HARA DESIGN INSTITUTE

The term "haptic" means "relating or pleasant to the sense of touch". For the exhibition held in 2004, I asked 22 participants--including architects, designers, a traditional Japanese plasterer and the design team of a high-tech household electric appliances manufacturer-- to design an object motivated primarily by the goal of "awakening the senses". Long ago, we became a technology-driven society; that is technology leads not only the economy, but also society. On the other hand, we might expect that, going along with scientific progress, there might be an evolution of the making of objects pivoting on the pursuit of an arousal of the senses. That contrasting world would be called "sense driven". The concept of "haptic" becomes instantly tangible, benefitting tremendously from the participation of these brilliant creators.

HAPTIC―Awakening the Senses