Japanese multinational electronics company Epson is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of printers and imaging-related equipment. They approached BLOND in 2020 to collaborate on the design of their next-generation entry model projector. The challenge was to design a projector that could be suitable for home and office use while also being sensitive to cost in order to enable Epson to expand its market.
With the intended target customers in their twenties and thirties, the product needed to look new and, of course, have a great consideration towards UX. Through design and CMF choices, we also needed to consider how the projector could fit seamlessly into the user’s home to create an affinity with the home environment. Design research was followed by an analysis of products from adjacent categories that had a desirable environmental affinity. This helped us to find original sources of inspiration and define the necessary attributes to position a range of early design concepts.
“BLOND passionately approaches design projects and achieves great design by forward-thinking. Due to their deep consideration of the user, BLOND’s work inspires us and helps us deliver end-user delight.”
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Key themes that influenced the design concepts were the use of simple, striking bold forms; hiding engineered features; and the use of textures and patterns to create interest. This combination influenced Epson’s final design—which was finalised by Epson’s in-house team. The projector is minimal and simple in form but expressive in its texture, creating intrigue through the way light and shade interplay across its surface.
