Yamaha Design “Synapses” IFA

2018 / SHOW BOOTH


Exhibit booth for the IFA Consumer Electronics Unlimited show.

Elegance

By displaying the flagship 5000 Series of hi-fi components along with the pinnacle of Yamaha piano craftsmanship, the CFX, we expressed the distinctiveness that comes from creating all Yamaha products, whether audio equipment or musical instruments, in line with a consistent philosophy. We placed them in front of an image of the hand of a craftsman taken at an actual Yamaha factory, seeking to convey the in-depth knowledge, technology, and passion for sound that make up the foundation of Yamaha.

Harmony

We made use of the location situated in a corner of the venue by running a large wall surface diagonally overhead across the front of the space, expressing the harmony between tranquility and dynamism that defines Yamaha. This wall surface served to catch the eye of visitors from the building center while also achieving the higher-level requirements of messaging and functionality.

Honest

Display methods were optimized to suit each product category. The remarkably evolved MusicCast® product line was presented in a way that allowed for a face-to-face explanation using actual products, with a glass-enclosed private room for experiencing home theater products by reflecting invisible sound beams. In addition, we created an environment where both viewing the wall display and listening within the soundproof room provided a deep understanding of these hi-fi products for which the precision and feel of the components themselves are important.

Reconstruction

In order to highlight the value of MusicCast® in enriching daily life, a lifestyle with compatible products was reproduced vividly, based on the theme of “Yamaha in Your Life.” A wall graphic illustrating how to link products together was added in 2018, evolving the exhibit into one that was more understandable in terms of both image and objective information.

Inspiring

We trialed a new form of display exhibition styled around experiencing musical instruments at an electronics show. This exhibit had an open atmosphere in which anyone could feel comfortable playing the instruments, resulting in a space remarkable for the smiles and surprised expressions of children and adults who had never tried a musical instrument before.


Masaharu Ono
Masaharu Ono
Designer
Yamaha Design Laboratory

Kunihiro Takei
Kunihiro Takei
Designer
Yamaha Design Laboratory

Kazuya Washio
Kazuya Washio
Designer
Yamaha Design Laboratory

Yoshinobu Terazaki
Yoshinobu Terazaki
Designer
Yamaha Design Laboratory

Kazuki Kashiwase
Kazuki Kashiwase
Designer
Yamaha Design Laboratory

Sena Otsuka
Sena Otsuka
Designer
Yamaha Design Laboratory

At the Forefront of Ever-evolving Communication Design.

Held annually in Berlin, Germany, IFA is the world’s largest international consumer electronics show. Yamaha has been exhibiting at the show for some time, but in recent years there has been a strong demand for consistency of brand message and product design, so the Design Laboratory has become deeply involved in planning the exhibition since 2010.
In that first year, we created and displayed an object which expressed the distinctiveness of Yamaha as a producer of both musical instruments and audio components, and witnessed at the site how it communicated our message to visitors, reaffirming that the exhibition is not just a place to display products but also an opportunity to talk about the brand and the value it offers. With that in mind, in 2011 we were given the opportunity to explore the structure of the entire booth, and under the idea that communication is also part of the product, we considered design that would be optimal for all areas. We recreated not only the display booth, but every aspect of design, from the composition of the main promotional film shown on the screen at the center of the booth to the catalogs and individual descriptive plates. We paid special attention to the goal of communication suited to each product category.
Right from the start, we have followed a philosophy that can be summarized as, “Clarify where the point of value for each product lies and communicate in a way that conveys it effectively.”
The booth design underwent significant changes in 2011, 2014 and 2017, and each time involved taking on the challenge of trying something new. The greatest of these in 2017 was the flow design, making use of the particulars of the location. The Yamaha booth is located right near the entrance to Hall 1, with the space straddling the walkway on both sides. Other booths that are lined up opposite the entrance are directly in visitors’ line of sight upon first entering the hall, so a striking number of visitors walked past our booth without stopping. By installing a large wall surface overhead such that it would attract the eyes of visitors, we established a clear-cut front face for the Yamaha booth. This successfully heightened awareness of our presence and drew more people to our booth.
In addition, to visualize how the visitors moved through and experienced the booth, we used 3D software to create a video walkthrough and conducted realistic simulations for light distribution and laying out the space to reflect both visitor movement and how they would perceive the space. Typically, bird’s-eye view is often used in design, but with this software we were able to identify how to communicate our intended message within the visitors’ actual field of view and appropriately design lines of flow.
For color tones and materials, which up until 2016 were based on a duotone theme of black and white, we added natural, bright wood textures beginning from 2017. Then in 2018 we added a variety of actual musical instruments to the exhibit and allowed visitors to play them, which became a very popular attraction with each instrument constantly in use by someone. There is a sense that the Yamaha brand itself also permeates through the value of the products from the first. Year after year our message is refined, and its expression continues to evolve. In the rapidly changing world of the audio industry, methods of communication also continue to evolve at an accelerating pace. There may be attempts that seem to be pushing it too far, but by taking on challenges and finding solutions, expressions that once seemed bold have become the norm. The sense that our whole team is growing together and moving forward is quite stimulating and enjoyable. For us, the IFA also represents an opportunity to experiment with expressions. We identified several issues this year and still have several challenges we would like to take on. We look forward to next year’s IFA.