Although the 'Walkman' was the design which transformed the music (through its portable and private nature) business, some of their designs to break into a niche market were just terrible designs, there is always the one design which drew my attention for its function not differing from any others a the time.
The SONY Sports walkman is a portable radio which for some reason is labelled as being an appropriate accessory to all athletes. Although the function of a cassette radio was leading design and technology, the sports version of it did not differ from the basic walkman. The only sporting aspect about the Sports walkman was it "team colours". Black and yellow....there are teams which do use these colours in many sports, but how is the colour combination a direct association to sporting culture, they are just colours.
With the large 'Sports' stamped on the front cover, and the even larger design, the sports walkman was supposed to be used during physical activity. Now i doubt that no one wouldn't struggle with a brick of a design strapped around their waste whilst going for a job around the park.
The SONY sports walkman cassette radio in my opinion is one of the worst radio designs, not because of its function, it is the fact that SONY labelled a walkman the size of a brick as a sports edition. The inconvenience of such a design earns two thumbs down from me.
Jared Dettmann
haha overall i agree with this post Jared.
ReplyDeleteBUT you have to think of the context. If we were teenagers/adults in the early-mid 90's we would have loved to have a bright coloured box strapped to our acid wash jeans to match our totally rad multicolored Adidas spray jacket.
I believe you have to go back in time when considering how good a design is for the era and demographic it was designed for!
Robert Schoch
Ahh the walkman.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with this post. Check out body of this - indestructible! I remember growing up with listening to my dad's walkman on special occasions or on holiday. Spice Girl tapes never sounded any sweeter!
The discman similar to the walkman I used right up until I got my first iPod around 2004. The discman I haad/(still possibly have in a cupboard) had a disc skipping function that reduced this. I am guessing that this walkman might have had similar technology - or the fact that it had a radio also built in! Wicked!
Love the bright colours and if you think of the times this probably was a hot seller. Honestly NOW it does not appear that it was "industrialised designed" unlike many of the other designs displayed on this blog.
I find a real comfort in this walkman, and I am not just saying it because I wore my Reeboks and rolled up jeans with my sports jacket with Barbie on the back thinking I was rocking it because I was listening to a walkman. Look at the buttons - easy to use! Bright colours - identifiable! The unique font used - easy to read and direct. Plus think of the sales to Australian Tiger's supports.
Sony once again another win.
motey