A series showcasing Toyota's activities in non-automotive fields. This time, carmakers come together for... a fashion show?!
Dancing on the landing
To begin with, what exactly is JAID?
Takayuki Nakajima, General Manager, Vision Design Division,Toyota
Things kicked off in 2015, when designers from various companies gathered for a magazine article and everyone hit it off. We went together to visit Mazda in Hiroshima and toured the Toyota Automobile Museum.
We wanted to have fun, with the rule that it should not be taken too seriously. The concept was to bring out the character of each company, like people from different floors coming together to dance on the landing of the stairs.
The show’s title, Horumon Night, comes from the Japanese word for offal, the bits that are often discarded or thrown out [but can be turned into delicious meals]. We wanted to create a positive-minded forum for sustainable activities.
Daisuke Hanaoka, Design Manager, 3rd Product Design Department, Global Design Division, Nissan
Engaging with other designers is inspiring. In the name of free discussions, we do end up digging into each other’s designs—“What’s with that car’s interior...” (laughs). To energize the industry, I believe designers need to step outside their own companies.
Participation in JAID is strictly voluntary. This didn’t always go over well within companies.
Katsunori Sasaki, General Manager, 1st Design & Creative Department, Daihatsu
Initially, people thought we were just messing around. But as we held exhibitions and other events, they could see the growing abilities of our members. These days everyone is behind us.
The designers often have lively conversations around their respective cars. Kota Takeuchi, who handles Land Cruisers and minivan-type models at Toyota Auto Body, explains his perspective.
Kota Takeuchi, Color & Feel Design Group, Design Strategy & Planning Department, Design Division, Toyota Auto Body
Since my job involves working on Land Cruisers, seeing interiors like the Nissan Patrol or Infiniti QX80 is very exciting. I get a feeling like, “So, that’s how they do it!”
When I asked Nissan’s Daisuke Hanaoka who was behind them, the person who did that interior happened to be nearby. Each company has its own approaches and techniques. It was a culture shock, in a good way.
For his part, Hanaoka says the new Alphard’s super-long overhead console made quite a stir at Nissan.
Given everyone’s love of cars, the conversations delve deeper and deeper into the details.
Well played, Nissan
When preparing pieces for the show, the companies presented their ideas in turn. By all accounts it was a fun occasion, with no one holding back on the commentary: “Can you go a bit more casual, Isuzu?” “Too serious, Toyota!”
Yume Yanagida, Designer, Design Center, Honda
Given the rule against taking things too seriously, people really let the comments fly (laughs).
How can we make it fun for everyone and elevate each other’s work? To keep things interesting while working out good ideas, we presented ours as a skit (laughs).
Even so, apparently there is also an element of competition.
Shunsuke Mogi, Assistant Manager, Interior Design Department, Toyota
Seeing the different presentation styles of each company opened my eyes to new approaches, and I was determined to be just as good. Our Toyota team made a video, which has given me a broader range of expression in my daily work as well.
Which reminds me, Nissan once presented their ideas by putting everything on a single A3 page, like a stylish calligraphy scroll. That was well played, Nissan (laughs).
Laughter erupted around the room. Nissan’s Hanaoka joined in, adding, “If you’re going to bring that up, Toyota Boshoku went one better and came in wearing a prototype.”
Among the show’s participants, Saaya was the only creator from outside the carmakers.
Saaya, Creator
I imagined car company people to be strait-laced, but things got pretty rowdy, and it was a lot of fun (laughs). I was also impressed by the beautiful stitching.
Saaya was praising the work of Toyota Boshoku, which also handles airplane and Shinkansen seats alongside car interiors. We spoke with one of the designers:
Yuka Ezaki, Design Division, Toyota Boshoku
For the down vest lining, we worked with seat materials used in Toyota vehicles about 15 years ago. Spare materials are kept for a few years in case the seats need to be remade, but the storage period had ended, and these were set to be thrown out.
For this show, Isuzu teamed up with Honda. “Isuzu’s sketches were so wonderful we made them an offer,” says Honda’s Yanagida.
Chizuru Hayashi, Product & CMF Group, Design Center, Isuzu
I have a three-year-old daughter, so I created the kind of harness that I personally wanted to use. We each shared ideas that we wished to turn into products. It was a valuable experience.
The JAID activities seem to have yielded significant takeaways for each company.
General Manager Sasaki, 1st Design & Creative Department, Daihatsu
These are things that we want to make, not company assignments, so you can’t make excuses. I feel that I am now better able to turn good creative ideas into reality.
“I used to think of new car launch events as a job for other departments, but now I realize that I should be thinking more about presentation as well,” adds another participant.
Speaking to the designers highlighted the fact that innovation is born out of unlikely pairings. We can’t wait to see what interior designs each company comes up with next!