KODO – MAZDA’S SOUL OF MOTION DESIGN LANGUAGE
As with so many things in life, Kodo Design Language started with a blank page and a question: How can an inanimate object capture the dynamic beauty of life itself? And almost equally important: How can this idea be communicated clearly to everyone involved in the design process?
THE BIRTH OF KODO
This was the challenge for Mazda– express Japanese aesthetics while appealing to audiences around the world. Create an object of emotional and expressive beauty with the fewest possible elements. In short: To bring out the very essence of beauty and motion and infuse it into a still object.
Thus Kodo – Soul of Motion was born.
The literal translation of Kodo means, “heartbeat”, but the kanji characters for Kodo added another layer of meaning: the idea of imbuing something with life - of giving it a soul.
Mazda Shinari
Mazda Shinari
With this vision in mind, the design team began translating it into a physical shape. The result was a design object or sculpture that anticipates the character of the car it would inspire: the concept car Shinari, which was presented at the 2010 LA Auto Show.
The Shinari name evokes the powerful yet lithe appearance of steel or bamboo that is twisted or bent. In addition, the term refers to the elastic tension of a living, body preparing for a rapid and sudden movement. Shinari was often likened to a cheetah about to pounce – an image that served as the inspiration for many of the early models following KODO Design principles.
With this vision in mind, the design team began translating it into a physical shape. The result was a design object or sculpture that anticipates the character of the car it would inspire: the concept car Shinari, which was presented at the 2010 LA Auto Show.
The Shinari name evokes the powerful yet lithe appearance of steel or bamboo that is twisted or bent. In addition, the term refers to the elastic tension of a living, body preparing for a rapid and sudden movement. Shinari was often likened to a cheetah about to pounce – an image that served as the inspiration for many of the early models following KODO Design principles.
Mazda Shinari
Mazda Shinari
LESS IS MORE: A JAPANESE AESTHETIC
Japanese design is simple yet provides a feeling of depth within that simplicity. It requires precise planning and attention to detail to achieve the end result – an approach that Mazda designers are strongly committed to.
This sophisticated simplicity became the defining element of the next phase of Kodo Design which was ushered in by two award-winning concept cars, the RX-Vision and the Vision Coupe. Introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show 2015 and 2017, respectively they were both crowned the “Most Beautiful Concept Car of the Year.”
Mazda designers sought to create beauty and a unique elegance through taking components away, not adding more. Every Kodo Design element serves a purpose, nothing is unnecessary or purely ornamental.
Most Beautiful Concept Cars of the Year: RX-Vision, 2015 and Vision Coupe, 2017.
Most Beautiful Concept Cars of the Year: RX-Vision, 2015 and Vision Coupe, 2017.
Most Beautiful Concept Cars of the Year: RX-Vision, 2015 and Vision Coupe, 2017.
Most Beautiful Concept Cars of the Year: RX-Vision, 2015 and Vision Coupe, 2017.
BREATHING LIFE INTO A CAR
The Mazda Design team eliminated all character lines on the car’s side panels to create a blank slate, an “empty space” that is never truly empty. Instead, the carefully turned body serves as a canvas for the light to paint on. As the vehicle moves through space, the change of light and shade creates a dynamic and fluid aspect – the “Soul of Motion” played out in the side of the car.
Three concepts were instrumental in this design evolution:
- Yohaku – The beauty of empty space
- Sori – Curves with poise and balance
- Utsoroi – The play of light and shadow
Mazda’s design team work closely with the master craftsmen called Takumi - clay modellers that will transform the designers’ vision into a 3D clay model. The design is then refined and reiterated in a process that is aptly dubbed “co-creation” – culminating in a full-scale clay model of the car approved by the whole team.
While this process is more time-consuming and labour-intensive than a purely virtual design, the result is worth the extra effort.
The Mazda3 is testament winning the 2020 World Car Design of the Year title. Mazda have also won the prestigious Red Dot Award for Product Design for the MX-30, CX-30, CX-3, Mazda3 and Mazda6 over the years.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Kodo Design will continue to play a key role in the future of the Mazda brand – even as new technologies are changing some of the rules of car design. The simple elegance and sophisticated beauty of the award-winning Mazda Kodo Design language has lost none of its charm and will remain integral for Mazda and the next phase of Kodo Design.