Ushio Bessho - Senior Designer

Reimagining the Value of Shaving

Everything began with my ambition to
reimagine what shaving is. Conventional electric shavers were evaluated based
on how fast, closely, and gently they could shave beards. However, today, quite a few people choose devices based on their designs and how they fit into their
lifestyles.

So, I thought that an electric shaver
should not be just something to clean beards, but rather a device that could
uplift us and enhance our quality of life by caring the skin. Thus, I reviewed and considered everything, including colors, textures, and size, to make it perfect.

Where the Bold, No-Handle Design was Born

Panasonic has an 'Advanced Design Review'
annually, where we discuss proposals made by the design department with the business department and C-level executives. There, proposals that we concluded were promising would proceed to materialization with more detailed thoughts, and one such promising idea was Palm-sized Shaver, whose original prototype had been made by the technology department.

It was one of the products made with
advanced technology in 2017, but it didn't attract attention at the time and was shelved until the design department found it.

Out of the prototype, we made several ideas, manufactured samples to make a proposal.

The market for electric shavers was already mature. It was obvious that we needed to make a breakthrough, and thus the business department, executives, and other people in the company were intrigued from day one.

Another factor that attracted people was our technical advantage: no competitor could make such a compact electric shaver without compromising performance.

The body is more compact than ever, but it has blades made with the same technology used in crafting a Japanese sword, making them extremely sharp. It also features a powerful linear motor and incorporates advanced technologies inherited by Panasonic. It shaves beards closely and is much easier to use because the user holds the 'shaving part' directly, allowing a single stroke to clear the beard effectively.

A common electric shaver has a motor inside the handle, but our conventional models have a small linear motor in the head. This technology allowed us to get rid of the handle and make the iconic design unique to Panasonic.

Ken-ichi Muraki - Staff Engineer

Uncompromising, even one millimeter. How he made the design possible

Ideas that designers come up with are often difficult to materialize. But it is no surprise because such ideas are brand new. Palm-sized Shaver especially attracted me, as the concept was unique, and the prototype was impressive and beautiful.

Palm-sized Shaver was made in an unusual flow where the design precedes the structure. One of the most challenging issues here was whether all the components could be put in the compact body. I reviewed the 3D data provided by designers and shared my feedback, such as, ‘This area looks fine, but this part does not have enough room.’ When we put the components in the body, we have to consider many things, like, ‘Never put something that generates heat close to the battery’ and ‘Durability requires a certain thickness.’ It is not just about making room.

Accordingly, I ask them to adjust the blueprint, seeking agreement. They sometimes flatly refused my alternative. As for the Palm-sized Shaver project, however, it was clear to me that the design should be kept at any cost, so I explored other possibilities.

The battery part was tricky. It is the second largest part after the motor, so I wanted to make it smaller to keep the body compact. I tried various small electric cells that are otherwise not commonly considered, like laminated batteries for smartphones. However, it turned out that the performance and safety were not sufficient, and we decided to use the usual battery.

I have to mention the circuit, too. Many electric shavers have one circuit board in them, but the Palm-sized Shaver does not have sufficient room for a single board. So, we divided the board into three parts to fit them into the body. This is an unusual approach and makes the manufacturing process challenging, so I asked the circuit design department to make it happen.

What they aimed for was a posture inspired by nature, like a stone. A stone fits into any environment, be it a washing basin or a working desk. They pursued a product with such a posture and paid close attention to its texture to make it both soft and icy.

One of the best ways to achieve this was carving marble, but artificial marble was
difficult to process and too expensive. So, they looked for a suitable material among various resins.

During the journey, they discovered NAGORI® made with a marine mineral by Mitsui Chemicals. Minerals are a type of metal that have a high specific gravity and high thermal conductivity, giving them an icy texture reminiscent of pottery. They thought, 'Eureka!' This material has been used for furniture and miscellaneous goods. Palm-sized Shaver became the first home electric device using it.

NAGORI® is originally white, so they added pellets to give it a marble appearance. Achieving a marble-like pattern similar to real marble was not easy. It was not done by painting or covering with coat, but by adding pellets to the material to mold the composite. 　

The colors and amount of materials, the temperature to melt the composite, the pressure to put, and many other conditions make the pattern different every time. It took more than six months to achieve the marble-like pattern they sought. They also asked manufacturers specializing in tiling or coloring materials, but the result was not sufficient. Combining various color pellets
in the white was the only way.

This was an unprecedented approach, and everything was new to them. The deadline frustrated them. They had to make a lot of prototypes, creating specific molds to perfect the color and pattern.

Every time they mold the composite, the finish uniquely varies. Under these conditions, it was very challenging to keep each piece consistent in their quality and appearance. The marble pattern had to match the exact standard visibility to look clean. The executives said, 'Don't worry about the budget. Make something satisfying.’ That's why they continued the trial and error process.