An elegant, simple, and class-beating design based on the principle of Harmo-tech (advanced yet familiar technologies that stimulate the intellect and the senses).
Exterior Sketches
Interior Sketches
Toyota Motor East Japan
Shingo Tomooka
AQUA
Like water, as its name suggests, it's something that we can't do without.
A partner at times, or a lifeline at others, it's a car that will accompany you in this new era.
This is what I had in mind at the very start of the design development.
Toyota Motor East Japan
Ryouta Fujishima
Harmo tech
For the next Aqua, I had a vague image of something advanced yet familiar and people-friendly as opposed to something super futuristic that I had imagined in my childhood.
Advanced technology that accompanies people in harmony; this is how I thought it should be.
Yoshihiro Shimada
Teardrop
Its presence alone would not only be comforting but also add colors to our everyday life as a casual compact car. I was inspired by objects with flowing, organic shapes and created a simple iconic design that needn't rely on superficial character lines.
Toyota Motor East Japan
Syouta Itou
Quick Modelling
I created many quick models to express a shape that conveys an advanced yet people-friendly look. In order to do so, I explored various shapes using 3-D tools as if I were brainstorming idea sketches.
Toyota Motor East Japan
Mika Ueno
Vigorous yet Friendly
The Aqua's look is neither cute nor cunning, and I struggled until the very end to find that perfect balance between a vigorous and friendly look.
Taking advantage of the computer, I forcefully transformed my original shapes in order to create a look that otherwise would have been impossible by hand sketching.
Ai Murai
Drop shadow
By coincidence, I came upon a photo that inspired me to create a simple and new 'shape x function' design. I imagined dividing a shape into two, then shifting them to place the functional elements in-between to enhance usability.
At the same time, I realized that this theme enabled a wide range of new possibilities for occupant-friendly CMF.