{"id":28314,"date":"2016-11-29T02:00:48","date_gmt":"2016-11-29T07:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/?p=28314"},"modified":"2018-03-20T19:32:34","modified_gmt":"2018-03-20T23:32:34","slug":"designer-spotlight-tatsuo-ishibashi-mizulabo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/designer-spotlight-tatsuo-ishibashi-mizulabo","title":{"rendered":"Designer Spotlight: Tatsuo Ishibashi – MizuLabo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sometimes great design is about making common objects more accessible for everyone. D<\/em>esigner Tatsuo Ishibashi\u2019s\u00a0Mizu Laboratory<\/a>\u00a0does just that, developing beautiful, useful\u00a0assistive gadgets<\/a>\u00a0that can help ease our interactions with everyday technology.<\/em>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\""Shippo",<\/a>

“Shippo”, Input Assist Device by mizulabo<\/p><\/div>\n

What inspired you to start creating assistive technology through 3D printing?<\/em><\/strong>
\nMuscle force of the elderly decreases over 50% from that of youth, and I also sometimes feel weakness of grip strength. There are many self-help devices on the market to assist our daily life. But, it is difficult to find a favorite device to use because design and usability are not thoroughly considered. Existing mass-production methods cannot be adopted to make specific structures that satisfy both design and usability for the assistive devices. A 3D printer can do it easily!<\/p>\n

try it yourself<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\"Eating<\/a>

Eating Utensil Holder by mizulabo<\/p><\/div>\n

How do you identify the types of products that can be developed to make everyday items easier to use for the elderly (and others)?<\/strong><\/em>
\nIt\u2019s a general method that involves product, market, and patent research. Now we can take in a variety of information through networks, so I also often test products in a real market. And there are lots of needs in our daily life. I started from a relatively simple item, a cap and tab opener<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\""Higaki",<\/a>

“Higaki”, Cap & Tab Opener by mizulabo<\/p><\/div>\n

While these are assistive devices, they’re also incredibly beautifully designed, so that they’re basically utilitarian art. Tell me more about the design process and how you picked patterns for each item.<\/strong><\/em>
\nIt\u2019s a result of trial and error. First I simplify a function of a device. Next, I make a simplified prototype by using a desktop 3D printer. I then evaluate the function and durability. Afterward, I design it based on the simplified prototype. I usually repeat that process until a satisfactory result is obtained.<\/p>\n

prototype your design<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\"Finger<\/a>

Finger Input Device by mizulabo<\/p><\/div>\n

Check out Tatsuo\u2019s Shapeways shop here<\/a>. His gadgets are snazzy little gizmos that are more like life-hacks, suggesting that 3D printing is changing the assistive device game \u2014<\/em>\u00a0creating tools that are more useful, affordable, and beautiful than before.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sometimes great design is about making common objects more accessible for everyone. Designer Tatsuo Ishibashi\u2019s\u00a0Mizu Laboratory\u00a0does just that, developing beautiful,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":97,"featured_media":28321,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[510],"tags":[686,1559,495,484,953,1560,1524,1416],"class_list":["post-28314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-3d-printing-industry","tag-3d-printed-gifts","tag-assistive-devices","tag-19-designer-spotlight","tag-8-gadgets","tag-gifts","tag-giving-tuesday","tag-holiday-2016","tag-life-hacks"],"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/mizu-2.jpg","yoast_head":"\nDesigner Spotlight: Tatsuo Ishibashi - MizuLabo - Shapeways Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sometimes great design is about making common objects more accessible for everyone. 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