Yuki Ijichi

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Yuki Ijichi ("YI") 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?

YI : I studied information design and media art at the School of Art and Design,University of Toyama. I then worked in design at Organ Design Office in Gifu Prefecture, Studio Shirotani in Nagasaki, and gained product experience as a member of the ceramics production staff at Hasegawa Ceramic Studio before starting my own business.

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

YI : My current motivation for design is to solve social issues and problems faced by clients. My personal motivation is to reconstruct the culture of life through all design activities.

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

YI : I chose to become a designer myself.

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

YI : I design for a variety of media, without limitation of domain: graphic, product, graphic, and web. Therefore, I want to do consistent branding design from product to space and brand identity. I also want to design for the culture of the land.

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

YI : Always be aware of capturing the context of things.

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

YI : I think the difference is that we are able to dig out the essence from the historical and cultural background, rather than just capturing the current trends.

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

YI : I think it is about capturing the background and making people experience the essence of the design rather than designing it in a descriptive way.

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

YI : The value is that it enriches our lives and society. Because investing in it makes society more affluent.

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

YI : I want to reconstruct the lifestyle culture and aesthetics of the past and design them as modern interior products. I believe that this will be a message to the next generation.

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

YI : It is a reconstruction of the culture of life.

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

YI : It's about digging into things and researching historical backgrounds.

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

YI : Enzo Mari, Achille Castiglioni, Kosei Shirotani

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

YI : The SEDIA 1 CHAIR was designed by Enzo Mari. It made me think again about the meaning of the chair itself, rather than designing a chair based on styling.

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

YI : It is a Chinza no Manma Ao Project. I think it is wonderful that we were able to create a consistent design for this project, from the architecture to the brand identity, based on the brand concept.

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

YI : It is about continuing to study and consider historical and cultural backgrounds while observing trends in the world.

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

YI : Entrepreneur or researcher

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

YI : It is to eliminate the various distortions that exist in society.

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

YI : My family and the representatives of the design firms I have worked for in the past.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

YI : I used to practice Zen and tea ceremony, and the way of perceiving and embodying things that I learned there has been useful in my design work.

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

YI : The low value placed on local design still feels like an obstacle to continuing to design.

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

YI : I think it would be to present it at a global competition like the A'DESIGN AWARD & COMPETITON.

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

YI : Right now there are a lot of graphic projects such as branding again, but I expect another comprehensive project from architectural design and product design to branding and comprehensive projects. We especially expect projects with a cultural background.

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

YI : It is to reconstruct the culture of daily life and to connect the past, the present, and the future with that culture and sense of beauty.

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

YI : I think they are looking forward to designs that have a cultural background and provide insight.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

YI : We contribute by solving problems in society.

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

YI : We develop original products that excavate and reinterpret the lifestyle culture and aesthetics found in Japan.

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

YI : It is a Chinza no Manma Ao Project. In this project, we were able to understand and accompany the concept and design set forth by the client.

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

YI : I hope that we will see the creation of designs that are not uniform, but are localized and full of regional flavor, helping to build the lifestyle and culture of each region.

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

YI : As technology advances, the field of design will continue to expand and change. In addition, I believe that a new way of designing for different environments, such as outer space, will be required.

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

YI : Depending on the scale of the project, it can take anywhere from three months to two years.

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

YI : We start by interviewing the client and project organizers to extract the issues and possibilities that exist.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

YI : Living as a "consumer" is the key to being able to understand the way consumers think and the issues they face, and then design accordingly.

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

YI : Trends are created, but on the other hand, things that touch latent needs will spread naturally and remain. I think that trends that touch those latent needs determine design.

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

YI : It is about efficiency and expansion of expression.

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

YI : Adobe Series and Fusion360 Mac

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

YI : It's cognitive communication.

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

YI : I would like to ask about the concept and the background to its creation.

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

YI : We will think about the meaning and social role of the thing itself.

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

YI : I believe in co-design because it takes you beyond your own field and gives rise to unexpected ideas.

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

YI : Kosei Shirotani

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

YI : This is “Chami” by Shozo Okuda. It represents the spirit of the tea ceremony, but I continue to be influenced by the way he prepares himself and his awareness to face design as a human being.

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

YI : My skills were honed through guidance from senior designers at the design firm, and through practice and reflection after going independent.

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

YI : I would like to meet with researchers and entrepreneurs to gain various insights and discuss the future of society.

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

YI : I realized that my experience and design up until now were not wrong, and I want to share that with the world.

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

YI : I didn't even think about it.

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

YI : A thousand years from now, we may look different from the people we are today. Even then, we will coexist with other beings, and in this way, I hope that we will be able to live as people a thousand years from now. I will try to create a design now that will lead us to that point.