Store de force: Good Design Store
Each item in the new PMQ store has won a prestigious Japanese award. Prize organiser Masami Kawaguchi describes what makes a winner.
Text Catherine Shaw
"It is an annual programme for the evaluation and commendation of design organised by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion. Products are evaluated from different perspectives - not only beauty but also environmental consideration, usability and purpose for society. Winning designs carry a 'G Mark' as a symbol of excellent design."
"We've had a good relationship with the Hong Kong Design Centre so, when we heard about the PMQ project, we immediately wanted to join. We wanted to share the G Mark and the idea of the Good Design Award with other Asian countries, especially since we have started screening products from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Seoul. We thought Hong Kong would be the best place to start because of its highly developed culture and power to influence countries."
"All our products have won the Good Design Award, so are significant, but the iconic Butterfly stool is special. It was created by industrial designer Sori Yanagi in 1956 at almost the same time as our award started and is loved by people around the world for Yanagi-san's integration of Western modernism and traditional technology. Our Alex scissors are another good example of long-life design. They are the standard in Japan because they are aesthetically pleasing but cheap. Another special product is the Hiroshima folding chair, designed by Naoto Fukasawa, who creates products from his observations of daily life in Tokyo."
"We want to show that design is not something just for adding value to a product. Design itself is the value. The Good Design Store shows a standard for daily life where products may not be special but are always agreeable. The store is also a platform for promoting Japanese design and exchanging ideas with creatives in Hong Kong."
"Our Casio digital watch made in 1988. Our Hakomasu boxes made from Japanese cypress are also popular. They are simple but stylish and ideal for storage."
