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Interview with Yoshimi Sugiyama |
Home > Designer Interviews > Yoshimi Sugiyama |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Yoshimi Sugiyama (YS) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Yoshimi Sugiyama 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?
YS: I have been interested in fashion since I was a child, and I later developed an interest in design. I consider design as a form of art and consider myself as an artist. Art has been, and continues to be, the outlet for my emotion. I did not need to think hard to be an artist, art has been part of my daily life and exited in its natural state.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
YS: It is a professional commercial photography and video production studio located in the south of San Francisco. Creating images for clients to sell and promote products sounds artificial, lifeless, and unspirited, however, I would say our studio is unique in a way. We try to create stories for every product and breathe new life into it in new and exciting ways. We try not to forget to challenge new things.
FS: What is "design" for you?
YS: I consider design as a form of art. I design to create an artwork, whether it be a commercial product image or a fine art book. Art has been part of my daily life and tries to express myself in the form of art. My design and work of art stem from a view or opinion or feeling that I hold within myself.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
YS: I like to create a work which communicates a message and a story, and most importantly a work which inspires the audience.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
YS: My most favorite designs are my representative works of “sacred tree” series. The design theme is Animism, which is ancient mythology. I am trying to visualize ancient people’s consciousness that “nature is sacred.”
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
YS: When I was able to create an artwork employing different techniques and the image came out exactly how I envisioned it to be. Specifically, when I was able to turn the lifeless images into living beings.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
YS: The design must be unique and influential, however, intent or purpose of the design should not be forgotten. I also consider visual design elements and principles such as color, balance, composition, direction, which I believe are the important foundational elements of art.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
YS: Joy, serenity, happiness, excitement, struggle.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
YS: Amazement, admiration, surprise, inspiring.
FS: What makes a design successful?
YS: A successful design begins with a good design concept with solid fundamental knowledge of art and design theory. A successful design should have all such foundational elements of art.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
YS: I will consider a target audience and clear purpose of the design first. The good design should convey influential messages, and yet provide true value for the audience. The lack of understanding of your target audience tends to lead to distrust and disrespect towards the designer/artist himself.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
YS: It is true that art comes in many different forms, and all artists have the right to freedom of artistic expression. It is the greatest things for the designers/artists that they are free to express their thoughts and opinions. At the same time, as a member of global society, the artists/designers are still responsible for showing respects towards different culture, opinions, thoughts, and environment, and not to convey wrong or misleading messages. We should be reminded that the art /design has been key to bringing about positive changes and has a strong power to inspire people in a good way.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
YS: 2013 May, Exhibition "Japanese Garden" at The Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco The Japan Information Center, USA
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
YS: I feel lucky that I get to work on what I love most. I strongly believe that such respect for design, my culture, and nature all develop a creative mind which is becoming my sources of inspirations.
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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