Interview with Takahiro Sato

Takahiro Sato ("TS") interviewed on Tuesday, 5 May.

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?

TS : I like creating something since I was child. I wanted to go to college to study product design but I started working when I was 19 years old because of family reasons. So I gave up once. I studied the structure and maintenance of car own school of some Japanese automobile manufacturer. Learning structure of car affects on the philosophy of my design. But I drop out it too and when make my living with another dream, musician, I worked at some companies for game and toys. My job title was not designer but designed, did direction, made plans and project. I have been in those entertainment business world. After many experience, now I , 43 years old, overcome my complex , call myself “designer” first time and apply for this A’DESIGN AWARD by my first work as designer.

How did you become a designer?

TS : I have strong will to make the place to work with my disabled son so I call myself designer and start KUDEN as a new project by own company. After many experience, now I , 43 years old, overcome my complex , call myself “designer” first time and apply for this A’DESIGN AWARD by my first work as designer.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

TS : I believe design is one of the means to make people happy so I like the the design that we can’t see, like strategy and gimmick to make people feeling happy. On technical side, I often start my design from design thinking and strategy, it’s conceptual design, consider what and who it needs for and finally reach the visual. On mind side, my favorite Japanese word that express Japanese traditional sense of beauty “粋 (Iki)”. It means familiar, clear, thoughtful but also has appeal and nobility. In my sense, “ Is it a Iki or not?” is important. I want to be Iki-designer.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

TS : First, feel an inferiority complex but keep thinking, and when customer’s smile comes into my head it turns to delight.

What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?

TS : How I feed my creativity is that I learnt by myself with working in society because I couldn’t go to study in school. For example, I don’t graduate from design school but some game company in Tokyo recruited me, it was a walk-in visiting company. For that time, I didn’t have Educational background so I entered to lobby of some game company and got free-pamphlet about new game title, took it to game store and toy store, ask them and people about games, made report and turned in it to company. Like this, I , minority and not in privileged family, advanced my career with hungry spirit by design thinking that how to archive my aim and challenge. This may grow my creativity most.

What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?

TS : My nearly future plan, also dream, is making place to work with my disabled son, it means to actualize employment of disabled. Supporting the life of who get involved with my design, making happy who pick my product and service up, and continue this brand over 100 years. This is my ultimate goal as designer.

What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?

TS : Don’t just stare your laptop, go out and touch, see, feel many things and have a lot of experience. Try first even if you like it or dislike. Don’t lose your curiosity. Don’t stop your growth by yourself with small success, in the field that only you can do. Become sensitized to feeling and niceties of the human spirit. Even though, have a dream you strongly want to actualize. And, keep balance of them.

You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?

TS : I suggest to have the project that you’re responsible for the result of your design to the end, even it’s small. For this time, I paid by myself for award and project, regard myself as client. Through those experience, I leant what I don’t in work for client. I’m sure it’s also great experience that design with ample funds by client. But the experience that customer gives feedback about your design directly, your design is good or not for them, is unforgiving but also exciting. I think it’s a valuable experience.

What is your day to day look like?

TS : For working day, I wake up at 5:00 in morning and take a shower, make coffee and do most important work of the day first, it’s a work as business manager and designer. After that, stretch and training for a hour. At 10:00, begin meeting with staff, it’s mainly for support to staff or work as a team. Cooking lunch by myself for staff and take it together. Take a nap and work afternoon, finish it by 17:00. Every other week, I handle the dinner for staff and enjoy talking and eating together. I sleep by 22:00. For weekend, one day is for rest and the other day is for the day I do what I like.

How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?

TS : When/where economic is good, they have leeway so design may set trend but I think originally role of design is means for some aim. So I don’t think that design becomes a goal is not good things and don’t have interests on. In my opinion, commercial designer like me, it’s power that the art has.

How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?

TS : I think good design is what people can feel and understand intuitive regardless of different of language, age and any other border between us. Also good design tells us the aim that is for who and what. Just a good looking is not my point for “good design”.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

TS : Always start form the problem for client, sometime client is myself. I begin to hear the role of design. Before take pen in my hand, hear and think about what I need to realize it, what behavior and feeling is preferable and also to who. It’s a first step for me. Making 60% level of completeness, show it around me, get feedback , fix and redesign and making again…repeat this way and complete once. I think good design has no end. Until the design lives, it’s renewed and brushed up. For me, after design was born it’s like my child so I always watching over them. If end comes once, I think there is no eternal end.

What is your biggest design work?

TS : Samurai Mode Series, maybe. Because customer, people in sewing factory including ex-partner company now closed their business like this clothes and also support our message that we keep 40-50% cost rate and protect the working environment of sewing factory. So this is not just a product, also put hopes from many people around me in. No such an experience ever, create products and people love it, it’s happy and precious for me.

Who is your favourite designer?

TS : Mr.Setsu Nagasawa, illustrator.

Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?

TS : I like creating something and artisan culture very much, so I like Japanese artisan and Italian creative spirit , that is one of the reason I applied to A’DESIGN AWARD from among a number of design competitions. The brand name KUDEN comes from Japanese word KUDEN that means artisans tells the culture and their technique by their mouth. I believe design never been born if culture were not. My favorite place is Kichijoji in Tokyo, Nikko where I was born in, Milano, Napoli. Italy is also place that bring me back a lot of memories, I love.

Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?

TS : Gerbera Design Inc. is the design studio that I, who have experience that shut my business because collapsed from overworking, consult for starting new business project, how to be able to turn the PDCA on both management side and design side without failure. I can do it because I have those experience. As I write on KUDEN project detail, I have strong will to make the place to work with my disabled son so I call myself designer and start KUDEN as a new project by own company. My company consult for new business project and design work. We can create unique world view for all design work, media, product, service, website and any other things according to the company want to do and to who they deliver because designer understand high-level concept that why to do this project, not only design visual.

What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?

TS : Not only designer, also I’m a father. The responsibilities of a designer for society and environment is , after all , to be sustainable. I think design has a power to be able to suggest, communicate , call to action by feeling without words. We designer must use this power to make and keep the better society and environment for next generations, our children, not only for consumption and commerce.

What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?

TS : I have 2 reasons that I applied for A'Design Award. I called myself designer when I was 43 years old. I couldn’t go to school to study design and must gave up my path because of disadvantaged home environment. Really disappointing, frustrating, tough memory for me. But now, when I was 43 years old, I became designer. I want to prove to people who can’t learn at school because of some disadvantaged environment like me that we can come true my dream if we keep making a effort and never give up. The other reason is for people around me, my staff, sewing artisans and customers. They always encourage me, give a courage to me who embarrassing to call myself designer. I think if I receive the award it acknowledge strongly what they buy and support so I want award for them.

Takahiro Sato Profile