Introduction: Diversification caused by the category's new definition that transcends mobility

Sugawara: It has been three years since I started taking part in evaluating the mobility unit. It is safe to say that this year's screening has redefined the category, packing all the changes that happened in the last three years. The unit used to be more about vehicles fitted with wheels and their related instruments and devices. In the last few years, we started seeing more entries for both tangible and intangible objects that indirectly involve the transportation of people. I feel that this trend is more evident than ever this year. Removing the boundaries that define vehicles as mobility, it was a year characterized by diversification.
On the other hand, the social situation revolving around mobility in general is quite challenging. The innate desire for humans to travel is always going to be there, and some of the award-winning works have provided the solution for making people happy by pursuing efficiency and convenience through AI and automatic operation. This unit had 47 entries that won the Good Design Award.

Kawanishi: "Fast and cool" vehicles that led the industry are now on the decline. It was a wonderful revelation to see many entries with designs that would brighten up the future by solving social issues, such as providing transit for the elderly, reducing accidents and maintaining the public transportation system.

Moriguchi: Having been on the judging committee since 2013, I definitely feel the passage of time. Although we did already have entries for taxi dispatch apps, they were primarily evaluated as tangible objects.
We have received more entries than ever for mobility services this year, and we are starting to see new development. For example, the electric kick scooters that were introduced just a couple of years ago are now popular worldwide. There are many more new services introduced. Under such circumstances, the existing mobility such as automobiles and trains is now in a place to compete against services in other industries.

Morikawa: Today, mobility, especially that for road traffic, is on the verge of reform that happens once every 100 years. After the invention of a gasoline-powered carriage, Ford introduced the mass-production system with its Model T. Almost a century has gone by since then and we are in a big reform phase with the introduction of CASE (connected, autonomous, shared and electric) technologies. Among the eight highly received entries, four belong to the CASE market. The remaining four are for existing mobility services. I felt that this trend well reflects the times.

Nezu: I have the impression that the trend to shift from tangible objects to intangible objects has calmed down. The theme of this year's Good Design Award was "beauty and the power to resonate." In essence, we put both tangible and intangible objects on the table and judge whether they are beautiful. I feel like, in a good way, we have gone around and come back to where we were. We now live in a time where tangible and intangible objects are evaluated equally.

Self-Driving Bus [GACHA] (GOOD DESIGN GOLD AWARD)

Sugawara: With an added human touch, this bus smartly packs technologies and hardware that offer convenience to the society. In addition, it features the signature style and feel that epitomize the MUJI brand. The warm, human touch will become the key factor in future design. While efficiency and functionality are still important, taking into consideration the perspective of people in transit gives design a chance to evolve.
By changing the platform and interior, this application could be extended to mobile libraries, convenience stores or pharmacies. We highly evaluated this entry for responding to the question of what kind of services should be provided to people without access to public transportation.

Nezu: To put it shortly, this bus is adorable. The adorable appearance is important, especially for a community bus whose presence within the town must be considered in the design. It is very MUJI-like. The fact that it takes into account how it looks when operating in town deserves a praise.
As the name suggests, the idea originated from gacha, a capsule toy vending machine. It is quite simple and straightforward. It isn't necessarily better when the design concept is complicated. This product is meticulously planned as a whole.

Limited Express [Laview] (GOOD DESIGN GOLD AWARD)

Kawanishi: This is a very unconventional type of car for Seibu Railway. Kazuyo Sejima, who didn't have any experience in designing railroad cars, presented a series of very unique and unconventional ideas. Seibu Railway showed respect for her proposals, which were given shape by Hitachi. For example, the windows are in a size that railroad car engineers would never think of designing. Railroad cars must be engineered to turn on curves, which is why windows are usually kept to a certain size as glass doesn't bend. The windows on this train are as big as they possibly could be.
The reclining seats are comfortable, and you can tell that everything is designed down to the details. This train requires a good amount of maintenance for the upkeep of its windows, carpet and seats, but Seibu Railway really wanted to please the customers despite such extra hassle. The overall level of perfection is superb.

Nezu: Ms. Sejima mentioned that she wanted to design it to make it look like a cozy living room is arriving at the platform. It is wonderful that it makes the passengers as well as the people waiting at the platform smile to transmit happiness.

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) Platform [Whim - All your Journeys] (GOOD DESIGN GOLD AWARD)

Moriguchi: This is not a product but an intangible design that rose as an extension of a reform to promote the use of public transportation in Europe by integrating zoning fares and centralizing operation. The development of smartphone has allowed to control all the transport needs in one app. Users have unlimited access to all means of transport with the monthly plan. It has definitely changed the concept of transport. Already receiving iF and Red Dot Awards in Germany, this platform won the Good Design Gold Award this year.

Morikawa: In addition to CASE which was mentioned earlier, another buzz word this year was MaaS (Mobility as a Service). The mobility in the last 100 years has mainly involved utilizing a car owned by self. The beauty of Whim, which sets a great example of MaaS, is that you can use it even if you don't own a car to easily go anywhere around town. The fact that it has beautifully put such concept into practice is a great achievement.

