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Embracing Technophobes and Technophiles: Customer-centred Product Innovation in Japanese Mobile Phones 2003-2007

How has Japanese manufacturing responded to the ‘super-ageing’ demographic through its design and technological specification of mobile phones (keitai) in the older person's, children's, and mainstream markets? A field survey of keitai was conducted over a five year period, from 2003 to 2007, during twice-yearly visits to Japan obtaining examples of marketing literature, examining phones at point-of-sale, attending exhibitions and presentations by carriers and designers, reviewing promotional literature available (in English), and corresponding with manufacturers. Material was translated from the Japanese as required. Academic literature, annual company reports and the Japanese Good Design Awards archive were consulted. Selected through blind peer review for a special edition on Inclusive Design, the article reflects one aspect of research conducted in Japanese academia and industry supported by a Japan Foundation Research Fellowship, the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, a Royal Academy of Engineering Global Research Award, and the Ritsumeikan University Japan. This article contributes to a discussion of customer-centred approaches in Japan that have begun to address the needs of previously excluded or ill-considered market sectors. It questioned if mid C20th paradigms of industrial design, of manufacturing values and of marketing were still relevant in the C21st, and commented on how Japan had imported a useful concept (universal/inclusive design) and typically made it its own to innovate globally through significant investment in technological research and development, a deep commitment to understanding the customer, and relentless attention to detail of quality of design, technology and service. This study formed part of a public lecture (01/03/10): ‘Designing with ageing populations: new research in the UK and Japan’ supported by The Glasgow School of Art and promoted by The Japan Society of Scotland (available at: http://www.gsa.ac.uk/life/gsa-events/events/a/alastair-macdonald/).