Sony wins iF awards

Sony’s design prowess has been acknowledged by one of the most highly regarded international design competitions, winning nine iFproduct design awards, including two gold awards.

Winning products embraced all areas within Sony’s expertise including the HDR-CX520V Handycam camcorder, X Series VAIO notebook PC and PCM-M10 Linear PCM Recorder.

Moreover, out of nearly 2,500 entries only 50 are given the gold award for outstanding design. Highlighting the innovation and unique core of Sony’s design, the ZX1 Series BRAVIA television and DSC-TX1 Cyber-shot digital still camera were both awarded this year’s gold awards at the iF Design ceremony, held at the CeBIT trade fair in Hanover.

Receiving the award on behalf of Sony Design, Tak Kawagoi, director, Design Centre Europe commented, ‚These iF Design Awards for our product design shows the innovation levels and ingenuity of our design teams across many product categories. Our designers always strive towards our corporate philosophy to ‚do what has never been done before’ and gold awards for the BRAVIA ZX1 TV and Cyber-shot TX1 digital still camera demonstrate the boundaries we are pushing for the integration of technology and lifestyle design.‚

Sony product designers consider many elements when creating new products, from the edges of the materials, to the user-interface to the colours and finishes. Speaking of the choice in designing the colours for the gold award winning DSC-TX1 Cyber-shot digital still camera, the designer commented, ‚The colours and textures you see on the DSC-TX1 enhance the beautiful curves of the camera body. That’s why the body is matte and the lens cover has a satin finish, for example. The surfaces gleam like jewellery and were designed with parties and glamorous events in mind.‚

iF judges praised the winning gold award products, saying, ‚The Cyber-shot digital camera is extremely thin and delivers to the user not only pure photo-taking enjoyment with its minimally designed exterior, but also ‚ thanks to the wide range of available colours ‚ it is like a little piece of jewellery that you can wear and have fun with.” The BRAVIA ZX1 series TV was honoured for its minimalistic appeal, ‚this flat screen TV really does justice to its name. It is not only amazingly light, but its design is as minimalist as possible. Along with the sleek housing, the rear panel is a delight with all its cables and connectors hidden tidily away.””

Sony will be exhibiting at this year’s Milano Salone Internationale del Mobile, showcasing its future design vision at what is the most creative, lifestyle-oriented platform in the world. Kawagoi added, ‚The Milan exhibition will be a demonstration of the strength of our creative energy, so this timely recognition from International Forum Design perfectly represents the importance we bestow on our design and how forward-thinking we intend our designs to be.‚

iF Gold Awards

BRAVIA ZX1 Series, ‚Ultra-thin LCD television’

Owing to the extruded aluminium frame, which doubles as both chassis and housing, the ZX1 is the world’s lightest 40V-format LCD TV at 12.2 kg. By thinning the edges to an acute angle (9.9mm at its thinnest point) the designer has created an exquisitely light look suggestive of a piece of paper floating in mid-air. Its wireless functionality provides flexibility when placing the TV in any interior. The product’s minimalist design has been perfected to minute detail: sleek back panel, discretely hidden wires and connectors, and the arm of the stand. This is a truly inspiring design evocative of new lifestyles built around the TV.

Cyber-shot DSC-TX1, Digital still camera

While maintaining the slimness of previous models, the DSC-TX1 achieves improved image quality and a movie recording function. Continuing the T series’ characteristic aluminium lens cover and stainless steel body, the model now features improved contour tapering on both ends, and a sleek front surface that curves up toward the lens, adding softness and appeal to the previous model’s thin, solid body. Available in five colours, the lens cover features a lustrous finish to beautifully enhance its distinctive smooth curved surface. The gold model in particular offers a metallic polish that shimmers along the curved surface.

iF Product Awards

X Series VAIO notebook PC

P Series VAIO mini notebook PC

CMT-DH70SWR / DH50R Micro Audio System

BDV-Z7 Blu-ray Disc Home Theatre System

HDR-CX520/CX505/CX500 Series Handycam camcorder

HDR-CX120/CX100/CX105E/CX106E Series Handycam camcorder

PCM-M10 Linear PCM Recorder

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