Duncan Shotton who creates cute designs one after another

Space pins that fit in the palm of your hand, sticky notes that tell a story the more you use them, UFO soap pumps that appear on the washbasin, small stepping stones lined up at the entrance. British designer Duncan Shotton transforms familiar everyday items into unique items that are "fun to use" from a new perspective. Duncan creates cute designs that make you laugh when you pick them up. This time, I asked him about his three commitments to design, his works, and his ideas. Why do you get the idea when you go to a general store without wearing glasses?

Duncan Shotton who creates cute designs one after another
Planet pin

■ What kind of person is Mr. Duncan?

Duncan is a product designer from the UK. When I was a student, I participated in an internship at the London design miscellaneous goods brand "j-me" for a year and learned about business processes. After graduating, he studied medical device design and branding at a design consultant company in the United Kingdom for four years before coming to Japan. Currently, I am balancing the product development department of a Japanese design company with my own studio. Duncan's design will make your daily life a little richer and more enjoyable. Where is the secret?

Duncan Shotton who creates cute designs one after another
From the left, Duncan Shotton and his wife

■ Three commitments

The theme of the design created by Duncan is "to change familiar things that you usually use into fun things". Three commitments are hidden in his design. The first is to have a "design that can be used and lived". The second is "integration of functionality and design", and finally "which motif and which item to combine". These commitments can be best understood by actually using Duncan's work.

Duncan Shotton who creates cute designs one after another
What is the secret of the design ...?

◆ Use and live
"Sticky Page Marker" is a sticky note that tells a story on a book or notebook the more you use it. There are a total of 12 designs, including 5 city series (London, Tokyo, New York, Paris, Hong Kong), 6 nature series (Mars, Sky, Arctic Ocean, Forest, Desert), and Nessie Design.

Duncan Shotton who creates cute designs one after another
City design

Duncan Shotton who creates cute designs one after another
Natural design

"Sticky Page Marker" is a sticky note that you can use for books and notebooks to create your own favorite scenery. Not only does it look cute, but it also makes it more interesting to use. Duncan is aiming for a design that is not only visually appealing, but also lively and enjoyable to use.

Duncan Shotton who creates cute designs one after another
Sticky notes that are more fun the more you use them

◆ Integration of functionality and design
"Tape dispenser" is a tape cutter that looks like a cassette tape. This tape cutter was the first work that Duncan commercialized during his internship at "j-me".

Duncan Shotton who creates cute designs one after another
Tape dispenser

Duncan also incorporates into the design the lines and shapes that arise when he seeks functionality. For example, this tape cutter makes a product that is simple and beautiful from any angle by incorporating even the line that is created when removing the cellophane tape into one of the designs.

Duncan Shotton who creates cute designs one after another
Easy to replace tape

Duncan Shotton who creates cute designs one after another
Make the line part of the design

◆ How to combine motifs and items
"UFO Soap Pump" is a soap pump that reproduces how animals are kidnapped by UFOs. By pushing the UFO part, the soap will pop out. This is a product designed by a soap pump company.

Duncan Shotton who creates cute designs one after another
UFO soap pump

Duncan says that when thinking about design, he decides on one of the motif and the item before thinking about it. For example, in the case of "UFO soap pump", try to find out what motif can make the best use of the silhouette of "soap pump". By doing so, it is easy to use and it is possible to create a fresh design.

Duncan Shotton who creates cute designs one after another
The inside of the UFO looks like this

The pin "REAL BOY", which looks like Pinocchio, is also a work designed by looking at the tip of the pin as Pinocchio's nose. It is a work that makes the best use of the original shape of daily necessities.

Duncan Shotton who creates cute designs one after another
REAL BOY

■ Where do you get your unique ideas?

By the way, how did Duncan's idea come about? We asked him about the tips for creating a unique design that makes him mutter "I see!" And the sources of his ideas.

Duncan Shotton who creates cute designs one after another
Work silently ……

◆ Is the design that looks blurry in your work?
Duncan keeps thinking about design, always carrying a notebook to write down his ideas during his private time. For inspiration, you can also go to a grocery store or an interior shop. In addition, Duncan went into a general store without wearing glasses and picked up "This is a wonderful design!" And when I saw it up close, it was a completely different product than I had imagined. The design that was misunderstood at that time may become the basis of a new design or lead to another design.

Duncan Shotton who creates cute designs one after another
I always carry my notebook with me

◆ "Japan" seen from the UK
"Tobiishi" is a cushion that can be placed at the front door to serve as a foothold when opening the door. With this, you don't have to go out to the front door with bare feet or step on your shoes. The base is non-slip rubber, and the material is soft synthetic leather. In the movie "Lost in Translation", actress Scarlett Johansson got an idea from the scene of crossing the stepping stones of Heian Jingu. Also, he thought that if he named it "Tobiishi", he would be able to understand how to use this item, so he chose this name.

Duncan Shotton who creates cute designs one after another
Tobiishi

What impressed Duncan when he came to Japan was the "step" at the entrance. British households have no steps at the entrance, so there are situations where they are wondering whether to enter with shoes or take off their shoes. At a glance, the design of the Japanese entrance, where you can see "take off your shoes here", was very fresh for Duncan. "Tobiishi" is a product made according to the Japanese lifestyle, which has a deep-rooted culture of "taking off shoes indoors".

Duncan Shotton who creates cute designs one after another
I want to line up many

◆ Steadily, manually
Currently, I am making a set of pins that imitate the universe. One on the other hand, all made by hand. We have been working on the project for two years based on the idea that "no matter how big you make it, the smaller it becomes, the more cute it becomes." Remove the outsourced pins one by one, color them, and dry them .... The work process is like making a Gunpla! Many microcosms are born every day by Duncan's hands.

Duncan Shotton who creates cute designs one after another
All pin!

Duncan Shotton who creates cute designs one after another
Each one is removed manually

This work is currently in an investor recruitment campaign on "Kickstarter". After the success of the "Kickstarter" project, they are planning to start accepting pre-orders. The concrete pin "THE MOON" is also in progress at the same time.

Duncan Shotton who creates cute designs one after another
THE MOON

Duncan Shotton who creates cute designs one after another
From left to right, it became the current design by trial and error.

Duncan Shotton who creates cute designs one after another
A small universe in the palm of your hand

A work by Duncan who makes life a little richer and more enjoyable. All of them are attractive and all the designs make you want to be a part of your life. The works introduced can be purchased on the official website of "Duncan Shotton Design Studio" except for "REAL BOY" and "Planet Pin".

In addition, the Duncan Shotton Design Studio pop-up shop will be held as a collaboration project with "Factory & Labo Kanno Coffee" in Meguro for 3 days from May 19th to May 21st. All of Duncan's products currently on sale are on sale at the store. You may be able to see the origin of Duncan's ideas by looking at the unique products lined up while drinking delicious drinks!
Duncan Shotton Design Studio pop-up shop
Address:1-4-15 Chuo-cho, Meguro-ku, Tokyo