November 19, 2004



Opening of the New Showroom/Design Studio at the Head Facility

Aiming for Higher Market Responsiveness


The LECIP Corporation of Gifu Prefecture in central Japan has made over both its design studio and company product showroom, and fused them together to create an environment of enhanced collaboration between company and customer. The showroom's role of displaying products and explaining their use has been extended by the establishment of a space for consultation with customers, and for cooperative sessions of joint planning. The newly-configured space will provide for a closer dialogue between customers and LECIP's designers, while at the same time be used as a workspace for responding to market needs.

The compound design showroom/studio is made up of the four following areas:

  • Product Show Area
    Aside from displaying products, scenes for their usage are recreated as much as possible, simulating live usage surroundings. One tool for vitalizing the presentation of products and systems is a ceiling-mounted video projector that projects large-scale images on the wall and makes product explanations more immediate and understandable.
  • Collaboration Area
    A space for conferencing with customers and outside consultants. Facilities to support the process include a CAD workstation, a projector for working with life-size images for design evaluation, and a wide-track printer for full-scale printouts of drawings of equipment, creating a space for cooperative work that extends beyond discussion alone.
  • Model Shop
    A separated-off model shop for production of mock-ups and mock-up level paint finishing. This arrangement makes it possible to produce sketch-level models as part of discussions, for real-time verification of design points.
  • Designers' Workspace
    The new studio for the design staff. Parts of the space are used for the display of the designers' work and other product and material samples.

Click to enlarge
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Showroom/Studio in Summary
Overall square area 196 sq. meters
Project cost 15,000,000 yen
Concept An open space for the creation of new products with higher market currency, via working in tandem
Designers on staff 4


Background of the Project
With markets becoming mature, LECIP has determined that a more singular design identity infused into products, separate from their already-existing values of price and function, will be the most effective means of distinguishing the company, and towards that end is reinforcing its design capability. Although related efforts leading up to the present have included the incorporation into the staff of a designer from the west and the establishment of the design section as an independent unit, with the creation of this comprehensive facility, we are furthering the incorporation of market needs into our designs, and advancing a step forward in competitive strength.