Interview with the design team of SAES Getters S.p.A.
Red Dot Award: Design Concept
Once a time-consuming craft, modern technology has significantly simplified photography over the years. From spending hours developing a photo in a darkroom to using an instant camera for an instantaneous but single print, today a quick snap with a smartphone is sufficient to capture a moment and effortlessly share it with the entire world. Thus, the way we create, view, and process images has changed fundamentally.
Combining retro charm and modern technology
The INSTAX mini EVO Brown bridges this gap between old and new by combining the charm of analogue instant photography with the convenience of modern digital features, creating a unique blend of nostalgia and innovation for today’s photographers. With its retro look, textured leatherlike surface and metallic accents, it is reminiscent of classic vintage cameras. However, behind its nostalgic exterior lies modern technology that enables smartphone compatibility and app functions.
Compact design meets user-friendly interface
The hybrid camera is compact and easy to use. The dials resemble those of classic film cameras, allowing for quick adjustments to settings. It furthermore offers 10 lens modes and 10 film effects, enabling 100 different shooting combinations. The high-resolution LCD screen provides a convenient preview of images before printing, which helps avoid unnecessary prints and waste.
Red Dot: Best of the Best for the INSTAX mini EVO™ Brown
The Red Dot Jury was impressed and awarded the hybrid camera with a Red Dot: Best of the Best in the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2024: “This product skilfully blends the rituals of an instant camera with the extensive functionality of a digital camera. With its look and feel of a ‘real’ camera that it manages to capture in operation, the INSTAX mini EVO Brown takes instant photography to a new level of precision and gives it a professional touch,” the jury stated.
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Interview: Masayuki Sakai, Masako Suehiro
Red Dot: What were your most important goals when developing the INSTAX mini EVO Brown?
Masayuki Sakai, Masako Suehiro: We wanted to create a new way to experience the taking and printing of instant photos, helping users to discover the true joy of the medium. Another key aim was to create a new design that transcends the typical perception of INSTAX cameras as being amiable and cute. Rather than superficially reinterpreting the “classic camera” through a retro look, we aimed for a design that fuses the character of analogue cameras with modern forms of expression.
What target group did you have in mind when designing the product?
Our core target audience was men in their 30s and 40s who become utterly absorbed in their hobbies and get great pleasure from attention to detail. At the same time, we hoped the brown edition would allow us to reach a wide audience, regardless of gender.
What trends in photography are you currently seeing among users?
INSTAX is mainly targeted at young users for whom digital photography has always been a fact of life. We’ve seen that these users find the tangible nature of INSTAX refreshing and engaging. There is furthermore no polarisation between digital and analogue photography. Instead, people are flexible. They embrace the benefits of both and choose the most suitable medium to express themselves based on the time, place and occasion.
In your opinion, what makes a good designer?
The ability to enjoy design with all one’s heart.
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