Moriguchi: We are starting to see the application of MaaS in Japan as well. The express bus WILLER, Keikyu Corporation and East Japan Railway Company are offering the services. MaaS platform is becoming more widely applied especially in the tourism industry.

Demand Responsive Transport [choisoko] (GOOD FOCUS AWARD [ New Business Design])

Morikawa: This is a shared transportation system with a handmade feel. I thought it was wonderful that its business model offers a solution to the problem at hand. Most on-demand or community buses have been operated by the municipality, with a profit margin on fares limited to around 5% and the rest of the operation expenses are covered by tax revenue. Developed together by a component manufacturer AISIN SEIKI and a local drugstore chain Sugi Pharmacy, Choisoko offers a system that creates bus stops with the financial help of facilities by the destination. Without requiring initial investment, it only needs a vehicle to start the service. The collaborating companies come as a surprise, and we highly evaluated the developer's efforts to creating a new style of a truly useful on-demand transit system.

Ferryboat [ferry SEAPASEO] (GOOD DESIGN BEST100)

Sugawara: Conventionally, ferryboats are designed by thinking of the package first and then how to divide up the space. Reversing such process, SEA PASEO has redefined the way of ferries by starting with the layout based on the underlying story, thinking about the people on board and how much of what kind of space they would want. I believe marine traffic and sea mobility will continue to increase their importance, so this field is worth watching with special attention. This entry reminded us that mobility isn't just about vehicles that operate on the ground.

Kawanishi: This ferryboat really moved me. PASEO means plaza or park in Portuguese. As the name suggests, SEA PASEO is one large park. The rooftop terrace is covered with AstroTurf to delicately address the passengers' needs to offer various areas to relax and accommodate different sitting styles. It is a wonderful design that makes full use of the large living space on board.

Nezu: CMF (color, material and finish) design is gaining attention as an important principle in design that has a large impact on people. I felt that the impression the passengers have when they first get on board has a greater influence than ever.

Automatic remote retrieval system [Long Range Summon]

Nezu: This system does not offer a fully automatic operation, but instead summons the vehicle using a technology called SLAM in which an AI creates a map when the driver is operating on the way. For example, you can have your car come to you in a large parking lot at a shopping mall when you are carrying a lot of things. It would be useful for women to use late at night when they are afraid to get the car out of the parking lot and want the car to come to the gate. This self-driving system could be easily installed at a reasonable price in the future.
While the development of full self-driving cars is the industry's ultimate goal, it is also important to consider how it would fit into towns and the possibility of what can be done now with the technology available. This system provides an answer to this approach. We saw a great potential for the future.

Moriguchi: Seeing the test run with my own eyes persuaded me greatly. The ultimate goal is to have the car drive to the destination and back but the development is still ongoing with an increasing number of accidents happening. That's why it is important to do what you can now. Just like GACHA, the vehicle using this system operates at a slow speed in the local area. The slow speed makes it easier to perform as it should.

Motor cycle [SR400 40th Anniversary Edition]

Moriguchi: First introduced in 1978, this motorcycle is celebrating its 40th anniversary. It was considered highly authentic from the time it was launched. In this day and age where motorcycles are becoming more and more high-performance, the fact that the same bike has been valued reflects the company's solid stance. The cars and motorcycles are becoming faster, more comfortable and safer. It has been 40 years since the company began to cherish the essential part of human's means of transportation. The beautiful finishing touches are Japan's forte. I felt that this shows one direction that products unique to Japan will be heading.

Nezu: The finish on the seat and gas tank, which are areas that the riders often touch, is especially beautiful. The tank is coated with a finish used on guitars and the leather seat is carefully sewn. I had the impression that the meticulous finish on areas that come in frequent contact with the riders is appropriate for the 40th anniversary edition.

Sugawara: The motorcycle industry is facing a declining number of riders. In such challenging times, how do you connect lifestyle with motorcycles? I thought Yamaha deserves a high praise for considering in their product development process how the riders can enjoy the wear and tear of their bikes in the long run.

Q&A

Question: While more options for mobility increase, VR and other products offer the option of not going anywhere. What do you think motivates people to go from one point to another and what kind of pleasure do they derive from doing so?

Morikawa: That is a question that goes straight to the point. For a few decades, it has been mentioned that people may stop traveling, especially with the development of ICT. The reality is quite the opposite. More people are going to places because of the advances in ICT. Furthermore, ICT supports the process of transport with car navigation systems and automatic operations. The development of ICT has actually increased the choices in transport, motivated people to go to places and assisted them with their travel.
On the other hand, there are more and more people, especially among the elderly, that are socially withdrawn. I think the role of mobility is to offer them a way to socialize and cheer up by going to places. I hope to see more of such proposals in the coming years.

Nezu: In an ultimate sense, if something like Skype allows both parties to breathe the same air in the future, there will be no point in mobility. But I don't think that will be happening any time soon. I personally think that the value of being with someone now is the essence of mobility and the motivation for mobility will continue to exist as long as there is the underlying desire.