We will keep developing our products through innovative design that gives consumers their dream home and lifestyle: President, CEO Kinya Seto

Water and housing products major Lixil Group Corporation has announced that its brands Lixil, American Standard, Grohe, and Lixil Housing Research Institute have won a total of 11 Good Design Awards in 2018. American Standard’s Genie hand shower is named among the Good Design Best 100 products of the year.

The Good Design Best 100 is a well-respected, hand selected list recognizing the most innovative products released in a year. The Genie hand shower, which is designed to deliver a robust yet non-abrasive shower experience for consumers in markets with low water pressure in Asia, won the award for its affordability, beautiful design, and innovative functionality. Established in 1957, the internationally-coveted Good Design Awards is the framework in Japan that evaluates and recognises design. It is presented by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion.

Ten other products were also honoured, including Inax Aller-Pure (a decorative tile controlling allergens), Grohe Blue Home (a kitchen faucet with an in-built water filter), Tostem LW (a large window with a frame that is almost invisible from the inside), and Lixil Smart Package Postal Box (a smart post box that allows packages to be sent and picked up when convenient).

Lixil president and CEO Kinya Seto commented, “We are differentiating ourselves through design, technology, quality, and brands. As part of our strategy, we are focusing on developing LIXIL into a truly design-oriented company by integrating design–led thinking into all the processes of the product lifecycle. We want to address consumer challenges and experiences, and to achieve this, we have world-class in-house design teams led by our chief design officer. We will keep developing our products through innovative design that gives consumers their dream home and lifestyle.”

Vice president of design at American Standard and Inax, and designer of the Genie hand shower, Antoine Besseyre des Horts, said, “Genie, American Standard’s innovative yet very affordable hand shower, is a milestone achievement in our aim to offer innovative solutions to the day-to-day challenges that consumers face and illustrates our design-led thinking perfectly. It was designed and developed with a pressure-boosting and water-saving technology to ensure an indulgent shower experience to people living in parts of Asia, where water pressure and scarcity are daily issues. The product addresses not only the consumer insights of poor showering experience at low pressure but also features aesthetics and materials combination not seen at such price point. With the iconic transparent colored spray face and universal opening system, the product offers a great balance between emotional and practical benefits.”