- The design activities at the Creative Center (China) are focused not only on products for the Chinese market, but also on getting the word out on products originating in China for consumers worldwide.
- Creative Center
- 361, Juli Road
- Pu Dong New District,
- Shanghai 201203
- P.R.C.
PMX-M70
PMX-U50
- PMP Project
- Although the market for portable audio players in China has been declining since the end of 2005, there has been a corresponding surge in products for multimedia playback. Recognizing the need for product planning that keeps pace with this market trend, Sony launched the portable media player (PMP) product development project.
- The Shanghai Creative Center started by studying the lifestyles of younger generations in China. Based on this research, two models were designed. The PMX-M70 targets 18-25 year-old males, who tend to work and play hard. The PMX-U50 targets trend and fashion-conscious young men and women in the 16-22 age range.
- With PMPs, users enjoy the freedom to watch videos anytime, anywhere. Key points here are a simple bezel around the screen, a form that is easy to hold and carry, and a stand—features that make it easier to watch video over long periods, to hold the device without getting tired, and to prop it up for convenient viewing. Each model was designed on these basic concepts.
- Design of the PMX-M70 was aimed at a player with a minimal footprint. Only the screen is visible when viewed straight on. The front layer is extremely practical and mechanical, with only the screen visible, but the back layer shows a more "human"?side. Users will enjoy holding the player, thanks to this soft side. In short, two goals of the designers are evident—the player gives center stage to videos while resting easily in one's hand.
- The PMX-U50 was specifically designed to be easy to hold.
Slim and light, this player features a battery compartment and speakers on the bottom. The result is a nicely balanced and ideally contoured device that is very easy to hold and only 6.9 mm at its thinnest part. Viewed from the side, it forms an elegant "d" shape. Easily slipping into smaller hands as well, it is a good example of both usability and styling.
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- Kai Xiao
- Senior Designer
- Jia Han
- Senior Designer
KLV-40T200A
- T-Series
- As visited Chinese homes, we found many households having a drawing on the wall. In fact, the hang-on-wall ratio for LCD TV in China is around 40% that is much higher than that of other countries where only a few percent of consumer hangs the TV on the wall. Based on this data, we decided the T-series product concept; "super-slim TV like a drawing on the wall".
- Much effort was paid to realize the design concept.
- In order to slim the TV, we moved both circuit board and connecting terminals from the rear of the unit to the bottom. By doing so, T-series TV has achieved 60mm thin in width, which is a half size of the previous models. At the same time, each part was minimized for reducing the weight.
- We considered the usability, too. A special wall-mount kit was developed to allow the TV to move up and down so that the users can easily connect cables without detaching the TV.
- Meanwhile, from the aesthetic point of view, the aluminum powder was used on the surface to add a distinctive metallic luster and texture to the product.
- T-series has been successful to deliver a totally new concept of LCD TV. The slimmest and lightest LCD TV was born in China.
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- Katsumi Yamatogi
- Vice President of Sony China
- Yasufumi Yamaji
- Art Director
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