30 Years in the Making: Shaping the Next Standard

Detail of Wacom stand on pen display — The All-New Wacom Cintiq Series

The new Wacom Cintiq series brings the core design philosophy of the Wacom Cintiq Pro series, launched in 2022, into the future to support the next generation of Cintiq devices that creators rely on. One such example is the dedicated pen display stand. With 18 precise angle settings for any creative environment, this stand is a vital accessory for unlocking the Wacom Cintiq series' full potential. It's a powerful partner that allows creators to work comfortably in any position, guaranteeing comfort even during extended creative sessions. The accompanying pen stand has also been completely re-engineered to accommodate every possible creative need.

The entirely new dedicated display stand and pen stand embody Wacom's commitment to excellence, offering a level of quality that perfectly complements the core pen display. Here, the designers and engineers share the story behind their development.

Pride of Wacom inspecting pen display — Bringing the Flagship Pen Experience to an Even Wider Audience

Naoya Nishizawa, Director of Design for Technology & Experience, led the design of the Wacom Cintiq series. He was responsible for hardware design, including the display, stand, and pen stand.

“The Wacom Cintiq Pro series, launched in 2022, was the culmination of Wacom's most advanced technology targeting professional creators. We updated it to align with market trends, evolving it into an advanced product that embraces user-centric customization. However, that same level of professional refinement inadvertently skewed the product towards a narrower user demographic. It was perhaps a little too niche. The new Wacom Cintiq series is focused on distilling the experience down to those features deemed essential by most users, all while maintaining a streamlined design.” (Nishizawa)

Starting from the project's inception, this product was designed to serve a wide variety of creative needs. Designed primarily with creators in mind, the previous generation featured a “wedge-shaped” design with the display tapering from thin at the front to thicker at the back. This thin front profile minimizes the gap between the desk and the display, improving ergonomics and ensuring that the creator’s hand remains comfortably supported during use. In contrast, the updated model shifted focus toward broader applications. To support a wider range of use cases, including in corporations and government offices, achieving a high degree of functional deployability was key. The product was designed to work not only flat on a desk, but also when mounted to a wall or stand, and even able to be rotated. This led to the conclusion that “above all else, the display needs to be flat”. (Nishizawa)

“From the initial planning stages, our goal for the next-generation Wacom Cintiq series was to create a product that appealed to both the B2B sector and creative professionals. This not only boosted overall product versatility but also helped us to drive down costs.” (Nishizawa)

Two images. 1. Wacom employee working on Wacom product with tools. 2. Same employee looking at data on a screen. — Stand Design Proven nearly 30 Years

A key feature of the Wacom Cintiq series is its dedicated pen display stand. While the previous generation included a dedicated pen display stand for each size, this renewal adopts the international VESA*1 standard, catering to a broader spectrum of use cases. The result was a single stand that works seamlessly across all display sizes.

Seiji Sakurai, Senior Engineer of Mechanical Engineering for the EMR*2 module, joined Nishizawa to lead the development of the dedicated pen display stand in partnership with product team.

When developing the new stand, the previous Wacom Adjustable Stand was used as a benchmark given its extensive user adoption and readily available user feedback. Though the stand boasted excellent functionality that maximized creative efficiency, there were a few known shortcomings that needed to be addressed.

“We were faced with two major challenges. The first was the ‘metallic noise’ generated when in use. We had received feedback that the rattling sound bothered them, so we flagged the issue for improvement in the next product cycle. The second challenge was the ‘instability’ under load. There was a noticeable degree of instability when force was applied to the display. We resolved the aforementioned issues of metallic noises and instability by modifying the fit of metallic components, selecting new materials, reshaping the integrated gears, and optimizing the shape of the stand’s base. When I first saw Nishizawa's design, I was captivated by its remarkably clean look. However, despite its stylishness, I had my doubts as to whether it would allow us to house all of the required hardware and other internal components. As I am the kind of person who needs to see things with my own eyes to be convinced, we were only able to finalize the design after an extensive period of testing using physical mock-ups.” (Sakurai)

Users can now fine-tune the display angle using one of 18 different settings. A satisfying and crisp “clicking” sound is produced when the stand is locked into place. This is a testament to Wacom's commitment to supporting the creative experience not just through functionality, but through the five senses. After all, sound, too, is yet another component in the creative process. The design concept of the “18-position adjustable stand” traces back to the Wacom Adjustable Stand, an accessory developed for the previous-generation Wacom Cintiq series. It's quite remarkable that its roots lie in a design originally created nearly 30 years ago.

