Interview with Katsunari Shishido

Katsunari Shishido ("KS") interviewed on Saturday, 2 May.

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

KS : To have the ability to finish the job and to enjoy everything. Everyone can do what they think they can do, but it takes courage and resolve to try something that may not be possible. They have the spirit to never give up, and the ability to find the elements that they enjoy and enjoy themselves, even on the difficult and uneventful roads. In design, the idea of creating an idea from 0 to 1 and sparing no effort to give it form, and a positive spirit that can transform the impossible into the possible will enable you to realize the idea you envisioned.

How did you become a designer?

KS : I wasn't an aspiring designer when I was a student, and I was heavily influenced by street culture. I was attracted to dance, skateboarding, graffiti, and hip-hop. That led to pop art, and I was so impressed by Andy Warhol's posters that I decided to become a graphic designer.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

KS : The ability to put things together. To be able to look at things from different perspectives. The ability to draw anything. We focus on these three things. In order to identify problems and find improvement ideas that come across in the various requests, it is important to put them together in one piece. You can't be a designer if you think like other people, you have to have a 360-degree perspective and an eye for what no one else can see. From there, new ideas are born, and it's a question of whether you can draw the ideas in your head by hand first. The touch of handwriting, which is faster and more delicate than a computer, can open up even more possibilities for ideas. I think the most important thing is the process before you go into the design process using a computer.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

KS : I can't stop getting excited when I'm thinking about being creative. The first thing I get excited about is when I'm working on an idea. How do you aim for a goal that has no answer? That roadmap is the point where it's up to my ideas. The next step is when the idea actually takes shape. This is the moment when the blueprints in your mind come true. At the end of the day, the excitement of being able to please the client and the people in the future is like flying into space.

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

KS : To have the ability to finish the job and to enjoy everything. Everyone can do what they think they can do, but it takes courage and resolve to try something that may not be possible. They have the spirit to never give up, and the ability to find the elements that they enjoy and enjoy themselves, even on the difficult and uneventful roads. In design, the idea of creating an idea from 0 to 1 and sparing no effort to give it form, and a positive spirit that can transform the impossible into the possible will enable you to realize the idea you envisioned.

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

KS : I want to be involved in the design of services on a national and regional basis. Design has a role to play in making people happy, and since I haven't worked on any big projects yet, my goal is to work on design projects that reach the important people around me.

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

KS : They say you need to value your peers and your team, but how dense your personal time can be is also important. It's important to gather information and gain experience, but I think it's also important to be able to experience the process of challenging, experimenting, and verifying to create everything with your own hands. In my case, I didn't have any seniors, teachers, peers, or bosses, so I experimented with design by groping and asking myself many times in order to establish my own style. I think I will be able to show even more strength in the team with my individual experience.

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

KS : In my case, I tend to be frank with my clients and build relationships that are easy to communicate with. By working together on challenging and experimental designs, we ultimately eliminate the loss of design ideas and save time and allow time to improve the quality of the design, thus facilitating a smooth flow from idea to completion.

What is your day to day look like?

KS : Condition your body and mind so that you can focus on more meaningful time and production. Starting with morning stretching/yoga, meditation is a must, and I take a break every hour or so to refresh myself with my favorite chocolate and coffee and dedicate all of my day to work and thought time.

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

KS : I'm not particularly aware of any design trends. I've only seen it on the news. I genuinely face the theme and concept of the project and keep coming up with ideas and challenging the production. There may be times when I am influenced by a great design, but I will go for originality as much as I can.

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

KS : I have a definition of what I consider to be good design when there is no waste and it is in beautiful condition. There is a simple existence of an indispensable thing, a convenience that is built into a hidden function without asserting itself, and the existence of a supporting role that does not interfere with the main but asserts its existence. The concept, the theme, the look, the function, the convenience and a little bit of margin in one brilliantly designed thing feels so great that it makes you drool.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

KS : There is no end to the design if the goal is to complete one project. Even if we were to create a 100% design, who would it be for? If you think about it from a designer's point of view, even if you were 100% at the time, what about tomorrow? It can improve over time, or conversely, it can be negative. In my opinion, a good time to complete a design is when there's a little bit of wiggle room. The fact that there are margins means that the design is accessible and accepted by the public. It's a playful design, a design that is sometimes intentionally carved from a 100% state and feels differently to each person who touches it.

Who is your favourite designer?

KS : Ikko Tanaka (died in 2002), a Japanese graphic designer from his home country. He has received worldwide praise for his imposing and graceful style, sublimating Japanese shapes, colors and textures into modern design. He is a wonderful creator who knows the culture of the people of his country, from the inheritance from the historical culture of his home country to future insights, ukiyo-e prints, traditional performing arts, and so on, and uses them as the subject of visual expression in his contemporary creations.

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

KS : I planned events in the area where I was born and raised, and handled everything from branding to design and promotion. The event hosted a music festival using the campground. He was also involved in the planning and management of the Marche, which brought together some of the best local restaurants and artists to create a community, and provided a place for local people to interact with shops and artists.

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

KS : The Design Award gave me a challenge and an opportunity to think deeply about each and every thing, clarifying my position. It has helped guide the status and level of the designer in future activities. By participating in this event, I was able to feel the quality from around the world up close and personal, which gave me the motivation to aim high.

Katsunari Shishido Profile