Tokyo, Japan –“We want to create experiences in the home that people absolutely fall in love with,” says LIXIL’s Chief Design Officer, Paul Flowers.

Two years ago, Flowers was tasked with wedding some of the most advanced technologies in and around the home with desirable and meaningful designs, all part of the company’s shift to becoming more consumer-centric.

Since then, he has established a centralized Global Design Organization to oversee LIXIL’s house of brands, opened new inhouse design studios around the world, and implemented design and work processes that are redefining LIXIL’s water and housing products.

As part of LIXIL’s approach to applying design, its designers have been developing and applying a “brand lenses” to each of its global water technology brands, introducing signature elements that form a brand’s visual and emotional identity. This ensures they are well-defined, authentic, and with a unique sense of purpose, all while staying true to their cultural roots.

INAX, a LIXIL bathroom and kitchen brand from Japan, received an iF Design Award for its signature elements, which were unveiled at Milan Design Week in 2019 for the first time. Combining architectural and human elements, INAX’s signature elements convey Japanese aesthetics in a new, contemporary style.

INAX was also awarded for its use of color in the bathroom sector. INAX Blue, a color that is now synonymous with the brand, goes beyond mere aesthetics to also indicate when a function is activated, immediately drawing the attention of the user and making products more intuitive to use.