Interview with Midori Yamazaki

Midori Yamazaki ("MY") interviewed on Sunday, 31 October.

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

MY : As Creative Director / Artist / Researcher. Graduated From London Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design / MA Communication Design and worked at DLX Design Lab, the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo. Specialized in Communication Design Including Digital, Graphic, and Space Design. As for a career background, took the role of Creative Director at adidas, NIKE, Facebook, Condé Nast, and Won multiple awards including Design Space Associate Award, Art Directors Club Award, NY Art Directors Club Award, and Type Directors Club Award.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

MY : My work ranges from graphics to space and installation, and is said to be innovative, but the source of this image is various things that I consider "aesthetically pleasing". I believe that human beings are very simple in theory, and I think it is important to express what I simply feel is "aesthetically pleasing", and to integrate that into communication.

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

MY : My first interest was in fashion design, so I entered Bunka Fashion College to study fashion, and after graduation I worked for Burberry and then Comme des Garçons. In the apparel industry, there are a lot of unsold clothes after the high season is over, so I was very conscious of how to avoid such losses and what branding was. Since I was young, I always thought it was a shame that the clothes I worked so hard to make would remain unsold, so I was always thinking about what kind of design I should do. That's still one of my motivations today.

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

MY : I believe that talent and the ability to complete a project are two different things. I always think seriously about how to strike a balance between the two. As a creative director, when I am working on a big project, I am conscious of who I am working with. I always try to find out if we can stimulate each other by working together, and what the benefits are for that person, whether it is money, knowledge, motivation, or any other factor.