Octopus
category:
Product Concept
Award-Winning Project:
Zebra Design Competition
Our Process: From Concept to Creation
This project was developed as part of a student design competition (2012) organized by Zebra Co., Ltd. (Japan).
The brief asked participants to design a writing instrument by identifying a common cultural element shared between the country of the company and the country of each participant, and translating that connection into a simple, low-cost, manufacturable product concept.
The project was selected for the final stage of the competition and awarded Bronze Prize.
This competition was conducted within an academic framework and did not include a public awards publication, as projects were developed under conditions that allowed for potential production.
The brief required the design of both a point pen and a highlighter, developed as a cohesive product series
Octopus
The concept was based on a cultural reference shared by Japan and Greece: the octopus, which is part of everyday food culture in both countries.
Inspired by this common element, the pen was designed as a minimal, Bic-type writing instrument, where the typical rubber grip is replaced by small suction cup elements inspired by octopus tentacles.
These elements enhance grip and tactile feedback while keeping the overall form simple and industrially realistic. In certain configurations, the suction cups also allow the pen to lightly attach to surfaces.
Grip form exploration inspired by octopus suction cups.
