Design Philosophy Creation
To create different brand messages for Toyota and Lexus based on uniquely Japanese values and aesthetics, Toyota developed a design philosophy for each and began pursuing appropriate design expressions. Toyota then researched globally recognized, modern-day Japanese values, as expressed in high-technology products, youth culture, and the love of nature, as the 'j-factor'. Very different from advocating a superficial 'Japaneseness', this represented a completely new value created from a global perspective. To make a great leap into the future while establishing this new value as its corporate basis, Toyota defined 'Vibrant Clarity' as its design philosophy for the Toyota brand and 'L-finesse' as its design philosophy for the Lexus brand.
1) Vibrant Clarity
The Toyota brand design philosophy of 'Vibrant Clarity' means simultaneously delivering exhilarating 'vibrancy' and universal 'refreshing clarity' by uniting two seemingly contradictory elements-'emotion' and 'rationality'.
2) L-finesse
The Lexus brand design philosophy of 'L-finesse' stands for 'Leading edge with finesse'.