“While honoring a design that had been used for nearly 30 years, we made subtle refinements where improvements were needed. For example, the stand legs. We resolved the issue of wobbling and instability by changing the design such that it is now manufactured as a single, unified piece as opposed to being assembled using multiple components. Although this made the stand slightly heavier, its structural stability was significantly improved. Our commitment wasn't simply to just adopt an already great design, but to ensure it was updated to suit the needs of the times.” (Nishizawa)

“The fact that this design stood the test of time as a Wacom product for three decades is definitive proof of its excellence. One might argue that the stand capable of precise angle adjustment and used for many years by Wacom possesses a type of timeless and universal value. I have heard that countless competitors have attempted to create products which mimic our stand’s design. This dedicated display stand, when used with a 24-inch display, can be adjusted in three degree increments to an angle between 17 degrees and 69 degrees. Changing what needs to be changed and keeping what should be kept the same— I believe this is something all designers and engineers should pay close attention to.” (Sakurai)

Sakurai, after successfully addressing the metallic sound and instability issues, says he considers this stand to be “the final, perfect iteration of this design, for now.” While he looked a little bashful saying this, his facial expression betrayed a certain pride. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that this design could become the standard for the next 30 years.

*1 VESA: An international standard for connecting and mounting video equipment such as LCD displays and televisions. The standard is named after the organization that developed it—the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA).

*2 EMR: EMR (Electro-Magnetic Resonance) is a display-related technology patented by Wacom. The technology consists of a sensor layer and a reinforced glass layer located behind a device's LCD display screen.

Close up on Wacom pen display — Redefining the Pen Stand

The pen stand is more than just a mere accessory. The pen stand is a critical tool as it alone can make or break the quality of one’s pen experience. As mentioned earlier, the new generation Wacom Cintiq series is a product designed not only with creators in mind, but also B2B customers such as corporations and government offices. As it was envisioned from the outset that the product would be used by a wide range of people, the pen stand needed to be designed in a way that allowed it to be secured to the display so as to minimize the risk of loss. It also needed to function when used flat on a desk or mounted on a wall. This design requirement was somewhat different in nature from those found in products aimed solely at creators.

“That's where we conceived this cylindrical design. The pen stand attaches to the side of the display stand, and because its cylindrical diameter is slightly smaller than the display stand’s thickness, it can be inserted into the side and rotated without touching the desk or wall. Since it can be installed on either side of the display , the design accommodates all users regardless of their dominant hand. Included with this product is the Wacom Pro Pen 3, which allows for customizable grip thickness. The pen stand has been designed to hold the pen securely regardless of whether the grip is attached or not. Ideally, making the pen stand slightly larger would have allowed for easier pen insertion and improved overall usability, but adhering to stringent size constraints presented a considerable challenge. We were also concerned about whether the pen stand might get in the way while drawing, and in that sense, it was a challenging design.” (Nishizawa)

Reflecting back on the project, Nishizawa states, “While I was involved in the entire product design, the pen stand was by far the most challenging part.” While it might seem like just one small accessory in the overall product , Nishizawa's statement—coming from a man who has shaped the design of countless Wacom devices—highlights the outsized importance of this modest pen stand.

Getting the Most Out of the New Wacom Cintiq Series

The new Wacom Cintiq series is set to reach an even wider audience in the coming years. What kind of experience do designers and engineers hope to deliver through this product?

“The Wacom Cintiq Pro series, our flagship model, targets professional studio artists. Due to its top of the line specifications, it carries a correspondingly high price tag. What is the Wacom Cintiq Pro series to those who like to create but aren't professional artists? That question served as the starting point for conceptualizing the latest Wacom Cintiq series. Essentially, this is our ‘minimal flagship model.’ Display performance has been dramatically improved, and the device is compatible with the Wacom Pro Pen 3. Through this product, we truly hope that users can appreciate Wacom’s technical prowess and our endless pursuit to design a digital pen that closely resembles a traditional pen,” says Nishizawa. His tone clearly conveys the firm conviction that this latest model is a pen display with genuine character and capability, and far more than just an entry point in the flagship lineup.

“Even though I'm not much of a creator, I find this minimalist design incredibly attractive. I personally think it can hold its own even against the Wacom Cintiq Pro. ‘Portability’ serves as a key focus in the evolutionary path of upcoming Wacom products. This dedicated pen display stand weighs less than 1.0 kg, coming in at a mere 0.9 kg. Given that an adjustablestand alone can weigh several kilograms, the display is certainly light enough to be carried around. To begin, we invite you to experience Wacom's portable products that allow you to create anywhere. I’ve heard indirectly that the stand has received quite positive feedback internally. But people are hesitant to say it out right,” Sakurai says with a laugh. It is only a matter of time before actual user feedback reaches Sakurai.

Moving forward, Wacom is committed to providing the ultimate pen experience—a result of the close collaboration between our designers and engineers.