Creating "Comfort": Designing the Future. (Part 1)

The theme of the 128th Dentsu Inc. Design Talk held on January 15th was "Creating Comfort: Design for the Future." Graphic designer Yoshiaki Irobe of Nippon Design Center continues to provide art direction across a wide range of fields, from VI and SP tools to packaging, exhibition graphics, and signage planning, spanning both two-dimensional and three-dimensional work. At the "Tokyo Design 2020 Forum," he presented a pilot project for a signage plan in the city (Ginza), advancing his thinking toward public spaces that unconsciously influence people's feelings, altering their moods and dispositions. Dentsu Inc. Art Director Yoshihiro Yagi has long been attentive to Irobe's work. We present this two-part talk exploring "Future Design" as envisioned by these two outstanding art directors.

Planning & Production: Aki Kanahara, Dentsu Inc. Event & Space Design Bureau

 

Shaping the Whole Through the Accumulation of Details

Irobe: Graphic design—people think they know it, but they really don't. That's the impression many have, right? Logos, typefaces, book design, color schemes, store interiors, advertising, motion graphics, packaging, diagrams... its scope is surprisingly wide-ranging. Graphic designers start with the simple desire to "make things beautiful," but they also receive various specific requests: "We want to attract customers," "We want to build a brand," "We want to guide people clearly through a space." Our job is to respond to these requests through design while also resonating with people's hearts. Art and design are often compared, but I believe design is the "answer." Design to make people aware, design to make people like something, design to make people buy, design to make people come, design to make things understandable, design to make people understand the rules... My style is to constantly face each and every one of these "for the purpose of" requests, and to respond to them sincerely, one time at a time.

Yagi: Mr. Irobe is one of the talents I've consistently followed. As a fellow designer, I'm deeply interested in your approach and process. Could you share a few examples of your work?

Irobe: When creating the logo for the Kawamura Memorial Museum of Art in Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture, I proposed designing the interior signage simultaneously. By embedding distinctive signs throughout the space and scattering them, we could elevate the overall quality of the environment. I see the logo as communication with people outside the museum, while the signage is communication with visitors inside. I explained that communication with the people who actually come is actually more important. If we could create a consistent quality through continuity with the logo, it would elevate the overall quality of the space.

Yagi: Mr. Irobe's work is incredibly meticulous and high-resolution. I get the impression that these elements accumulate, gradually forming a larger silhouette. I've also heard that he creates typefaces for every project. Even if only three letters are used, he creates the entire alphabet from A to Z... How much weight do details hold for you, Mr. Irobe?

Irobe: The tricky part is that focusing too much on details can lose sight of the whole. But I sometimes build the whole from the details. Especially in places like museums, building the whole by stacking up fine details is more effective.

Yagi: Art directors at ad agencies start with overall direction. In advertising, details often get pushed to the back burner, so I always feel like you're on the opposite shore. But when we unexpectedly end up on the same playing field at award shows, I think, "Oh, I need to think this deeply or I'll be embarrassed."

Irobe: Details are surprisingly full of design hints. So I make a point to go out and gather them. Like visiting museums to observe the surroundings and people's movements...

Yagi: It's true that hints leading to big concepts can sometimes be found in the details. It's strange how things often come together better when you bounce back and forth between the whole and the details. When judging the design category at international advertising awards, Japan's work tends to be praised for its details, but what we really want is both dynamism and delicacy.

 

Even a poster that disappears in a week should be made with a long-term perspective

Irobe: The book 'nendo: in the box', showcasing the work of Ooki Sato from design studio nendo, features photographs of interior models crafted with astonishing precision. To match the content of these models, the book itself was made smaller. At nendo, they create interiors using color as a material. Therefore, this book also uses the key colors from the project, offering a three-color variation. It was designed with the image of the book becoming part of the interior when displayed in the studio.

Yagi: Mr. Shikibu deconstructs things first, right? He approaches design from the structure itself. It seems he views books not just as something to read, but architecturally.

Irobe: I imagine a book as a building that houses information like photos and text.

Yagi: That's why such ideas emerge, leading to designs that endure long-term. Much advertising work disappears within months. But design requires a long-term perspective. With JR East's "Let's Go, Tohoku," which we've continued for three years, we're less focused on making posters and more on wanting to change the landscape.

Irobe: I've seen "Let's Go, Tohoku!" many times. It's great how it builds a consistent worldview while occasionally introducing unexpected elements. It feels like it's become a kind of public institution. I always look forward to it.

Yagi: Even if a poster disappears after a week, it builds up over time. That's why I always want to maintain a long-term perspective. Doing so helps me come up with the next move and might even improve the quality of the advertising.

Irobe: Advertising is really good at laying the groundwork for the next phase, isn't it? I'm the same way – I persistently think about the meaning of a book, trying to leave something behind that isn't just read and forgotten. I feel that persistence in the "Let's Go, Tohoku!" campaign too.

Yagi: Recently, I created posters and T-shirts themed around local train lines. I completely changed the photography style too.

Irobe: Why did you shift from graphics-focused to photo-focused halfway through, when it started out graphic-heavy?

Yagi: It was right after the earthquake. We were in power-saving mode, everything was gloomy. I felt taking photos like "Isn't Tohoku's scenery beautiful?" just didn't fit. So I decided to make posters that would hit you like a punch to the head, changing your perspective, posters that would energize you. Looking back now, I'm amazed I pulled it off. It was only possible because it was that time.

Irobu: I vividly remember feeling like something new had emerged.

※Part 2 scheduled for publication on Saturday, March 7
You can also read the interview here on AdTie!