Wacom Co., Ltd. has always been a leader in the pen tablet field for creative users. "Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 (2021)", which was significantly updated from the LCD pen tablet "Wacom Cintiq Pro 16" for creators and professionals released in 2017, was released on November 5th. When updating, we considered how we could reflect the voice of our customers and reviewed the underlying product planning. This time, we will deliver the product planning project of "Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 (2021)" and the points of change of the product in the front and back parts. In the second part, about 10 particularly big improvement points of "Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 (2021)", Kentaro Matsumoto of technical support who participated in the project, Yukio Obata, product marketing manager, Kenichi Tsunoi, general manager of enterprise / design education group, design We interviewed six people, Technology & Experience Manager Hornung Tiro, Product Project Management Manager Yusuke Sakamoto, and Product Project Management Teruko Sato.
Matsumoto "The big change this time is the connection. First of all, it is possible to connect with" USB Type-C + power cable "or" USB Type-C to A cable + HDMI cable + power cable ". General cable It is a big feature that you can use it. Until now, the Wacom Cintiq Pro series could not be connected to terminals such as HDMI without using a conversion adapter called Wacom Link Plus, but the cable becomes messy when going through Wacom Link Plus. I thought that it would be better for the customer's work environment to be able to connect simply. "
Tiro "There were some points I wanted to improve on the connection. The first is that the customer can easily connect the cable. The second is to hide the cable as much as possible to make it look neat. And three. It was important to ensure compatibility with various PC configurations. In a nutshell, our goal is "to allow users to focus purely on their work." I thought about how to start work quickly without spending time. Also, while listening to the production environment, the desk I was using was not so large, so I had a lot of trouble arranging the devices. To solve this problem, I placed a connection terminal on the back edge of the display of Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 (2021), so you can create your work without worrying about the cable. "
Tsunoi: When installing in a school or company, there are 20 or 30 cables, not just one, so there are 20 or 30 cables. When Wacom Link Plus is used, 3 cables per unit. Therefore, it becomes a state of how many cables are needed to connect one liquid crystal pen tablet. Besides, you can use a monitor with dual or triple, or connect another peripheral device. There are many people, and I felt that having many cables was not a very good working environment, so I think it was good to be able to improve to a simple connection method this time. "
Matsumoto: It's very big to eliminate the dedicated product Wacom Link Plus. For example, if the cable breaks, you can just go to a consumer electronics retail store and buy a commercially available cable so that you can use it immediately. In the case of Wacom Link Plus, if this product breaks, I have to buy a new Wacom Link Plus to stop the work, and I felt that the load was heavy. I thought it was very important not to stop the customer's work even at times. "
Touch menu that was in the previous model
Matsumoto "In the case of the previous model Wacom Cintiq Pro 16, there is a touch menu in the upper right of the screen, but many people said that it would cause erroneous operation. The position on the upper right is right-handed. It is a place where people will inevitably hit it when using it. Moreover, because it uses an electrostatic touch panel type button, if you touch it even a little, it will be recognized as a touch and it will turn on and off without permission. , There were many inquiries that unintended malfunctions would occur. After all, it is better not to have an operation function on the surface of the liquid crystal pen tablet, so malfunctions will not occur, so I deleted the touch menu. "
Tiro: In addition to disturbing my production focus when I accidentally press the touch menu too many times, I also found that different users need different settings and functions to access the touch menu. So we evaluated each feature of the original touch menu and redefined access and customizability. "
Obata: Of course, there are people who use the touch menu, but there were many negative opinions. When deciding whether to add or remove this function, please contact the customer directly. We asked for opinions and based on the contents of inquiries received in the past, but after having creators and users try the sample so that they can actually experience it, we decided to delete it. rice field."
Tiro "The new Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 (2021) has a physical switch on the top of the display bezel that turns multi-touch on and off, which I designed intentionally. Manually. The multi-touch on / off function that can be switched is generally popular, and we have prepared a dedicated simple access switch. Push the switch to the left to turn it off, and to the right to turn it on, so it can be switched quickly and easily. You can improve work efficiency. "
Matsumoto: I also learned that users value the "click" or "press" feeling. With a conventional touch panel, it doesn't feel like it's being pressed, and it can be ticked several times. Also, regarding the power button, it is difficult to understand the feeling of pressing with the previous model, and the feeling of pressing is inevitably "slimy", and it is difficult for customers to tell whether the power is on or off. There was also an indication. "
Obata "The new Wacom Cintiq Pro (2021) has also been properly tested by us for its push feeling. We have properly checked whether it is soft or hard, and whether it is okay."
