Last year we published Katalis E-500 from Katalis Company, a design & branding studio based in Indonesia. These guys created a concept with a mixture of some past military design, a bit of Manga and the future technology of an electric vehicle.
Source: press release Katalis Company | Today, they present Spacebar, a mini foldable electric scooter with a unique design and shape. It’s no wonder that Spacebar, which was produced in collaboration with Indonesian apparel designer, Kamengski, has caught attention in the digital sphere.
When asked why the scooter was named Spacebar, Head of Strategy of Katalis, Joseph Sinaga explains, that the electric scooter is hoped to be able to open up spaces which was previously not reachable by riders.
“For example when we are typing on a computer or laptop, the way we open up space in between texts is by pressing the spacebar. That is what inspired us. It also explains why the scooter is shaped like a rectangle,” adds Joseph.
Principal Designer of Katalis, Julian Palapa, adds that although dimensionally it is quite tiny, Spacebar is equipped with a power of 1200w. “Spacebar is able to manoeuvre through the busy streets of the capital city, to support its rider’s daily commute. Yes, it is small but fierce, like a piece of chili,” says the architect.
Tracing back to its design inspiration, the idea of the rectangular spacebar was expressed by Julian through Detailed Engineering Design (DED), which he then further discussed with Kamengski in order to create an eye-catching visual design. “We designed Spacebar specifically for youngsters who desire agility in their daily activities. Then after brainstorming with Said (Kamengski’s real name), together we created a visual concept suitable for Generation-Z,” he explained.
Everything from the full aluminium body, to the various visual accents, decal and body colour, as well as the material and colour of the scooter seat, was carefully handpicked by Katalis and Kamengski. The 33 year old designer was quite satisfied with the final product. “It really is amazing, I don’t know how to put it into words. Personally, I wanted to collaborate with Katalis because they have unique designs and have gone international. Through Spacebar, we proved that collaboration is certainly more fun than competition,” says Said.
The production process of this scooter was also quite unique, it was done from two different cities. “Joseph and I, along with one of our designers, Kemal, worked on the design while working on a construction project at a mining site in West Sumbawa. Simultaneously, the scooter was built by Fathur, our engineer in a workshop in Jakarta, under the monitoring of Said who was also in Jakarta,” explains Julian.
Joseph claims that the collaborative release with Kamengski will be one of many intended for Spacebar. “Others have also expressed interest in creating a visual concept for Spacebar in the future. However, currently we are focusing on this valuable collaboration with Kamengski. We are certain that there will be more interesting ideas from Said which we can work together on in the future,” adds Joseph.
Joseph, who has years of experience in the advertising industry adds, “With the release of Spacebar, we hope we can inspire more Indonesian youngsters to develop mobility solutions for the future. Spacebar is our way of making way,” ends Joseph.
