Making "Connection" Exciting

Introducing "Ideas to Make ○○ More Interesting" from a young art director at Dentsu Inc. This time, it's "Making Connections Interesting" by Tomonori Saito.

The fun lies in loosely connecting ideas

──Why did you choose "connections" as your theme?

Saito: When I heard "Ideas to Make XX More Interesting," I struggled with the theme for a while. After much thought, I decided to just do what I genuinely find interesting. My idea of "interesting" is actually a very small joy. It's about finding connections in anything. Finding links or connections, you could say. When I connect thoughts in my head, or when something I've researched coincidentally connects to something else, my brain gets excited (laughs). That makes me pretty happy. It's a bit weird, isn't it? So, I'm actually not very good at coming up with ideas that make people go, "Wow! That's an amazing idea!"

I wondered what would happen if I made visible the things happening inside my own head. What if I showed what I'm thinking about in "Around 30"? (laughs)

The starting point could be a picture, words, anything. I wondered if I could create something like a loose word chain game starting from there. It doesn't have to be strictly connected; something like, "Oh, come to think of it, that's right," is fine. And if, before you know it, it crosses language barriers or something, that would be pretty wonderful.

But I think people seeing this work will wonder: "Why start with 'Daruma' in the first place?" I suppose I should have an answer ready. "Daruma" is me. This time, I thought I'd start with myself. First, we both have beards. Also, "Daruma" is written in kanji as "達磨". Its model seems to be an Indian Buddhist monk, the founder of Chinese Zen Buddhism. Also, the sound "Dharma" apparently represents the meaning of "law" in Sanskrit. Incidentally, my name is "Chihou" (智法), so I thought, "Ah, I'm Chihou-Dharma." Incidentally, "Chihou" (智) is called "Jñāna" (梵 - bon) in Sanskrit, which means the wisdom or knowledge that discerns things. Ah, so from my name alone, I'm a Dharma who seeks that kind of wisdom. I found myself strangely convinced by that. Really, it's probably completely irrelevant to everyone else (laugh).

Anyway, this loose word chain that started with Daruma ends up at Yeti. Since Yeti is recognized as an unidentified mysterious animal (UMA), discovering this loose connection between Daruma → UMA is pretty decent, I guess.

Daruma and Yeti—they don't seem similar at first glance, but don't they start to look somewhat alike?

Why does the world of tradition so readily dismiss innovation?

──Tell us about things or topics you're currently interested in outside of work.

Saito: Solutions demanded by clients are naturally shifting toward communication design centered on digital media, driven by changes in consumer behavior. As someone involved in advertising communication, I believe we must internalize this shift and confront it directly.

But personally, I have a hypothesis that behind this, there might be a consumer mindset that runs counter to it. So, outside of work, I'm trying to broaden my knowledge and experience in various ways.

For instance, I wonder if the phenomenon of "information fatigue" might arise when people are surrounded by vast amounts of things and information.

I believe clues to this lie in things that have survived over long periods: traditional craftsmanship, traditional performing arts, religious thought, and so on. Take Noh, a traditional Japanese performing art. It exists in a world where empathy and diffusion aren't forced; instead, the performers place great importance on upholding the "forms" passed down since ancient times. Noh has various schools, and while there are differences between progressive and conservative approaches, there is a shared awareness regarding the elements that must be preserved. Why do these worlds dedicated to preserving tradition not immediately embrace innovation as inherently good? What motivates the people involved in these fields? I've recently become curious that carefully observing the inner workings of those involved might reveal some important perspective.