Unexpected design is born by listening to various opinions
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I could do the part-time job as a student at Landor Associates, but the company didn’t have a plan to recruit new graduates. Therefore, I graduated from university continuing the part-time job, and I didn’t try to find another job.
People advised me to take a job related to architecture, but it didn’t change my wish to work for this company by any means. Furthermore, even if I wanted to work at another design office, I knew they wouldn’t hire someone who had not specialized in art; for example, by studying art at university. Even my parents, who seldom told me what to do, finally got worried and asked me if I was all right.
What I wanted to do was to create logos at the creative department, but I was working at the marketing department as a part-timer. At the beginning, I was doing some assistant work, such as shopping and collecting materials. However, I negotiated with my boss to let me attend meetings of the creative department and presented my ideas. Through these efforts, I could gradually get closer to the direction where I actually wanted to go ahead.
Eventually, my designs began to be selected for client presentation through internal competitions. Then I could gradually show my achievements, including that my design was officially accepted as a company’s logo. I could finally become a full-timer, which was six months after my graduation from university.
I handled various projects as a designer, but at the age of thirty, I decided to become independent and left the company. It was a challenging job with world-famous big corporations as clients, but I strongly came to wish I could manage projects on my own. There was no guarantee for my work, but I can work as I do today, supported by various people and blessed with customers.
I mentioned that the most important thing in a design job is to understand the company’s thoughts. However, we sometimes find it hard to share the same opinions or views. Even in these cases, while considering that there could be various ideas and feelings, I design on the assumption that each person feels differently.
In the past, I sometimes got confused and worried why I couldn’t convey my feelings well to others. But I realized that by listening to various opinions, instead of believing that my idea is the sole “correct answer,” we can mix our opinions, which may result in a design that I would never think of if I insisted solely on my idea.
When a logo is completed and released to society, various people get different impressions. I believe that the logo can be strengthened by the accumulation of various thoughts and loved by people for a long period of time.
Three keywords on Kumon’s 60th anniversary logo
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When I received an offer to design Kumon’s 60th anniversary logo, I replied instantly, “Sure, please let me do it!” I was a Kumon student myself, and I have been a Kumon fan who realized that “Kumon changed its logo” or “Kumon started a French program” when passing in front of Kumon Centers. (Laughs.)
In designing, remembering the time when I studied at Kumon, I first got a motif of ◯ (a circle) in mind, because I received a big circle for my correct answers, as Kumon reminds me. Only with this circle I could have many ideas, including the image that Instructors and children are connected with a circle. In addition, I also had an image of Kumon: that it is the very first study that young children start, which led to a motif of a small hand and a pencil. Like this, I got a lot of ideas, and one notebook was not enough for all these sketches.
At first, I sketch my ideas by hand, one after another, and pick up some of them later to design. Looking at these sketches, I keep considering if each design can represent my thought and select some of them to draw on a computer. Of course, I continue to brush them up, even after presenting them to clients.
As I already knew about Kumon’s three thoughts—“global broadening,” “evolving and deepening of learning,” and “circulation of knowledge”—I polished my designs in a way that intuitively conveys these concepts. Among them, I selected and presented about 20 designs. The logo that was finally chosen has a motif of a globe in the middle, expressing the expansion of Kumon, which keeps learning going on in various places on the earth.
The coloring that changes from Kumon blue to warm colors presents an image of Kumon deepening the learning and the Instructors’ passion. In addition, by having the top of the “6” extending, the logo shows the momentum and the image of Kumon’s knowledge circulating around the globe.
I believe that through the logo, the image of the Kumon Method has been further developed since the time I studied there.
I want to keep creating designs that facilitate smooth communication
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My daughter was born three years ago. By having a child, I could gain different perspectives, finding how inconvenient certain streets can be for strollers or what goods are available for children. I feel this helps me to expand my ideas.
Because my parents supported me to do what I was interested in and gave me freedom, I am thinking of doing the same in nurturing my child. Instead of molding her into a certain style, I want her to find and develop her strengths.
In order to help children find what they like or what interests them, parents may first need to show them various things and let them gain new experiences, to a certain degree. I say so because in my case, it was my father who got me interested in design. However, even if it is parents who provide the first opportunity, it depends on the person if they keep loving it or follow that path as their career. I think it depends on how much the person can be passionate about it.
Also, in that sense, if children of great potential find something that they can keep loving, I want them to nurture it carefully. As long as people hold a passion or interest, I think they can lead a vivid life, no matter if it is for work or for hobbies.
I hope parents and Instructors see the strengths of each child, praise them a lot if they do well, and support them to develop their strengths even further. I believe anyone can gain the confidence to live if they can develop what they like.
I would be happy if I could work on designs throughout my life. I want to create designs that will facilitate communication among people. For example, by having a business card that has a logo I designed, I want to see that one can have active conversations, easier sales, and courage. Furthermore, I want to positively take on the challenge of working abroad.
Actually, I have another dream, which is to write stories and picture books. By combining the two things that I like—design skill cultivated through my work and writing ability gained through reading books since my childhood—I want to try to realize this dream if I have such an opportunity.
Related links
ONO BRAND DESIGN Website
Page commemorating the 60th anniversary of Kumon’s foundation
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Interviews from the First Part －A job of branding design |