Bronze A' Design Award in Art and Stationery Supplies Design Goes to Soroban Colette Abacus by Toshihiko Sakai

The Work

Project

Soroban Colette Abacus

Function

Abacus

Category

Art and Stationery Supplies Design

Discipline

Industrial Design

Industry

Packaging & Retail and Arts

Colors

Medium Sea Green, Gainsboro, Silver, Dark Sea Green and Olive Drab

Images

5

Client

Asahi Printing Co., Ltd.

The Recognition

Laureate

Toshihiko Sakai

Country

Japan

Recognition

Bronze A' Design Award

Edition

2024 - 2025

Design ID

#161708

Credits

Image Credits

N/A

Design Details

Unique Properties

Previously, the abacus had square corners, but it has been reborn to gentler design having rounded corners so that children can use it without worrying about damaging something with the item. The design does not use screws, nails, or adhesive, making it a highly safe product for younger children. By having a variety of colors that children like, the options have expanded. Additionally, the number of parts has been reduced by 40%, making manufacturing simpler and more efficient.

Inspiration

The abacus was introduced to Japan as calculator 450 years ago, and is popular even today as a traditional skill learning and brain training for children. However, as the design variations are limited because it is made of wood and traditional manufacturing process, children are currently unable to choose one that suits their preference. Manufacturing sites are facing problems such as aging of craftsmen, lack of successors, and less materials, and this shows the possibility that traditional abacus education will be reduced due to the shortage of abacuses, “sorobans” in Japanese. It is also required that newly developed products are eco-friendly.

Research

The traditional manufacturing of abacuses is a cottage industry, involving nearly 200 steps, each of which is highly specialized, requiring a large number of workers to manufacture one abacus. Due to the decrease in successors, the production volume has dropped to about 150,000 per year, about one-twentieth from the peak of 3 million abacuses, making it difficult for abacus schools to secure the necessary quantities. In addition, the raw material ebony is dependent on imports, and domestic boxwood is rated as endangered on the Fukuoka Prefecture Red List, making it depleted and in need of protection.

Challenge

A modern arrangement has been added without disrupting the traditional use of the abacus. Additionally, since it will be used by children, we aimed for a safe design with no angular corners and no screws or nails. The most time-consuming task was to come up with a frame structure that integrated the beam and shaft in order to reduce man-hours. In terms of materials, from a sustainability perspective, we had to maintain enough strength while using recycled resin, which was a challenge.

Realization and Technology

Traditionally, abacuses were made from hard, heavy wood such as boxwood, which are endangered species and hard to obtain. Over 60% of the product weight is of upcycled materials. By integrally molding the beam and shaft parts like a fishbone, we succeeded in reducing the number of parts by more than 30% compared to conventional products. With all the efforts combined, we have established manufacturing that does not rely too much on individual craftmen.

Operation and Interaction

An abacus is designed to make it easy to understand the decimal system, with each column representing one digit. The thing that runs horizontally and divides the bead into one and four parts is called a beam. The beads at the top of it are called 5-beads, and correspond to five beads at the bottom. Use your thumb to move a 1-bead, and your index finger to move the rest. With this small abacus, users can add, subtract, multiply, and divide.

Project Duration and Location

The project was started in January, 2021, and was completed in April, 2024, It took 3 years for us to reserch and realize an ideal product.

Specifications

"Traditional abacuses were mostly 23 digits, but this product has 20 digits, making it ideal for beginners. As a result, it is now A4-sized and can be stored neatly in a school bag. The main body is made of resin, which is stably supplied, and the weight as well as the size are similar to those of conventional products. Number of digits: 20 Material: main body from recycled polycarbonate, beads from polystyrene Package: paper box with a cover case Weight: 158g Length 60mm x width 283mm x height 17mm"

Keywords

pop, colette, eco, 20 digit, colorful