Matsumoto: You also adjusted the position of the switch in millimeters. With the prototype, there was a problem that the switch could not be turned on and off unless the length of the nail was to some extent. Many people cut the nail short, so the fingernail We talked about making a switch that can slide on the belly and asked them to design it. "
Sakamoto: "I was particular about the feeling and weight in the design. I don't like the clicking sound, I don't like the fact that there is no sound at all, I don't like it if it's too hard, I don't like it if it's too soft ... I wanted to respond to that feeling. I tried various materials and fine-tuned how to make and place the switch, and designed it while searching for the most comfortable feeling of pushing. "
Tiro "I came up with the idea of placing ExpressKeys on both sides of the back to keep the Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 (2021) housing compact. I placed eight ExpressKeys, four on each side of the LCD pen tablet. So it can be used regardless of your dominant hand. The challenge in designing the ExpressKey was how to accurately press the ExpressKey placed in an invisible place. The operation method is one of four fingers. You can either place it on each key or press each key with one finger to rely on your muscles' memory. Considering operability, the new ExpressKey has a new shape and a step around it. I think that the operation will get used to it soon because I made it a design. "
Matsumoto "The Wacom Cintiq Pro series had a design that did not have an ExpressKey that can set shortcuts, but this time I decided to use ExpressKey. One of the reasons is to open the desktop center. I found it inconvenient to not be able to do what the previous model was able to do. When I thought about how to get to the operation I wanted to do, not all the features were removed, ExpressKey was I thought it was one solution. In that case, if there is an ExpressKey on the surface, as I mentioned earlier, it often gets in the way for some people, and if it is on the left, right, top and bottom of the housing, it feels strange to touch it. I was thinking of placing ExpressKey on the back side. I came up with various ideas about the number of keys. It is not enough to have 10 keys, but it is convenient to use 4 or 3 or 2 on the left and right. Based on that, I thought about various things. "
Tiro "When I thought about using ExpressKey, I thought I needed a certain number. If I placed it on both sides of the back, I would use my index finger to little finger to play the piano with my thumb lightly on the screen. I made four keys in consideration of the possibility of operating like this. Also, I designed the Express Key itself to be uneven so that it is easy to operate. "
Matsumoto: I felt that ExpressKey is necessary to let people know about Wacom's unique functions such as "mapping screen switching" that is used when operating multiple monitors with a pen tablet. ExpressKey is necessary according to each user's usage. I hope that you can freely allocate and use control + Z etc. From that point of view, this time I installed ExpressKey on the back in the form of "convenient function of Wacom". "
Obata "This Wacom Cintiq Pro series is basically a product for professionals, so it is important not to stop the work of creators. Customizability and ease of use are also included in the important points. One of them is support for VESA mounts. We planned it with an emphasis on increasing the choices of arms and stands. "
This is the back of the previous model
Matsumoto "The stand of the previous model Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 had a limited degree of freedom of angle. Since each user's favorite angle is different, the optional Wacom Adjustable Stand that can freely adjust the working angle is more suitable. I thought it might be. "
This is the Asian version
Obata: We also made various changes to the quick start guide. As a result of listening to opinions from outside Japan, we found that the taste of the quick start guide differs depending on the country / region. Japan is like an instruction manual. I'm looking for details, and Europe prefers simple ones, but Europe has a very large business area, so I need to translate it into more than 15 languages. America needs information between Japan and Europe. Based on that, I decided to make three types, the Asian version, the European version, and the American version. The Asian version will show you how to connect in detail from the beginning, and the illustration Not only the guide is in Japanese, but the number of pages is completely different from the American version. And since we have newly introduced the QR code from this time, we are looking forward to the reaction of our customers. "
Matsumoto: As for the color gamut of the display, professionals are concerned about the color, so we have switched to a display that focuses on the color tone with an Adobe RGB coverage rate of 98%. "
Sakamoto: We have also proceeded with development to improve the color reproducibility that will satisfy professionals compared to the previous model. We asked a specialized team in the display department to select a liquid crystal that fits the product concept, so we have a better display. I think that color reproduction and expression have led to the realization. "
Sakamoto: The heat of the surface temperature was quite dissatisfied by customers, so I feel that it is a problem that Wacom always has, not just the previous model. How can the air flow and heat that cool the surface be suppressed? I put a lot of effort into that. "
