Sizes from the palm of the hand to a 10-ton truck

Since I joined DENSO in 2012, I have had many design experiences, from small onboard products, such as mass-produced ETC optical beacon antennas(*1), motorcycle ECUs(*2), and meters, to large-scale hardware, such as refrigerators for 10-ton trucks. I was also involved in the development of an automotive human machine interface (HMI) concept that proposes an in-vehicle space to improve the comfort of future self-driving cars. From 2015, I was responsible for product and color design of on-board plasmacluster ion generators for B2C operations and participated in development from product planning to discussions with sales contacts.
From 2018, I designed products for DENSOʼs electrification technology brand ELEXCORE and participated in exhibitions and promotions at motor shows and other events. From 2019, I have been mainly involved in robotics design in agriculture and other fields.

*1 Antenna that acquires congestion, accident, and warning information from VICS optical beacons on open roads in real time.
*2 Electronic control unit, a computer to control the various systems of the vehicle.

Truthful design that stays close to the technology is important

When I receive a design request from the Operations department, I am often asked to give shape to the "happiness" that DENSOʼs technology brings.
Accordingly, before I start thinking about the form of thedesign, I work to understand the technology by asking how this technology will change the lives of people around the world and have frank discussions with the developers to arrange what should be emphasized in the promotion. I feel that it is important to do this in all projects. Before I start designing, I try to first think about modeling, user-friendliness, brand promotion, and various possibilities so that the technology is conveyed in a fascinating way while staying outside the field of product design as much as possible. Instead of merely making a product with a nice appearance, I strive to design the optimal solution that stays true to the technology.

As a student, I wanted to design product shapes and uses

I attended an Arts university. I often made woodwork and industrial art and enjoyed making things by hand with my overalls covered in wood chips. As a student, I mainly made items such as wooden furniture with a theme of "movement" that turns one attention to sitting posture or movements for placing items and devices that guide how they are held. I think I learned the difficulty of guiding usage intuitively.
I also enjoy looking at mechanical systems, such as F1 vehicles, and somehow wanted to enter the vehicle industry to be able to design moving objects. To be frank, I did not know very much about the world of vehicle parts. However, I was fascinated by the nicheness of the field and the work of designing the form of products that have strict performance requirements along with the developers, and submitting an entry was my motive for joining DENSO.

Work changes greatly when teams have a variety of specialties

Because of the breadth of operations, requests vary. We rarely receive the same requests, which range from vague consultations for which there are no answers to items developed from technology built up over years, items that consider new brands, and items that have short deadlines and require agility. Starting with a conversation asking what can be done, I believe the organization can gather members with different specialties that can be asked to take on new approaches through trial and error. I too have experience with various types of work, and, in a good way, I feel nervous because each job is fresh, and I have to upgrade my skills and knowledge regularly.

The breadth of work that can be found everywhere is appealing

DENSO is a B2B organization that demands strict manufacturing for products that require a balance of costs and performance. Many parts cannot be seen after they are installed on the vehicle. In designing the exterior of these parts, it is often difficult to understand the meaning of spending costs. However, by designing not only the styling but also part layout, I have been able to propose even possible improvements to heat dissipation and reduced weight of ECUs for motorcycle and onboard sensors. For this reason, I start with quantitative analysis and research that cannot be seen in the design work at first glance and talk with developers about how the product should be. Activities that will broaden the scope of contribution of the design work are important. There are no limits on the prescribed work, and the progress of work that enables proposals of how to design is fascinating. Furthermore, if I find a product that I designed as a part onboard a vehicle, I secretly get a happy feeling, which leads to a sense of worth.