Fabric PC, a soft, pliable notebook based on the concept of e-paper, and the Ultra Mobile PCs.

Personality
Spotlight:
Chief Designer and Design Consultant of Solution Design Department, Fujitsu Design Ltd.
Mr. Kenichi Kimura at a media event here this January. >>

Kenichi Kimura

The Fabric Pc is soft, pliable and green (environmentally-speaking, that is).

The ultramobile Lifebook U1010, which Kimura calls his biggest design success

The UltraMobile 2006, a portable tablet PC with superior media capabilities and a 7.0 mega pixel camera. Its predecessor is the UltraMobile 2005.

MY CAREER PATH
I first wanted to be a product designer after I saw a vacuum cleaner
from Electrolux. It looked interesting because the power switch was too big to be switched on using ones finger, and it was much easier to use ones foot. Electroluxs solution went against the conventional sense; in the same way, the washbasin I designed later made a slight paradigm shift away from the usual design. something is similar to surfing and movies all of them have cultural aspects. By observing lifestyles, we can feel the culture, gleaning a sense of value people have given various aspects in their lives. One of the interesting things about surfing is the difference between surfing cultures around the world, specific to the regions and beaches you go to. Selling a product depends on where you are. The N series is well-accepted in the North American market, and is very competitive in terms of the 17 inch-widescreen product category. The LifeBook U1010 UMPC series is well-accepted in Asia, including Singapore. The product portfolio and brand positioning are different according to regions. Therefore, when I design products, I am able to set first priority market preferences according to the product category.

Inspiration can be drawn from almost everywhere. It could be in

State of The Art

Hes the man behind some of the most chic and out-of-this-world designs in the notebook scene, including the Turn Table PC and the Lifebook U1010. Fujitsus Kenichi Kimura was in Singapore this year, and spoke to The Executive on everything from design to surfing. By Lyana Shah
52 THE EXECUTIVE MAY 2008

Laptops. We all need one in an era where man and

machine cannot be separated. Fujitsu fans have long held a dear fondness for their cool and solid tech possessions. The company is probably most noted for its Lifebook series, which has various categories, like the all-purpose models from the C Series, to the powerful, tactile pieces from the B Series. Helming Fujitsus Solutions Design Department is Kenichi Kimura; the 37-year-old is responsible for shaping global product design concepts and strategies of the companys notebooks and tablet PCs. Based in Japan, the Fujitsu Design Center was established in 1961 to align the design of notebook and desktop PCs to the lifestyles of consumers. Under his lead, the department has garnered numerous awards in just the space of a few years. It is a team of 50 designers in all, of whom 17 are working on PC design. The team is so focused on Human Centered Design, there is even a department in charge of setting up realistic environments to subject new models to real-world testing. By being able to set up and

I have played a wide variety of roles from design to marketing. I

things, people or the environment around us. The key is to unlock these hints that are present around us and ask questions. This would lead to answers that address the fundamental usage scenarios that amount to a simple statement of creating new lifestyles with advanced computing technology. I think my most successful creation is the LifeBook U1010. It was created when there was an increased popularity of switching from desktops to laptops and there was a growing demand for lighter and more portable laptops. The U1010 was a leap into the future. It was inspired by the movie iRobot and some other lifestyle industries, and was designed to be so small it can fit into almost any bag.

have worked for many manufacturers, and I have designed all types of products in the last 10 years. My experience studying marketing in the U.S. and working for an Americanbased compasny has especially influenced my definition of creativity. I love surfing and movies. I have been surfing for about 20 years longer than I have been designing. Designing

MAY 2008 THE EXECUTIVE 53

career limelight

Fujitsu Design Center Awards

Good Design Award (Japan)
l 2007 LifeBook S series l 2007 LifeBook T series l 2006 LifeBook S series l 2006 LifeBook Q series l 2006 LifeBook P series l 2005 DESKPOWER TX l 2005 LifeBook T series l 2005 LifeBook series l 2004 Stylistic ST series

IF Award (Germany)
l 2007 LifeBook P series l 2007 UMPC Concept l 2007 LifeBook Q series l 2007 LifeBook T series l 2003 Desktop PC line l 2003 Stylistic ST series

Red dot product design Award (Germany)

l 2007 LifeBook Q series

Did You Know?

Unlike many other notebooks, whose production is outsourced to factories in China and Taiwan, all Lifebooks are made in Japan.

Mr. Kenichi Kimura demonstrating how to use the Fabric Pc

One of my favorite industrial designers is Chris Bangle, BMWs chief designer. BMW has had a successful design legacy with their unique and specific character in the past few decades, but he seems to be trying to reshape the design concept. It must not be easy communicating to all those executives, marketing fellows and engineers how innovative design power means progressive business and a new corporate culture. But now, BMW has a good balance between legacy and innovation.

The norm now is for products to be eco-friendly. There is a common ground now for brands to be compliant to things such as the European Unions Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive (RoHS). Fujitsus LifeBooks must be RoHS-compliant and that is a big step that affects everyone down even to the production line. The challenge is to find a way to make gadgets that will pose no significant threat to the harming of the environment either through emissions, production or

in the process of discarding. That is where I believe the vision of our Fabric concept PC describes the future trend. The Laptop PC industry is turning fashionable, but will also be environmentally friendly with technologies like e-paper. If I were a teacher at a design school, I would tell my students that its important for lifestyle needs in driving design. Design should create new usage possibilities thats when a designer sets the pace for industries, products and categories.

54 THE EXECUTIVE MAY 2008