KYOTO Design Labは、2015年より3年生のデザイン専攻学生のカリキュラムの一環としてFixpertsに取り組んでいます。学生たちは、京都でデザインパートナー（プロジェクトではFix Pertnerと呼びます）を見つけ、ディスカッション、民俗学的リサーチ、プロトタイピングの反復を通して、Fix Pertnerの仕事を手伝う道具や環境を改善するプロダクトのデザインを目指しました。また、Fixpertsプロジェクトは、デザインや制作プロセス、アイデアが進化する過程を説明する4分間のバイリンガルビデオの制作も求められます。
RCA Helen Hamlyn Fixperts Award は、英国王立芸術学院［RCA］のヘレン・ハムリン・デザイン・センター（Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design［HHCD］）が運営する賞です。6人の審査員が、直接的かつ実質的な価値を生み出しているFixperts作品を選出します。評価基準はつぎの3つです。
どのくらい問題が対処されたか
どのくらい力強く問題に取り組んだか
どのくらい最終成果が成功したか
9カ国41プロジェクトのなかから、工藤外四、中山うらら、八木まどか、Ah Hyoen Kim が取り組んだ「Bebento」が、RCA Helen Hamlyn Fixperts Award 2018 の次点入賞者に選出されました。彼らは、京都市内を移動しながら靴の修理をおこなうナカガワミチオ氏をパートナーに、ナカガワ氏が移動した場所で効率的かつ迅速に仕事場とディスプレイをセットアップできるようにする方法の開発に取り組みました。彼らは解決策として、日本のお弁当箱をベースに、セットアップの時間を大幅に短縮できるボックスセットをデザインしました。
審査評
「これは、明快なプロセスとFix Partnerのニーズへの理解を示し、喜びをもたらす、適切で愉快なソリューションです」
Bebento display for Mr Nakagawa
The RCA Helen Hamlyn Fixperts Award is an annual award given by the Helen Hamlyn Center for Design at the Royal College of Art . The six person jury for the award selects an inspiring fix, which has created direct and real benefit following three key criteria:
How well was the problem tackled?
How robust was the process used to tackle the problem?
How successful was the final outcome?
This year’s runner-up for the award by the narrowest of margins in a field of 41 entries from 9 countries was Bebento created by the KIT team led by third year product design student Gaishi Kudo with Urara Nakayama, Madoka Yagi and Ah Hyoen Kim. The team worked with itinerant shoe repairer Michio Nakagawa. They tackled the difficult issue of how to enable him to set up his work and display space more efficiently and quickly in the different locations where he works.
Their solution was an integrated box set based on the Japanese bento lunch box that could be packed, unpacked and stowed easily in his van substantially easing and reducing the time of his setup process.
What the judges said:
‘This is a solution that was both appropriate and delightful that showed a clear process and understanding of the Fix Partner’s needs and created a solution that brought obvious joy and delight’.
About Fixperts@KIT
Third year design students from KIT and KYOTO Design Lab have worked annually on a Fixperts project since 2015 as part of their design curriculum. Following a thematic brief, they are asked to find design partners in Kyoto and through discussion, ethnographic research and iterative prototyping, are asked to design products that will improve their working situation. Please see the four-minute bi-lingual video they make to explain the design, its production process and the evolution of their ideas below:
Bebento display for Mr Nakagawa