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Interview with Eisuke Tachikawa |
Home > Designer Interviews > Eisuke Tachikawa |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Eisuke Tachikawa (ET) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Eisuke Tachikawa by clicking here.
FS: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
ET: I studied architectural design until graduate school. But while doing research, I lost track of where the field of architecture started and where it ended. For example, window glass may seem to be architecture, but it is also industrial design, or a bathroom sign may fit into graphic design. I started thinking that it was strange to divide design into categories in the first place; so while I was in graduate school, I started to study design on my own in addition to architecture, and then became independent. That was the beginning of my activity as NOSIGNER. As a designer who only takes on projects that strive to create a hopeful future, I work on design strategy consulting and projects dealing with various social issues while crossing diverse design fields such as architecture, art direction, and industrial design.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
ET: NOSIGNER is a design office only taking on projects that are meaningful for the future of our society. We work on many design projects dealing with climate change adaptation, global environmental sustainability, disaster prevention, local culture, and pandemic resolution. The nature of our clients is therefore very unique. We are also honored to have received over 150 international design awards to date. https://nosigner.com
FS: What is "design" for you?
ET: It's a quasi-evolutionary capacity acquired by mankind.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
ET: I like to create strong, beautiful concepts and designs that can lead to significant social impact.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
ET: In terms of something made by another designer, I like Buckminster Fuller's geodesic dome. In terms of my designs, I like “The Moon”, which is the world's first light made from the moon's 3D data. It's a shame that thousands of copies of this design were made all over the world, but that means that this concept was powerful enough to spread. https://nosigner.com/the-moon
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
ET: https://www.behance.net/gallery/52943991/ARBORISM The first thing I designed was a table called "Arborism", which was designed using a fractal figure. Over 100 of them were used in the lobbies of Tokyo's Haneda Airport, amongst other places. It was a popular product, but as the brand that marketed it has gone bankrupt, I am looking for overseas companies to collaborate with.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
ET: I like to think about waste as a material. I like to think about how all kinds of waste can be converted into value. The office space of our company NOSIGNER was also designed using demolition waste from construction sites in the building we occupy. https://nosigner.com/regeneoffice
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
ET: I feel most creative when I am conceptualizing an idea for a project, and a view that would change the world a little bit comes to my mind. I believe that a good design idea has the power to change every detail of the world.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
ET: We look for what can be achieved only through that project. To go with this principle, we focus on minimalist candor and on demonstrating social impact in a way that cannot be replicated elsewhere.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
ET: I try to be as unemotional as possible because I want to see the project emerge beyond my own feelings.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
ET: Once completed, I think about how I can take the project further forward. I feel like projects actually have no end or completion.
FS: What makes a design successful?
ET: I believe it is when the project team can come together and strive for how they would want the world to be. A good concept or idea will help to define that vision.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
ET: It is essential that the design's quality is high and that the idea is interesting, but that alone is not sufficient. On the other hand, I don't think ideas created only to be interesting are of much value. I want to see the birth of a beautiful idea that carries a proposal for social change that can only happen through this project.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
ET: I believe it is to design for a larger space and a longer time. In other words, to look at wider relationships outside the market and consumption, and create things that will properly serve the future. It sounds difficult, but it is also obvious.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
ET: I don't know what the future holds for design, but I can try to predict the direction it will take. More and more people will become designers, and the purpose will be more valuable than the means of design; as the separation between design fields will melt away, creativity will merge with project design. Design work will be co-created with AI, and the value of creatives will be based on whether they can present a vision. There will also be more designers amongst corporate management. In a time of great change, leaders in various sectors will need to be able to use design as a weapon of choice. In particular, the integration of science and design will become increasingly important. I am a designer, but I also work as a company director for businesses in various fields, notably with a renewable energy company, and a company that revitalizes traditional local architecture into inns, while also investing in start-ups for future social innovations. Putting to practice future courses of design as quickly as possible is my way of experimenting.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
ET: In 2016, I held a solo exhibition at the Ginza Graphic Gallery in Japan. The theme was to contrast the phenomenon of biological evolution and design. From that exploration, I started reading various biology books and later developed my thoughts into the book Evolutional Creativity, published in 2021. This book won one of the most prestigious academic awards in Japan, the Shichihei Yamamoto Prize, and became a best-selling business book on Amazon Japan. I would very much like to hold our next exhibition in 2023 since it would mark 10 years since NOSIGNER’s activities were incorporated as a company. I would love to hold an exhibition on Evolutional Creativity or on my own design work.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
ET: There are myriad inspirations, but the number one inspiration is the historical context of the project, its surroundings that you don't normally notice, or the observation of the project broken down into its elements in an anatomical way. The job of the creator is to grasp the great flow that is already taking its course and to arrange it to be full of hope; I believe giving form to that flow is what feeds my creativity.
FS: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
ET: I feel that not having a design style is my style, as strongly imposing a style makes a project less genuine. It does not matter who designed the project if it is created in its most honest, unprecedented form. That is how great beauty and powerful ideas can emerge, which is why I value great frankness in my designs. I believe that the better the design is, the more other people will want to copy it.
FS: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
ET: I design in Yokohama, a city in Japan. I think I have received a lot of invisible influences from Japanese culture. In particular, I believe the sense of simplicity, as well as the ability to communicate while reading the surrounding atmosphere, are effective insights even for design. On the other hand, I feel that the speed of change in Japan may have been slow in the last 30 years, as the social status of design is not very high and society tends to protect already established large companies.
