Petal-Shaped Pencil Shavings: The Uneven Development Story of the "Flower Pencil" by TRINUS

Mr. Otomo (hereafter, honorifics omitted): It all started around the end of 2014 when I found a design recruitment project on TRINUS and submitted my "Flower Pencil" design, which was then adopted.

TRINUS Sato: One of the first design recruitment themes held by TRINUS was "MAPKA," a plastic alternative material made from recycled paper waste.

I remember feeling relieved when I met Mr. Otomo in person after his design was selected, as he seemed like a very approachable person.

Among many competition sites, why did you submit to TRINUS?

What do design's power and potential mean to the two of you?

Sato: In my previous job, I was involved as a consultant in a project to "improve sales of products made at facilities for people with disabilities."

Based on the hypothesis that the stagnant sales were due to product planning and design, we had designers propose designs in a competition format.

The products created through this process were sold at famous select shops and achieved sales and distribution channels that had been unthinkable before. Through this experience, I realized the power of design. Design was what connected "technology" and "the creators' passion" with "the world."

And I also found the designers' perspectives to be wonderful. They came up with opinions and ideas from completely different angles than ours.

Otomo: I completely understand what Mr. Sato is saying. When I design, I start by thinking, "Wouldn't it be interesting if I could have an experience like this?" So perhaps my perspective differs from those in other industries.

In the case of the Flower Pencil, I deepened my thoughts from the idea of "designing the 'act of sharpening' itself."

What were the challenges during the commercialization process?

Sato: The Flower Pencil took an incredibly long time to commercialize. I think Mr. Otomo was quite anxious about it, too.

Otomo: It took longer than I expected.

Sato: You proposed "extrusion molding" as a molding method, but at the time, there was no track record of commercializing MAPKA using extrusion molding.

We decided to take on the challenge to bring the design we loved to life, but it was incredibly difficult.

We tried changing the material composition, prototyping, failing... This negative loop continued for about a year, and we couldn't see the end. When we got warped charcoal-like rods, I was at a loss for words (laughs).

After much 고민ing with the factory, we made one last attempt, saying, "This is the final one!" and it miraculously succeeded.

Otomo: I had no idea you went through so much trouble.

Sato: Just when we thought the prototyping went well, the next problem was the cost of mass production. Molds for five pencils cost several million yen. To raise funds and promote the product, we decided to create a crowdfunding system within the TRINUS website.

It was a product we had developed with great effort, and I wanted to attract people to our own site. I wanted to handle everything from technology, design, to sales on our own site, so I decided it would be better to build it ourselves. However, I had as much anxiety as I had confidence.

However, once we launched the crowdfunding, order emails kept pouring in, which was a welcome situation. That was the moment I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Otomo: Crowdfunding wasn't part of the initial business plan, was it? I was surprised when I heard that you were building a crowdfunding system on your own site. To be honest, I was a little worried that it might fail (laughs).

Sato: Although it felt a bit haphazard, we built the in-site system while learning a great deal with each hurdle we cleared, even as we were overwhelmed by the difficulties of manufacturing.

After finally getting it to market, it was a huge success, being sold in highly sensitive select shops both domestically and internationally, and even winning global design awards. It grew to become our flagship product.

In response to feedback like "It's a shame to throw away such beautiful shavings!", we also released the Petal Art Collection, which allows users to enjoy art with the shavings.

Mr. Otomo, we look forward to continuing to work with you!

Otomo: The same to you! I look forward to it.

Flower Pencil

The Flower Pencil is a delightful colored pencil that features the "colors" and "shapes" of representative traditional Japanese flowers, and its shavings turn into petals.

It's a recommended item for those looking for a gift that conveys a "Japanese sensibility" that will be appreciated by foreign friends and children alike.

Flower Pencil | Colored pencils where shavings become petals

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Snow Pencil

The Snow Pencil is a colored pencil that features the "shape" and sparkling "color" of snowflakes falling from the sky. By using environmentally friendly materials for the shaft, it achieves both unique soft colors and easy sharpening.

The snowflake-like shavings, of course, can be disposed of as paper waste.

Snow Pencil | Colored pencils where shavings create snowflakes

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Flower Pencil Petal Art Collection

A message card that allows you to create three-dimensional art using Flower Pencils, Snow Pencils, and their shavings.

Let's create a unique card with your free imagination.

Flower Pencil Petal Art Collection | Create your own art from shavings

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