An Unexpected Bonus In My Achievement As An Industrial Designer

Happiness for industrial/product designers is simple, that is when designs are made getting approval to be mass-produced and marketed. If later the product is successful in the market or gets an award, it is a bonus from the efforts that have been made.

This Dish Dryer product is designed to answer the need for simple kitchen equipment dryers, especially equipment for babies/children. Tools that are easy to use, don’t need a lot of buttons, are easy to clean, don’t need a lot of space and are practical and are made of materials that are safe for health. This Panasonic D-file is the answer to the need to take care of the health of the whole family. D-sterile is an automatic tableware dryer and baby equipment that is capable of disabling bacteria and bacteria, especially E-coli and Staphylococcus Aureus bacteria that cause diarrhea and skin diseases. The heat produced by D-sterile in addition to making feeding utensils or baby equipment to dry quickly is also able to keep hygienic.

 

 

 

Going back to 2005 (yes you were right, that was 15 years ago), when I was an Industrial Designer at PT. Panasonic Manufacturing Indonesia, Jakarta (sometimes we called with PT. PMI). When this product was developed for the Indonesian market, I was given the mandate to develop this product in terms of product design. Panasonic in the era of 2004-2005 applied the design concept of “clean style concept”, where the design approach to shapes and colors that gave the impression of functional, simple, minimalist, and stylish. The form approach is simple and tends to be clean without any additional accessories or accents or trinkets that are not necessary. The color application also optimizes material colors with white dominance with minimal green accentuation. If the material uses transparent glass, glass, or plastic, the green color will appear as a signature element of Panasonic home appliances.

 

 

 

 

Long story short, after going through the design process and repeated revisions, finally the management of Panasonic Manufacturing Indonesia gave the green light for this product to be mass-produced and marketed in Indonesia. This product is named Panasonic D-sterile Dish Dryer FD-S03S1 or briefly called Panasonic D-sterile. There are 2 main parts of this D-sterile, the base or sterile chamber. Inside the base, there are components such as fans, heaters, timer buttons, water jacks, power cables, power supplies, and of course the body that protects these components. While the chamber consists of an acrylic cover and stainless steel shelves. The full explanation can be read on the caption contained in each of the following images.

 

 

 

 

Because this product was developed and produced by PT. Panasonic Manufacturing Indonesia, so that it can be called “made in Indonesia”, the Management registered the design of this product with the Ministry of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia to obtain Indonesian Design Rights. At the same time, it was also registered as a participant in the Indonesia Good Design Selection (IGDS) in 2006. After going through the selection and judging process, in July 2006, the Panasonic D-sterile FD-S03S1 became the winner in the Kitchen Appliance & Housekeeping Goods category and won a Gold medal (Gold Award of Good Design) at the 2006 IGDS competition.

 

 

 

 

I still remember when I was asked by my Manager to accompany the Vice President of PT. PMI at that time, Mas Achmad Daniri, was present at the 2006 IGDS award ceremony which will be presented by Vice President Jusuf Kalla at the Jakarta International Expo, Kemayoran. As a junior employee, yes of course I am clumsy and nervous having to go with the VP. Along the way from the factory on Jalan Raya Bogor km.29 – Kemayoran and back again, not much was talked about and I was just trying to enjoy the performance of the operational vehicle of the VP pack, the Mercedes-Benz E Class (W211, production 2003-2009). Unfortunately, at that time I did not bring a camera to capture the moment in Kemayoran, at least my photo was wearing a factory uniform among those who wore suits or long-sleeved batik or kebaya. Camera cellphones in 2006 are also still rare and expensive.

 

 

 

The 2006 IGDS Gold Award is a bonus for all teams involved in developing and marketing the Panasonic D-sterile. Many thanks to Pak Hari Maulana or known as Harimau, my design director when in PT. Panasonic Manufacturing Indonesia. For me, this award is a special achievement in my professional career as a product designer. At least it is a historical record of my life, that my design work was formally recognized by the country that I loved, Republik Indonesia.

 

I write this article as personal documentation for design work that I have ever made. Created as a complement to the photo documentation that I did on May 30, 2020, while the product was still in good condition and I had time to write. As a personal opinion, I am not attached to anyone or get paid or economic benefits from anyone, including from Panasonic.