Soul House Development Process
I wanted to create a device that was completely different from the typical image of a small communication device. As such, rather than back-and-forth communication like through a headset, for instance, I started by focusing on the more one-sided idea of receiving (i.e. capturing) information, not unlike the tapes in Mission: Impossible, just less explosive.
Initially called a Soul Cage, I started with three rough concepts based on the form language of Japanese lanterns, fishing lures, and Japanese urns, respectively.
Initially called a Soul Cage, I started with three rough concepts based on the form language of Japanese lanterns, fishing lures, and Japanese urns, respectively.
[Pencil, Photoshop]
I decided to further explore the concept based on lanterns and experimented with various shapes, liking the overall silhouette in the latter half of the second page.
[Pencil, Photoshop]
However, at this point, I received feedback that this was supposed to be a communication device whereas my design was built with too much emphasis on storage. Since I already intended for a little fire spirit to live in the lantern, I realized that I could quite easily build a proper communications system around him, with him acting as translator, typist, and messenger.
[Photoshop]
Since the design ended up being gentler than the initial concept of simply luring and trapping spirits inside until they can serve their purpose, I renamed it the Soul House and revised the specification from "small enough to be held in one's hands" to be more precise in this situation as a mobile communication device. The final result was...!
[Photoshop]