A “partner” for making warm and happy times AX-H1

ーI heard that you want people to put this product in their living rooms rather than in their kitchens. Why?

That’s right. (Laughs.) Even though it is fine to set it in the kitchen, the reason is because I want people to use it daily. If they put her on their living room table, they can enjoy eating with her in the morning and after they return from work, for example.

ーCertainly, since the color is a vibrant red, it would be cute placed in the living room!

As you know, the Healsio brand color is red. Since she is designed for young people, I pursued this red that allows people to feel her power. Before deciding on this hue, I looked over many “reds.” They even appeared in my dreams. (Laughs.)

ーWow. (Laughs.)

I also really focused on the form. When I heard from a person in charge of engineering that it would cook by filling the inside of the oven with steam, my image of it steadily expanded. I arrived at this surface that is overflowing with energy like it is swollen with the power of steam.

ーSpeaking of which, a moment ago you were calling the product “her.”

That’s true. Probably because she is my partner! (Laughs.) These days, households are getting smaller and the number with people living alone or with just one other person has been increasing. With a compact size in such an environment, being able to eat delicious dishes is still good, isn’t it? In addition, don’t we want to make the most of our time after we return home from work, even just an hour or 30 minutes?

ーOf course.

I thought I wanted to provide a little happiness, like providing warmth, for that time too. The target is the generation of people around my age. I want this product to be something like “partners” that are always with their owners and blend into their lifestyles. Like giving a pet water, putting water into it every day will not feel like a chore. The product completely became “she” as I was thinking this way.

ーI see. It seems that you steadily put your heart into it. By the way this tank is kind of interesting. Oh! It’s steam!

Water is a source of power. When you put water in and insert it, it responds with light and sound, like it is saying, “Preparations are complete.” The window gets cloudy and the inside steadily becomes obscured. Then, it gradually clears up. The steam flows out. I designed it so that people can experience the excitement of this series of changes during a short amount of time.

ーSo, it can be experienced with the five senses. Why did you seek to become a household appliance designer in the first place?

Many people can use the things I design. I think this is something that makes a designer happy. For example, if I think about when I have gotten direct responses back from my father, my mother or another person close to me, they were about household appliances.

ーHow about the response to the Healsio Grillé? It’s something to look forward to.

Maybe I’ll have one put in my younger sister’s room. (Laughs.) Being a product designer is interesting because the responses of people that use products are direct and easy to understand. Moreover, seeing my design lined up on a sales floor blows away all my struggles with the product.

ーBefore you were able to decide “this is the design!” did you ever reach an impasse?

About that! When I am troubled by something… I visit a public pool on my way home from work and swim. I swim 1.5 km in a day. When I am swimming slowly, ideas float up out of the blue. When I sketch them the next day, however, I think “That’s nothing special,” about most of them. (Laughs.) Since every day I sample food, for example, swimming is good for burning those calories, but it is also the best way for me to reset.

ーDo you sample food to understand products?

This time, particularly. Engineering members said that the same “deliciousness” as the products of other companies is unacceptable, and I saw hundreds of slices of bread toasted and tested for this reason. Seeing this, prompted my commitment to the idea that it must be a one-and-only design. In order to find clues to the design, I also joined them to sample food every day. So, I was concerned I might gain weight. (Laughs.)

ーOh no! You are slim. Actually, you are slender like a stage actress. You also have a nice sense of fashion.

Fashion also interests me. I love window-shopping! Coordinated color schemes, trendy colors and other things can often be used in my work.

ー I can feel that “she” is your child.

I am proud that I incorporated my thoughts and obsessions into her to my heart’s content. My hope is that people who want to value the use of their time at home more will take her in as a “partner.” Nothing would delight me more than for people to feel a little happiness with this product!

More information about the product introduced is available here.

Note: The department that the author belongs to and the content of the article are correct at the time of writing.