Survey Results for Muji Pens

Its not just about taking the 'brand' away

MUJI didn't become so successful just by merely removing the label of its products.

'Underlying the essence of 'no brand' is actually an elaborating brand planning. Ikko Tanaka, who coined the term 'Mujirushi Ryohin', was insightful in the 1980's when the Japanese market was full of foreign brands. ' Mujirushi' represents the simplicity of ts packaging and manufacturing process, as well as its brand-free characteristic. 'Ryohin' is derived from Seiyu's commitment to provide quality for the products it developed. Classic writing such as

'Salmon-all part edible'

'Undecorated Love'

and

'Nature, Natural, MUJI'

created by Ikko Tanaka and Kazuko Koike, had accurately conveyed the spirit of MUJI

From Muji-book

'' MUJI became a first class brand by being a 'no brand'. It is common in Japan that if one sees a good design with no brand name, one would first guess whether that product is from MUJI. According to Kotler's classic marketing theory, when a certain product reminds the consumer of its features at first sight, the product has fundamentally succeeded, and its customer loyalty will remain strong for a long period of time."

May be this is why I love MUJI pens so much and refuse to believe that any other pens are better than ones of MUJI while I could easily be wrong.

A good pen to one person isn't necessarily good to another, its all personal and sometimes subjective ( I love MUJI aka I love MUJI pens )

pens categorised : nib size

0.1

0.25

0.3

0.38

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

Biro

Unknown

pens categorised : type of nib

Fineliner



Needle Point



Marker




Ink Gel



Biro

pens categorised : make/brand

Uni

Staedtler

Stabilo

Sakura

Pilot

Pentel

Muji

AromaGel?

Faber-Castell

Dong-a

Bic

Artline

pens

Thoughts on the Muji research.....

Muji pens....what do I need to know??

I think that it is good so, I need to find out why ?

But i can't make an informed decision.

I need to
- get a hold of Muji pens
-and other reasonably priced pens ( within the same range...its only fair?)
-categorise and document them
-try them all out and wrtie a review for each of them( general review and according to chosen categories)
-rate them out of 10, or whatever
-ask around...make a little survey on people's favourties pens and their thoughts on Muji pens.
- try and find information about Muji pens eg, type of ink, where they are made, ( I believe they are actually made in Thailand...seeing that I'm here anyway ...might as well try and see if I could find the factory and pay a visit)
-I want to get a sketch book ( a small/thin one ) and for every page I will write with a different pen, use that sketch book to review it. and add in a little illustration of my own using that pen\


So, when I manage to do all these....I will think of where to go next...but I have to stop cramming my thoughts! one step at a time.....

Categories for scoring the pens:

price
quality
design/aesthetics
size
pen nip size
weight
how comfortable
how long they last
'drop' factor/ breakability
made where
how green?
who uses them
how well they draw
how well they write
ink
smudge factor
how absorbent
lid

Questionaire....first of many

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WN8BWBZ

I created a survey on pens and Muji pens.

Now I just wait for those who can be bothered to reply.

in the mean time I have a plan....

The pen addict.

I like stationary. Pens in particular but I wouldn't quite call myself a pen addict.

However, I came across a blog called 'The pen addict' and this blogger really is 'thee' pen addict.
He/She( I gotta feeling she's a she.) reviews different pens which are mostly gel ink pens of reasonable prices.

http://penaddiction.blogspot.com/search/label/Muji

This is a link to her blog post on her thoughts on the muji pen.

A Brief History of Nothing

MUJI is the brand that has made nothing into something by embracing nothingness- and making that nothingness its unique characteristics.


MUJI is shorthand for Mujirushi Ryohin, which translate to 'no brand, good product.

MUJI began in the early 1980's as a private/ generic brand of the Seiyu discount department store


This is how the brand describe itself at MUJI.us:


MUJI is not a brand whose value rests in the frills and 'extras' it adds to its product.


MUJI is simplicity-but a simplicity achieved through a complexity of thought and design.


MUJI's streamlining is the result of the careful elimination and subtraction of gratuitous features and design unrelated to function


MUJI, the brand , is rational and free of agenda, doctrine and 'isms'. The MUJI concept derives from us continuously asking ' What is best from an individual's point of view?"


MUJI aspires to modesty and plainness, the better to adapt and shape itself to the steles, preferences, and practices of a wide a group of people as possible. This is the single most important reason people embrace MUJI.