Sato: In contrast, Mr. Sakamoto did his best to deal with the noise problem. "
Sakamoto: Putting a fan inside to suppress heat is one measure, but if you turn the fan sound to reduce the heat, the fan sound will naturally come out. For the customer, It can get in the way of work, so I'm considering the balance of how to reduce the fan noise and heat. "
Matsumoto: "I actually listened to and compared the sounds of the fans many times. The issue was how to set the number of revolutions. For example, if the number of revolutions drops by a few hundred revolutions, it would be unpleasant. In some cases, the feeling changes as the number of revolutions changes, so I was looking for a balance between the temperature and the number of revolutions of the fan, but I think I was satisfied with it. "
Sakamoto: "It's also comfortable to draw. In order to make it comfortable to draw, the glass is made uneven by anti-glare processing, and there is a phenomenon that it reflects light and looks glittering, but this display is glaring. It has improved a lot. The drawing comfort has improved compared to the previous model. I think it has improved considerably by engineering. "
Matsumoto: "PVC is a material called polyvinyl chloride, but when it is burned, harmful gas is emitted, so we tried not to use such a material. In the internal mechanism part, some models are already PVC-free. However, until now, we have not adopted PVC-free materials for general cables such as USB Type-C cables. I think PVC-free is eco-friendly, but Mr. Sato had a hard time there. "
Sato: Well, with regard to power cables, PVC-free materials cannot be used in some countries, so PVC remained in some countries, but it was very difficult. When we started pursuing eco-friendliness, the cost was high. It will take quite a while, so I feel that it is an issue that we must tackle in the future. We will use only cardboard for the package, reduce waste without inserting extra cables, reduce vinyl and make it all paper. From now on, I feel that we must consider the global environment and make products. I hope that the new products announced this time will be a pioneer and we will continue to take on the challenge of making products that are environmentally friendly. "
Sakamoto: After all, "sustainable" is the key to product development. Of course, not only the materials and how to make them, but also the disposal. How can Wacom contribute to the global environment and cooperate? You are thinking. "
-Finally, do you have a message for users?
Matsumoto: "I think this product has strongly reflected the voice of our customers. I feel that we can take the improvements we receive from our customers seriously and provide them to our customers."
Obata: Wacom team members are looking in the same direction and think that it is a product that we have prepared, so we are still worried about corona infection, but by all means, Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 (2021) has been renewed in various places. ), We would be grateful if you could consider it so that you can purchase with satisfaction. "
Sakamoto: Customers who have heard the evaluation of Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 and are hesitant to purchase it should definitely compare it with Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 (2021). As Wacom, we sincerely listen to our customers' voices. I would appreciate it if you could take it and know that we are working on making products. "
Sato: "I think it's a whole-body work that takes in the voice of the customer and incorporates the maximum improvement that can be done now. All the team members will definitely reflect the voice of the customer in this product and make improvements." We worked with extraordinary enthusiasm. We hope that you will feel it and consider purchasing it. "
Tsunoi "We are still waiting for not only this product but also future products, so please feel free to touch it and let us know your honest voice."
Tiro: I think the improvements we've made to the new Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 have made it even easier for users to create their work. We hope it helps to further enhance user creativity. We will continue to develop our products according to the needs of our customers, so we would appreciate your feedback in the future. "
This time, "Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 (2021)" is a product born from the voices of various customers such as individuals and companies. From the establishment of the product planning team to the introduction of the product, we took on new challenges and led to the launch of "Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 (2021)". In developing "Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 (2021)", we asked about 10 points of the update that we were particular about, but other details have been improved. Not only "Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 (2021)", but also Wacom's new products in the future, we will make products with the customer's voice first in the new development system, so please look forward to it.
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"The secret story behind the production of" Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 (2021) ", which was reborn with the customer's voice first, revisiting the basis of product manufacturing [Part 1]
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