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Interview with Yukino Shunme |
Home > Designer Interviews > Yukino Shunme |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Yukino Shunme (YS) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Yukino Shunme 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 started producing Japanese lacquerware, shikki, hoping to introduce its beauty to the world. I have never expected I could design something and get my design realized. However, looking back on my life, I often looked for the things that I could never find. That is to say, I wanted to design such things.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
YS: We basically receive translation and interpretation orders though the design has been included in our business since the start of our small business. Now is the time for us to enhance the visibility of the brand world wide.
FS: What is "design" for you?
YS: Comfortable, sophisticated, beautiful, inspirational, caring and trustworthy thing.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
YS: I am just a beginner, but I think I like designing anything if it's possible.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
YS: Historical architectures in any area including Japan because human knowledges and aesthetics are accumulated in them, and we can see how human beings so far have included and excluded nature in and from their everyday lives, or in other words, we can see their efforts to conquer nature or to keep in harmony with it. Of course, those things are not contradict each other. We should conquer some aspects in nature to keep in harmony with it, and at the same time, we know we can never conquer nature if you know the intricately intertwined physical properties of nature.
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
YS: Logo design and business card.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
YS: I do not have any favorite materials, but urushi and wood are definitely attractive ones for me.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
YS: I think I feel most creative when my mind is empty, or in other words, when I spend a vacant space of time between the times in which I think something intensively or experience something impressive.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
YS: Aesthetics and practicalness.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
YS: I feel hope and filled with energy.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
YS: I want to shout, 'yes, I am right!'
FS: What makes a design successful?
YS: Faith.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
YS: Both of them. I don't judge. The piece in front of me tells me. It's a kind of dialogue.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
YS: Purification of souls, which would positively result in environment.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
YS: Everyone will realize themselves as a designer in their favorite ways.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
YS: It was January of this year at Japan Traditional Crafts Aoyama Square, but it was not our exclusive exhibition. I really want to hold our exhibition in Europe where Japanese art, especially shikki, has been accepted since the 1500's. After that, I would like to challenge in other areas.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
YS: Specification of the source of my creativity might be impossible. However, I guess favorite things, things that attract me and people around me whom I care for should stimulate 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?
YS: I guess my mind keeps looking for a better something about my work even at the moment when I am not caring about 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?
YS: I live in Hokuriku region, Japan, where shikki production once flourished and now it still famous for it. However, shikki is generally no longer one of star items today. Only the limited number of the shikki brands survive, which means their branding are very successful in the field, while it would be very hard for new brands like us to obtain publicity. On the other hand, shikki and urushi are familiar to me since childhood because I was born and grown up in Hokuriku. Then, I, as a new comer, could take a step into the field. I did not have any acquaintances and it seemed not easy to do so, but Goddess of Fortune smiled at me. I hope she is still smiling.
FS: How do you work with companies?
YS: It is simple style. Calling or visiting when it is necessary, sometimes bringing small presents for them.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
YS: Relationships between people involved is basically important, but whether or not you like the designer's work by intuition is another critical point to avoid unnecessary discussions and troubles.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
YS: I draw an image on Pages at my Mac making full use of it. I know I should get out of this situation. . .
FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
YS: Cars, Kartell’s white round table, Ant Chairs, an incense stand, sliding lattice doors my husband designed, a piece of stained glass my son made, copper-plate engraving by my son, and a horse objet.
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
YS: Working on translation and interpretation, studying several languages, searching online for a company that will help me to realize my idea of the 'catch-up interpretation system', watching movies, doing house chores between them, and thinking about my elder son who temporary works in UK as well as younger son who will go to the Netherlands soon. If time allows, I enjoy watching movies and news programs. If time still allows, then, together with my husband, I worry about the future of my business.
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
YS: Just pursue your way with your inspiration.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
YS: To be able to design what you want and share it with people around the world would be definitely the most positive thing, and the negative one for me is that it could not necessarily earn our living.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
YS: Just mind about whether or not you will love it and do not leave a doubt however small it would be.
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
YS: Flexibility of communication with people involved in realization of your design without loosing strong mind.
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
YS: Imagination and some searches are main sources, and I think travelling is also some kind of sources of my inspiration because many discoveries are waiting there.
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
YS: Focus, relax, and restart.
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
YS: It depends on what design you are putting your hand to.
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
YS: I have been often asked where I studied design.
FS: What was your most important job experience?
YS: The most important job experience for me is to look for a new artisan to take the place of the previous one in the field of traditional craft. That's not easy for me as a new comer. However, I have found that if someone leave our project due to dissatisfaction with my decision to determine our direction, the new one is more excellent partly because this artisan would join our project agreeing our direction from the beginning of his/her participation. Such artisans would be more likely to contribute effectively to the project.
FS: Who are some of your clients?
YS: First and foremost, my sister became a fan of our shikki and has supported me. Then, my best friend and another sister kindly ordered our shikki and has encouraged me. Of course, there are many others who have admired the beauty of our shikki, saying that it’s so beautiful that any photo can not represent its beauty. Everyone who sees and touches them almost invariably marvels at the beauty of our items, whereas words and pictures are not enough to fully convey how wonderful they are. I think I should somehow introduce the beauty of the real things of our shikki to the world.
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
YS: For now, I do not have specific design works to enjoy, but I vaguely imagine it might be nice if I can design my clothes by myself.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
YS: I want to visit and stay in countries around the world, which might bring a lot of new ideas to me.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
YS: I develop my designs myself. I like this style because, in my opinion, I could lost my ideas in the middle of the way if I have to make much efforts to explain my designs to other people before those designs are materialized.
FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
YS: I have some works-in-progress designs, but I cannot talk about here at this point of time.
FS: How can people contact you?
YS: E-mails, phone calls, FaceTime calls, Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp.
FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
YS: Sometimes horseback riding enlightens me. Communication with a horse while riding occasionally suggests life lessons.
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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