COMOTE is a tenant building located next to the historic city hall of Shizuoka, Japan. UDS approached us to do the facade, interaction and web design for the site.

Facade design: We worked with Kimito Oba to develop a theme based on that for which Shizuoka is famous: tea, eel, Mount Fuji, etc. Presented as a palette of seals (also found in the nearby Shizuoka Castle moat stones) they wrap around the building like an obi (kimono sash).

Interaction design: The main entrance is marked by an enormous gate like door. It is also decorated with the COMOTE seals, with three carved out at varying heights: man, woman and child. Inside of each of these is an iPad. Visitors or passersby can play with the seals, whipping them about like a pinwheel, or looking up information about the building and offices inside. By maintaining the shape of the seal, the screens blend in, inviting rather than intimidating.

Web design: As a tenant building which rents office space and parking amongst other facilities, we created a web site along the same design theme to promote COMOTE.