Over the years we’ve built up an arsenal of uniquely designed audio products, and the story begins with the original Walkman cassette player. For Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka, our two founders, it wasn’t enough that they’d invented the world’s first portable and practical cassette player - they also wanted it to be as small as physically possible.
With this in mind they decided to strip away everything unnecessary, which gave them the space to pack all of that hugely innovative technology into a body that was modern, unassuming and small enough to fit inside a jacket pocket. The designers also used colour to help users understand the function of the product - the blue region was dedicated to containing the cassette, while the silver area housed the interactive controls.
The principles of Japanese culture continue to find their way into our audio design, right up to this present day. The spirit of reductionism - the idea of making the best use of available space - drives us to fit the power and intelligence of something large into a smaller, more elegant package, while a focus on colours, shades and hues has led to some truly memorable products.
When designing any audio product, our designers spend a lot of time asking questions like ‘how should this product feel in someone’s hands?’ and ‘what is going to make them want to pick this product up?’. This focus on the sense of touch is also derived from Japanese culture - in particular the traditional tea ceremony. The ritual itself is a thoroughly tactile experience, and so every piece of equipment - whether it’s the tea bowl, the scoop or the ‘chakin’ (the cloth that’s used to wipe the tea bowl before use) - must be crafted with exquisite care and attention so that it feels just right in the hands.
The importance of perception of touch has been carried through to everything we make, from the smooth-scrolling knobs on our Hi-Fi systems right the way back to the unique ‘click’ sound of the ‘Play’ button on the original cassette Walkman.
Lots of our audio products are based around a select choice of colours like black, white, dark grey and red - shades that are widely used in Japan for their simple, elegant qualities. But we also aren’t afraid to shy away from bold, vivid shade that capture the imagination and stick in your mind. In 1984 we released the WM-F5, our first waterproof ‘Sports’ Walkman that boasted a vibrant yellow case designed to mimic the look of underwater equipment. It was a bold step away from the colours of our previous models, but it became a huge hit and yellow became the standard colour for all Sports Walkman models.
Fast forward to the present day and our colour experimentations continue with the h.ear range of headphones, earphones and MP3 players. Our designers spent months coming up with five shades that made a stylish statement while still being able to harmonise with your environment, from viridian blue to lime yellow.
By taking influence from our Japanese heritage, we’re able to make MP3 players, speakers and Hi-Fi systems that not only look and feel great but honour the very roots of the company. The products themselves may have evolved dramatically over the years, but each one of them has been born from the very same foundations and ideas.