FS: How do you work with companies?
ET: We start the project and work together to develop the company's strategy before they launch a new brand or business; this is perhaps one of our strengths and characteristics. The client company is positioned more as a partner in the project than as a client. I have held positions as an external director in about five companies, as I sometimes happen to join them as a manager.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
ET: You should first see if the designer understands your business, or at least faces it with a high level of curiosity; on the other hand, you shouldn’t commission a designer who only designs for his own expression. On top of that, design is a concrete part of managing a business, so you may want to have a criterion of whether you would like to run a company with them. Also, look carefully at their design portfolio because they will rarely create better designs than the ones there. So make sure to always choose someone who creates designs you appreciate.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
ET: My process is as follows. Research ⇒ Envision the future of the project to determine its direction ⇒ Build design concept hypothesis ⇒ Design mock-up ⇆ brush-up (many rounds of this back and forth) ⇒ Confirm design direction ⇒ Finalize design ⇒ PR etc. ⇒ Further imagine the future and loop back to the concept hypothesis.
FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
ET: If I can say so myself, the pens I designed are really easy to use thanks to the perfect balance of weight and the brilliant concept for the grip. https://nosigner.com/plotter Macbook Air M1. I like it because it is thinner and more beautiful than the latest ones. I recently designed a beautiful wooden box for my Macbook. I like this tool because it keeps my desk clean. I drink a lot of water and I love the AARKE soda maker because it is sustainable. I like this polygonal mouse designed by a friend of mine. It's also useful as a clicker.
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
ET: 7am Wake up 8am Play with my sons 9am Book writing and design work 12pm Lunch by the sea in Yokohama, where my office and home are located 1pm Meet with clients 3pm Direct the design team 16.00 Meet with clients 6pm Direct the design team 7pm Return home and have dinner with my family. Play with my children a little. 20.00 Book writing and design work 21:00 Bath time with my family 23:00 Go to bed
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
ET: Decompose and simplify your work as a professional. Don't try to do many different things at the same time, but hone in on one point up until you’re able to surpass the average professional. Then add more points. At the same time, look for things you are interested in that other designers are not interested in. By paying attention to these points, you will one day start to connect the dots between qualities you’ve already honed and still unknown design areas.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
ET: The positives are innumerable, especially the fact that we can keep on renewing the world. There are very few negative points, such as the fact that there are more efficient ways to make money. However, creative work can fulfill your life with purpose.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
ET: Honesty.
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
ET: There are two. The ability to observe and sense the unfolding about to occur in a situation, and the ability to change, to allow for madness to the point of destructiveness. These two are usually in conflict, so it is better to hone both.
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
ET: Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, Indesign) 3D Software (Fusion360, Twinmotion, Cinema 4D) Project Management tools (asana, Google tools) Analog tools (Plotter pens, Brush pens) Books (Countless beautiful books)
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
ET: In terms of thinking, we increase the density of thoughts during the early stage of the project to develop the concept and avoid creating unnecessary work afterward. In terms of operations, we use a project management tool called “asana” to manage deadlines for each task while the project is ongoing.
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
ET: It take around 3 to 6 months.
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
ET: I’m often asked about the meaning of the word NOSIGNER. It comes from NO-SIGN, meaning a designer who creates the invisible.
FS: What was your most important job experience?
ET: It is to continue to be flexible and honest enough to allow yourself to change.
FS: Who are some of your clients?
ET: Our clients include leaders who create change within large companies, scientists with the potential to win Nobel Prizes, the current head of a tea business with over 300 years of history, founders of listed companies, start-up founders, orchestra maestros, various NGOs, local artisans from local industries, national and regional civil servants, and many more. Also, more than anyone else, I am also my own client.
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
ET: I like projects where I can imagine the future being sustainably transformed by beautiful ideas.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
ET: The book Evolutional Creativity was very well received, so we are now preparing an illustrated or essential edition based on the same concept. The book is currently set to be published in China, Taiwan, and South Korea, but other countries are still to come. We are currently looking for publishing partners in Europe and the USA.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
ET: I work in a team, but since I fully worked by myself at first, I still often make things with my own hands.
FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
ET: I recently invested and became the director of a company developing a semiconductor processor that transforms any sound software into amazing sound quality. It will revolutionize conventional sound technology to its very foundations, so I feel it has the potential to develop into a global sound format on par with Dolby. We are also working on a branding strategy for a hydrogen carrier using a compound called MCH called SPERA. It is currently considered the safest and least expensive way to transport hydrogen, and demonstrations are underway in the Netherlands and Brunei. This innovation will transform the global energy cycle to be sustainable, so please keep an eye on it.
FS: How can people contact you?
ET: You can contact me at info[x]nosigner.com *change [x] to @
FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
ET: I am a designer but also a creativity educator. Creativity is something everyone can learn. Through my work with Evolutionary Creativity, I advocate for the idea that anyone can learn creativity from the phenomenon of biological evolution. I hope to diffuse it around the world so that learning creativity becomes a normal part of our society. I look forward to collaborating with all of you.
FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.
A’ Design Award and Competitions grants rights to press members and bloggers to use parts of this interview. This interview is provided as it is; DesignPRWire and A' Design Award and Competitions cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.
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