Naoto Fukasawa – The man behind the Lamy Noto pen
At first glance, the Lamy Noto pen is a simple plastic ballpoint – in fact it is the cheapest Lamy pen we sell. But look a little closer, and you will see this pen is definitely more than the sum of its parts. It was designed by award-winning Japanese industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa, who is known for his stripped-back design aesthetic.
Other work
He has designed bathrooms, furniture, lighting, electronics and clothing, and you’ve probably seen some of his work in Muji – he designed their wall-mounted CD player, paper shredder, and more recently a kettle, toaster and rice cooker. Fukasawa has won over 70 international awards, including the Japan Good design award, IDEA awards, 21 IF design awards, a Red Dot award, and a D&AD award, amongst others . His Muji wall mounted CD player, humidifier for Plus Minus Zero (Fukasawa’s own design brand), and Infobar and Neon mobile phones for Japanese telecoms brand KDDI all have a place in the MOMA permanent design collection.
What makes the Noto?
The Lamy Noto is a pen reduced to the essentials. Its triangular barrel sits comfortably in the hand, and its matte surface offers a non-slip grip. The lapel clip is a clean slice out of the body of the pen, seamlessly blending into the overall silhouette. The Noto is a push-button style ballpoint, but the action is completely silent – no irritating clicking noises with this slick design. It is available in two styles; the Noto 282 in white and black, as well as in four colours (white, black, navy and anthracite) with a silver coloured grip section (the Noto 283).