Hasta La Ideas

Sony’s Open Planet Ideas kicked off back in September with the challenge to create a new solution to a crucial environmental issue, all by mashing-up available technology. The open-source project is now in the midst of the “Concepting” phase, with participants adding new ideas of tech combinations up until December 4. From a design perspective, this represents the pie-in-the-sky phase, with contributors brainstorming their most genius concoctions (some more do-able than others, of course.) With the forum framework of the project, it gets especially interesting when participants and Sony’s team add their input and expand on the creations being contributed.

We had the opportunity to ask Takuya Kawagoi, Director of Sony’s Design Centre in Europe, and member of the Open Planet Ideas expert panel, about his role so far with the project, how the project is moving along, and some of the challenges to come in evaluating and realizing a concept. Tak provided some great insights into the design side of the project, and what he has to consider working with a framework of this kind.

Can you please provide an overview of what exactly is your role in this process?

As a member of the expert panel, I have been involved from the initial stages of the Open Planet Ideas project, helping to identify the challenge brief, participating in the online conversations and answering questions posed by the community. My involvement will increase further as we enter the next stage; the evaluation of ideas, and the all important realisation of the final concept. This is where the focus will shift to the look and feel of the final concept – and this is where I expect to have the greatest involvement.

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