Akihito Shimizu

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Akihito Shimizu ("AS") for their original perspective and innovative approach to design as well as their creative lifestyle, we are very pleased to share our interview with our distinguished readers.

DL: Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?

AS : After working as a bank employee, he studied graphic design at a design school and began working as a designer. After working as a designer in the advertising, signage, and display fields when he first joined the company, he is currently working in the field of brand design.

DL: What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?

AS : This may be an extreme view, but it is because I realized that everything outside of nature, including the earth, was designed by human beings. Since that realization, I have wanted to contribute to and be useful to society by creating and expressing something through the means of design.

DL: Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?

AS : I chose the path of a designer myself. Only a designer can help human society by always thinking about what is wrong and what is right, and by embodying what I envision.

DL: What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?

AS : I would like to take traditional products from my own country, transform them into designs that suit the current era for the sake of future generations, and promote them throughout the world. For example, I would like to be involved in brand design not only for food and beverages such as sake and Japanese sweets, but also for spaces. Also, as an international exchange of design, I would like to design manufacturing overseas, utilizing the perspectives and advantages of Japanese traditions.

DL: What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?

AS : Understanding the elements that make up a brand is important not only to deepen one's knowledge of each, but also simply to consciously experience them in one's own work and as a user. This is because what consumers and society want, what kind of attractive products should be created for them, and what needs to be done to achieve this can often be seen by constantly learning about the many designs that are in demand around the world and experiencing the brand for oneself. Such exciting work can only be done by designers. This is because a good brand contains a wealth of different ideas for consumer acceptance and satisfaction, which can only come from the designer's experience, accumulated knowledge, and perspective.

DL: What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?

AS : I believe that a great designer is not someone who has decided on his or her own that he or she is great, but someone who is naturally recognized by those around him or her as great. And I believe that if that state of being continues, one can become a great designer. So maybe the difference is just a matter of time.

DL: What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?

AS : It is difficult to decide which balance to prioritize: quantitative design, qualitative design, functional design, or emotional design, but I think the first step in evaluation is to ensure that the deliverables are useful to society. Sometimes the most important thing is not to design, so I think the standard of evaluation is to derive what is best for what the client is looking for. Then, I think the minimum hurdle is to comprehensively serve many people while evaluating multiple aspects of the design, such as determining whether the design is developmentally useful to the social context.

DL: What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?

AS : It is an abstract concept, but as mentioned above, good design is something that contributes to the greater good of people and the international community, both domestically and internationally. And we believe that it is an asset to be shared by the world, leading the human world toward peace. We believe that all humankind should now invest in good design not only for the sake of humanity, but also because we believe that the great challenge is to return the wealth gained from nature back to nature, and that this will lead to a new sense of values. for the survival of the planet we live on.

DL: What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?

AS : Besides commercial design, I would design for the public good and to make my family happy. The latter is rather natural for us as human beings. I think everyone wants to make their loved ones happy with the designs they create.

DL: What is the dream project you haven’t yet had time to realize?

AS : You may laugh, but it is a design that can only be done when you get older. I think design is an output of experience as we get older, so something that can only be expressed over time cannot be realized right now. If I want to be involved in traditional Japanese design, which is what I desire, I have no choice but to live in Japan, constantly learning and experiencing.

DL: What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?

AS : It is to always make an effort to keep abreast of the history that has been built up by our predecessors. In particular, analog expressions, experiences, and textures that cannot be expressed digitally are important elements that only humans can sense. As AI evolves in the future, it will be able to act more like human sensibilities, but in the end, human sensibilities cannot be realized. Therefore, the secret of success will be to continue to feel what only humans can feel.

DL: Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?

AS : Calligrapher Kosuke Watanuki. Katsuhiko Shibuya, an active graphic designer.

DL: What are your favorite designs by other designers, why do you like them?

AS : There are too many to answer this question. The more perspectives I like, the more I like. I even like the empty bottles that fall around.

DL: What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?

AS : A Swiss bank envelope given to me by my father, who was a banker. It was a blank envelope with no address or signature, but when I realized that it represented a real private bank, I got goosebumps.

DL: How could people improve themselves to be better designers, what did you do?

AS : I think it is to be interested in and experience many things, and not to be limited to one area. It is becoming very difficult to survive in only one field, so I think the next stage that designers should explore is to multiply the specialized knowledge that human beings have developed up to now and develop that area.

DL: If you hadn’t become a designer, what would you have done?

AS : I can't imagine a career other than being a designer, but if I had given up on my dream, I would probably still be a banker.

DL: How do you define design, what is design for you?

AS : It is life.

DL: Who helped you to reach these heights, who was your biggest supporter?

AS : I cannot choose. My great grandparents, parents, and family. And my mentors who have guided me to the joy of design.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

AS : My personality and inquisitive mind, I can love anything with a point of view.

DL: What were the obstacles you faced before becoming a design master?

AS : I don't consider myself a design master, but how do I want to live? What can I do? The big obstacle is always me.

DL: How do you think designers should present their work?

