Close your eyes and think of an electric drill. Chances are, it’s rugged. Chances also are that it’s very colorful. Black and red, or olive green, or taxi-colored. Right? That’s because that is the product category code for a power tool. The category code defines what a product with a certain function must broadly look like, and power tools are supposed to be rugged/powerful looking and almost always carry the brand colors, which are usually vibrant.
Rugged and vibrant are however not the keywords of Muji’s brand philosophy. So what would a Muji power tool look like? It would look like it meant business but still retain an aura of serenity. The Muji power drill concept by Changho Lee takes two contrasting things and wonderfully combines them. The drill’s aesthetic couldn’t embody Muji’s style any more than it already is. The white color scheme and the simple cuboid meets cylinder design brilliantly represents what the Japanese design house stands for. Absolute, unquestioned simplicity!
Designer: Changho Lee