MUJI- in its deliberate pursuit of the pure and the ordinary- achieves the extraordinary.

More on Muji

The name Muji is derived from the first part of Mujirushi Ryōhin, translated as No Brand Quality Goods

Smudged///......

I'm left handed and I write funny


...So, everytime I use a remotely inky pen on a relatively none absorbent paper, everything smudges. It doesn't even have to be glossy paper, normal printing paper would do.

So, most of the time I use 0.5 ball point pens or smaller ( mostly smaller) so, that reduces the chances of me smudging but it still happens.

with Muji pens, I know I can reply on the fact that I can write notes and will actually be able to see what I wrote.

Where did it all come from?

So, I thought I would start from the beginning.

Muji Pens are good.

Why are they so good? Before I try to answer that I think I would have to start from the beginning.

Starting from Muji itself.




The MUJI philosophy has won them a worldwide following over the last 20 years, emphasizing earth-friendliness, the use of innovative materials, and efficient packaging for reduced cost. Since opening their first store in Japan in 1983, MUJI is not only an internationally renowned company, but for many people is a way of life. MUJI merchandise is based on three simple elements: materials, process, and packaging. Inventive uses for materials that might otherwise have been discarded or ignored result in innovative product at the lowest cost. Equally important, MUJI infuses style and usefulness into everything produced, no matter what its provenance. To keep MUJI offerings focused and flexible, heavy attention is paid to the consumer's use of the product, and the manufacturing process is determined on that basis. Superfluous finishes are rejected, overprocessing is eliminated, and lines and forms are clean and uncluttered for manufacturing ease. MUJI carefully protects items for sale with packaging appropriate to their purpose. By using the same clear cellophane material to wrap most items, consumers see exactly what they are getting and don't pay extra for expensive packaging. Their guiding principle is flexibility, providing the savvy customer with products that are beautiful, useful, and essential "objects for living."


(Designer Bio from the MoMa Store )

There are so much material that you can find written about Muji and their philosophy, all of which I am interested in reading about. However, I just thought that I would lay out the general idea....for now( in this post) about what Muji stand for, to get a better understanding of their beautiful pens and not go into too much details yet.


It is a minimalist's dream.Its simple. Its also green!

But after all, this research is about why are their pens so good! not why Muji is so good.


I don't think that the entire reason for my love for Muji pens are just because they are 'Muji'. Although I must say now that it may have made me just a little bit more biased towards then.

To me, the Muji gel pens are the best pens I've ever used. they never disappoint me, unlike many other pens. They are easy to use. cheap and don't smudge.

More explanation to come...

this is just to say Muji pens are good and there are reasons why.....

Decision time.

Libraries
Muji Pens
Geometrical patterns- espcially, the neubau moduls
Childhood memories
Balance
Wordplays in Graphic design...I'm sure theres a better word for it....got it ! Typographic Design
sustainable design
simplicity




So far, these are what I think is good, and worth researching about.......

So, Libraries would be really interesting to do research on, like finding out about the biggest libraries, the most beautiful and crazy libraries!

I love libraries anyhow as I love books. I can spend hours in libraries and not get bored, especially the design section where there are lots of pictures for me to look at.

The only problem is that I'm not going to be able to go to all these libraries I will be finding out about as they will be all over the world....does that matter much as long as I can prove that they are good?

This round room is called the Rotunde, its the main reading hall of the city library in Stockholm

Muji pens are...literally, the best pens in the world. I do use other pens but none seem to write as well and as comfortably as the Muji pens. They are truly GOOD. However, the pens I'm talking about at the moment are just a specific type of Muji pens and I dont know if that would mean that my research would be too....narrow??

I mean how much research can you get into about one type of pen....or may be that is what would be great about researching into this one. How do I make interesting research out of this one? I will have to compare this pen to all the other black pens I can find and find out why it is so good.

This would be a different type of research from my other ideas, it seems limited but perhaps I can find ways to 'un-limit' these limitations??


Geometrical patterns to me are beautiful. I know I've always favored them in my designs but I am interested in them even more now. I came across the book Neubau Modul, as I've mentioned in my previous posts. I still don't know whether its all geometric patterns that i find good or this particular collection of patterns. May be I like them so much more as they are all put into one very beautiful book. bBt in general I think all geometrical patterns are good. They are interested and I would definitely would like to understand them better, then perhaps, choosing this would be a good way for me to do that. At the end of the day, I do think that they are GOOD.



