Naoki Kuramochi

Design Work that Begins at the Planning Stage

I first became involved in design at the time of development of the PX-200, about three years after the introduction of the Privia series. In those days, the key challenge CASIO faced with digital pianos was how to capture the essence of a piano while using a plastic housing. I recall that we utilized a technology called water transfer to simulate woodgrain on the console as one means of overcoming this challenge. That was our initial attempt to achieve a glossy, highly textured finish. Although we encountered various technical difficulties, I think that in the end it was a good try. I have worked in the design of Privia pianos for about seven years since that time. Although my work is design, it goes beyond merely creating the exterior shape of instruments. When CASIO develops and introduces a product, all involved sections must be able to fully buy into the product concept. For this reason, at the initial planning stage we make a point of thoroughly exchanging opinions with the involved sections starting right from the basics: what sort of musical instruments should CASIO be making, and what should we aim for in the product currently being developed?

The Desire for Users to See, Feel, and Experience New Value

To realize this design approach, I always make sure to make a full-size mockup as early as possible in the design process. The purpose is to enable all project team members to envision the same goal early on. As you might expect, there are lots of opinions and ideas that emerge only once people are able to see a physical object. After that, we proceed with design work while coordinating the views and voices of the involved sections to ensure there is no deviation from the original concept. This is an aspect of the job that really drives home the importance of communication in design work.

I feel that it is my mission to provide users with new value through the design of Privia pianos. In that sense, the Privia series is a product line that offers constant opportunities to boldly grapple with design challenges. My hope is that many users will directly see, feel, and experience the advancement imbued in these compact, slim pianos.

Models that Embody Innovative Ideas

During the seven years I have been involved in designing Privia pianos, two models have been particularly memorable. One is the PX-130, a compact piano that can be played on a tabletop that has the most clearly expressed product concept of any Privia model. We largely succeeded in suppressing a mechanical image by actively devising and adopting various ideas, such as using rear-facing speakers and incorporating a large curved line across nearly the entire length of the piano. I have an especially happy memory of the tremendous reception users gave the PX-130RD, a limited production model on which we boldly decided to use red for the first time.

The other memorable Privia piano is a rare model that resulted from an internal design proposal. The PX-830BP is a truly stylish piano with a keyboard cover that creates a completely flat surface when closed. With this model, the design team was involved even in areas normally handled by the technical design section in an exhaustive effort to create a stylish, minimalist appearance. I remember spending a week holed up in the CAD room desperately grappling with images and data to achieve this appearance.