Choosing "Sincerity in Words" in an Era of Maximum Expression
Before we knew it, the world of products became flooded with superlatives such as "thinnest," "smallest," and "lightest." Recently, we've even seen many phrases that express future goals, like "aiming for the thinnest" or "striving for the smallest in its class."
Of course, the pursuit of thinness and lightness itself is a very good thing. It's also pleasing for us to see the industry evolve towards better products.
However, SYRINX has always handled these superlative expressions with caution. In fact, we have actively chosen not to use them. This is not merely an aesthetic choice, but reflects our own philosophy regarding the ethics of manufacturing.
Why superlatives are prone to misunderstanding
"Thinnest," "smallest," "lightest." These words are incredibly attractive for captivating customers. They are easy for consumers to understand and convenient for businesses to use. But at the same time, they are also words that strongly tempt us to make things look better than they actually are.
Even without being as aggressive as outright exaggeration, ambiguous superlative expressions can significantly distort perceptions with just a single word. They are that difficult to handle.
"Aiming for" is not a free pass
It's often assumed that phrases like "aiming for ~" are legally unproblematic because they merely state a goal, but this is not necessarily a free pass.
What matters is not the business's intention, but "how the general consumer perceives it." (This is also the criterion for judging misleading representations of superiority under the Act Against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations.) Even if the creator intends to talk about future goals, if the reader mistakenly believes that "the product in front of me now is in the thinnest class," a disparity with reality will arise.
The danger of superlative expressions lies in their unconscious tendency to cause such "disregard for the recipient's perspective."
Why SYRINX does not use superlative expressions
The reason why SYRINX avoids superlative expressions is very simple: we want to be sincere.
For us, thinness is not a goal to strive for; it is the inevitable result of the structure. If the reason is clear, there is no need for embellishment with words or exaggeration.
And another thing: we believe that words are also part of the design.
Superlative expressions are appealing, but they risk obscuring the truth. Just as we want our products to be honest, we want our words to be honest as well.
SYRINX believes that "honest words" are just as important as "honest design."
(Text by Hirotaka Sato | SYRINX Representative and Designer)