Three Yamaha Designs Selected in the Good Design Awards 2019

Yamaha Corporation announces that this year three of its designs received Good Design Awards, which is an award sponsored by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion: namely the CP88/CP73 stage pianos, the STORIA acoustic guitar, and the SoundUD Consortium.

Since 1957, Yamaha has received 288 Good Design Awards in a range of different categories, including the 2017 Grand Award for its casual wind instrument, Venova™. All of these award-winning designs embody the Yamaha design philosophy, which sets forth five fundamental qualities: designs should have Integrity, should be Innovative, Aesthetic, and Unobtrusive, and should show a commitment to Social Responsibility.

Powered by over 100 years of piano craftsmanship and 45 years of synthesizer innovation, the CP88 and CP73 stage pianos continue a rich tradition as the newest in the CP Series of keyboards designed for live performances. The CP88/CP73 stage pianos boast authentic acoustic and electric piano sound, realistic piano touch, and an intuitive one-to-one user interface. Durable, yet compact and light, the stage pianos are available in both 88-key and 73-key models.

The STORIA acoustic guitar was created with first-timers in mind, fitting into your life with playability and a design that makes the guitars easy to pick up and play. All three models feature unique colors and finishes that accent and elevate your décor. With a smaller, thinner body, shorter strings, comfortable string height, rounded neck edges, and more, this new series was designed with ultimate playability in mind, making it perfect even for beginners.

The SoundUD Consortium was established in October 2017 with the aim of creating a society free of unease concerning language and hearing abilities. The consortium’s executive office is administered by Yamaha. At present, the consortium consists of more than 300 participating organizations spanning industry and beyond, including governing bodies, transportation, commercial facilities, entertainment facilities, stadiums, broadcasting, and more. Members cooperate to develop and promote the adoption of products and services using SoundUD™* with the aim of making universal design for sound a reality.

*SoundUD™ delivers information to ICT devices using a combination of technologies, such as acoustic communication, Bluetooth®, and GPS. Compatible apps such as OMOTENASHI GUIDE (http://omotenashiguide.jp/en/) can be used at SoundUD-enabled spots to easily access a variety of information relevant to that space. Examples of implementation include being able to receive translations of voice announcements in text form on a smartphone or being able to access transportation and other relevant information for the surrounding area with a single touch and no need to search.