'Childhood memories' is a little different from the other three ideas. The fact that it is not something physical that can be touched or seen makes it a different kind of research. I haven't put that much thought into yet but i mean, it would be pretty interesting right? ( finding out more about why certain childhood memories stand out more than the other, other peoples childhood memories, the psychology of it all?)

but I also have to consider the fact that 'childhood memories' are only good when the memories are good? To those to did not have that much of a childhood or did but not a good one childhood memories would be 'bad' or even non existent.

I will have to be thorough and considerate in my research. Those of us who are lucky enough to have had a childhood, always remember certain events or likes and dislikes as the memory of our childhood.

Going to the cinema for the first time, fighting over a really ugly toy with your sister, believing that your closet is in fact a door way into Narnia,these are all childhood memories. I think that they are good....but i don't quite know why yet and I'm sure that there would be an explanation for it somewhere......now I'm just very curious.

me with a wax doll from my first trip to the Madame Tusaude's. I cried the whole time when my parents took me through the torture section of the museum, I remembered to shut my eyes on the second trip but cried anyway.( I have no idea why my parents would do that to me again)

I wish I could find another picture I had taken next to the wax doll of Arnold Schwarzenegger. I looked absolutely tiny next to him. That was my most favorite wax doll because when I was little, I was obsessed with the actor. I watched all his movies, even predators and terminator...I must have been about 5? weird kid.....


Balance....this is another one of my idea that I have not put much thought into. Well I have put a little bit of thought into it but I don't even know where and how I would start to research this.

I've just always thought that everything is good, when its balanced, not too much, not too little.
Design looks good when its balanced. A building can stay up because there is balance within the construction. but the balance I am talking about is not trying to stand up straight, but i mean the balance of things. Yin and Yang, good and evil, black and white, the golden raito etc etc.

This seems like it could be an infinite research, there is so many things that I could apply this to.


May be the better word wold be Equilibrium? Everything is good, when its just the right amount.
One musician would tighten the strings, and the other would cry, "Not too tight because you will break the string." The other would counter by saying, "Not too loose because the string will only buzz and rattle- in the middle is just right."




Wordplay in Graphic design....this one, I find really hard to define and I don't like that. but the designs themselves, i like.

( editting the post....I got it...Its Typographic Logo Design that I've been looking for !)

clever word plays in Graphic Design and puns are great! ( especially the really awful ones) As mentioned in my previous post, I think its a really great way of getting your message across. Its witty, visually interesting and effective



er.....what exactly to you call these??

When I first thought of these, as I have a couple on my Design Context blog already, I thought they are really 'good' but now, I'm a little bit worried. I still think they're awesome but may be not fit for this project as the other ones? I guess there is no right or wrong and they are interesting but may be not....'good'

I mean the question is ' what is good?' and answering it by saying ' wordplay in Graphic design is good...' seems a little strange, its funny, interesting, clever, creative, but not sure about 'good'

Interesting wordplay logos are good?

ahhhh I dont know, I think they're so clever and creative but I might have to reconsider?


This blog post is getting a bit long but I just want to sum up and put all of my current thoughts about good into one post.

By writing this, I'm helping myself decide on the 5 researches I am going to do. Indecisiveness is a murder.


Sustainable Design.....This one is also tricky.

I'm only just becoming more interested in sustainable, or Eco friendly design. The practice is huge and the industry is complicated and needs to be well researched but I do believe that it is the future of design. Clients are becoming more and more ethically concerned in their products, and therefore, as Graphic design, I need to be looking at the future trends of design. I am also personally becoming more aware of the problems being caused by over consumerism and one of the problems are us . We are the seller of all things, we advertise things people don't need. I make packaging, make people want to buy products, etc.

When we can help, we should help.

However, this is a big issue which I still don't know anything about. I don't know if its just a little too big for a summer research. but I feel like, this would be an important step for me as well in my design career as I feel like this is what I am interested in, so may be I should start now??


Simplicity.

Keeping it simple. This sentence is something that you here often, it might feel like a bit of a cliche but i still believe it what it stands for......

The simplest solutions are the best solutions. Why complicate things when the simple solution solves it just the same, if not better??

but i think.....I will leave it at that. for now