Factory ‘pimps up’ Konica
Konica
Minolta is set to show off a ‘pimped up’ prototype photocopier design,
created for the photo imaging giant by Factory Design.
The
consultancy was given a free brief to pimp up the printing machines,
now referred to as business hubs, adding extra functionality along the
way, says consultancy director Adam White.‘It is a bit of a leftfield
job, but it shows how proper companies are going to design
consultancies to do more work of this kind. In this project, theywanted
to encapsulate a Swiss Army Knife of the photocopier world. The result
is slightly tongue-in-cheek, but it is also reflective of what’s almost
believable,’ says White.Augmenting the machine’s already numerous
functions, the design adds an espresso machine, overhead lamp and DVD
player, among other innovations. Konica Minolta will showcase the fully
working prototype at trade shows throughout Europe, although the design
is likely to be used primarily as a marketing tool at this stage.‘They
want to use it to seed people’s imaginations, but some white goods
companies are starting to produce products with wallpaper-type prints
now,’ adds White.