AS : Brand design is very diverse, so I think it is best if you can present not only photos that document the results of your work, but also photos of scenes that convey the user's excitement and product experience. Also, if you can always show your work from the brand's perspective, the visuals will be even denser, so I think it is best to strike a balance between the two.

DL: What’s your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?

AS : It is a brand design for “Sake,” a uniquely Japanese alcoholic beverage.

DL: What’s your ultimate goal as a designer?

AS : I don't have any goals as a designer at the moment. I think a designer's life is richer if he/she does not set goals.

DL: What people expect from an esteemed designer such as yourself?

AS : People expect you to play a more essential role as a translator of perspectives and ideas of things and events that lead to a better society and sustainable activities through your design methods.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

AS : As mentioned above, design will continue to contribute as a translator of values and as a device or method of spreading values.

DL: What are you currently working on that you are especially excited about?

AS : It is to read traditional Japanese patterns, explore the deeper meaning of colors, and compare and study them with foreign sensibilities. By having something to compare, I am thinking of better ways to convey Japanese culture.

DL: Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?

AS : The brand communication design for TERRA COFFEE ROASTERS is probably one of the most satisfying projects, having received national and international acclaim.

DL: What would you like to see changed in design industry in the coming years?

AS : A more three-dimensional design that is not limited to one specialty or field. In other words, it would be best to build designs that fit the time, the era, and the individual situation, not in terms of dots, but in terms of surfaces and coverage.

DL: Where do you think the design field is headed next?

AS : There will be more and more opportunities to think about design outside the earth and in space, in terms of humanity and the earth. At the same time, design in the places and countries where we were born will be reexamined.

DL: How long does it take you to finalize a design project?

AS : It is difficult to say, but some projects take as little as six months and as long as three years.

DL: When you have a new design project, where do you start?

AS : We talk to the client about the subject matter and then start researching the past, the people, and the heritage in every nook and cranny of the literature. If necessary, I also do fieldwork and various consumption experiences at the same time.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

AS : “Everything you see is designed by someone else.”

DL: Do you think design sets the trends or trends set the designs?

AS : I think it could be both, but trends alone do not complete a design, and creating trends with design techniques is too artificial and boring. I think a balance is important.

DL: What is the role of technology when you design?

AS : It would be to replace simple tasks and provide sources that cannot be examined by human power alone. Of course, there are high expectations for technology, but it alone would result in a boring product with no human touch, so it needs to coexist well to create a human-like design.

DL: What kind of design software and equipment do you use in your work?

AS : Specifically, I use Adobe creative software most of the time.

DL: What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?

AS : It is not enough, but it is probably an important piece in building identity.

DL: What do you wish people to ask about your design?

AS : I want to ask, “Is my design useful to you? If the answer is “yes,” they will be more than happy. If the answer is “yes,” they will be more than happy.

DL: When you see a new great design or product what comes into your mind?

AS : You will observe it carefully and try to imagine how it will benefit society. You have to wait and see if something comes to mind.

DL: Who is your ideal design partner? Do you believe in co-design?

AS : I am always in sessions with different perspectives and different expertise. For example, I collaborate with editors, photographers, artists, and other fascinating professionals.

DL: Which people you interacted had the most influence on your design?

AS : I can't really pick one person because it varies from field to field.

DL: Which books you read had the most effect on your design?

AS : Like the person, I can't really decide on one book.

DL: How did you develop your skills as a master designer?

AS : I have grown by listening to senior designers and art directors, and sometimes by lectures, but mostly by self-study.

DL: Irrelative of time and space, who you would want to meet, talk and discuss with?

AS : My late father.

DL: How do you feel about all the awards and recognition you had, is it hard to be famous?

AS : It is not up to you to decide if you are famous or not, but to others and to society. Also, being famous does not necessarily mean being happy.

DL: What is your favorite color, place, food, season, thing and brand?

AS : My favorite color is black. I like its strength that is not dyed in any color. Place is Nishinomiya, Hyogo. Food is Japanese food. Seasons are spring and fall. There are too many things and brands to choose from.

DL: Please tell us a little memoir, a funny thing you had experienced as a designer?

AS : Design and thinking to prevent counterfeiting is a very secretive field and not accessible to everyone. I used to be a banker, so many of the experiences I had there were very unusual, but there is also a world of technology in the design world that no one can talk about. I can't tell you any more than that.

DL: What makes your day great as a designer, how do you motivate yourself?

AS : On sunny mornings, I try to stand up straight and be regular. When I am tired after a long day of work, I drink a glass of good sake.

DL: When you were a little child, was it obvious that you would become a great designer?

AS : No, I never thought I would become a designer. But from a very young age I was drawing and collecting things that other people had drawn.

DL: What do you think about future; what do you see will happen in thousand years from now?

AS : I would like the earth to be a place where people can coexist with nature as members of living creatures and where everyone can live naturally, rather than where human egos determine national borders.

DL: Please tell us anything you wish your fans to know about you, your design and anything else?

AS : There is nothing in particular that I would like them to know about me, but design is a profession that reflects strongly on a person's outlook on life and experiences. If I can inspire something in your life by letting you know about my work and my way of thinking, then I will be happy. Thank you.