Functionality that Inspires Design

Suzuki: I understand that the designer Natsuki Kimura had been interested in the dye-sensitized solar cell since two years before this project started. I remember that she came to several of Sony's internal research presentations. I think that this has become the foundation of the project and what made it possible to create this prototype in such a short period.
Kimura: I'm glad all these oppotunities brought us together for this project. After this collaboration was decided on, in the process of learning the basics of this technology from the engineers, I felt once again that this technology draws a clear line from other existing methods of photovoltaics. This system is inspired by nature and is very close to the way plants grow through photosynthesis. I could feel the researchers' enthusiasm. Then started a period of trial and error. At each week's brainstorming session, we'd argued heatedly in a good sense. This is only natural, since we designers have a different standpoint from that of the researchers.
However, we did share the same goal of creating a product that does not exhibit the harshness normally associated with technology, no matter how high-level the technology is.
Morooka: Designers presented various designs ketches in brainstorming sessions. The instant I saw the original artwork for the marigold pattern, I knew it was the right thing. "We can do this", I thought.
I really wanted to go with it. So I committed to casting this idea into shape by the next meeting.
Kimura: That was very encouraging. We wanted to explore a variety of possibilities within a single image, such as color contrast and dot pattern. When, however, we tried with real materials, I found that the color contrast could be very different even in the same pattern depending on the dye. We put a lot of effort into searching for attractive color combinations for each of the four colors.
Morooka: We have created as many as 100 patterns of colors from the four dyes.
Kimura: We went so far as to have color samples made.
Morooka: They specified the colors for each part of the pattern, like the color of this petal is number fifty-something, we then followed it and made it up.
Kimura: I had never before seen color samples that actually had functionality.
Based on the colors chosen, they built up the pattern divided into four layers carefully, not to misalign which could spoil the beauty of the picture. The work by the researchers and manufacturing process engineers was extremely precise, and we were impressed by this every day.
Suzuki : The process of building up layers while positioning with extreme precision is something we have a lot of experience with on a regular basis in creating the actual structures of the batteries. But I have the impression that our understanding of this process was deepened by actually creating artwork by this layering process and by seeing the artwork.