Ahn Graphics

Design of Design

デザインのデザイン

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Design: Consciously Reflecting Everyday Communication

Winner of the 26th Suntory Prize for Social Sciences and Humanities in Arts and Literature

What is design? Renowned designer Kenya Hara, known for his diverse contributions, reflects on his projects such as the Re-Design exhibition, art direction for MUJI, the renewal of Matsuya Ginza, the opening ceremony program for the Nagano Winter Olympics, and promotions for the Aichi Expo. Through these reflections, Hara offers his unique answer to the question of design.

His proposal to pause and encounter the unknown in daily life introduces a paradigm shift, challenging conventional perspectives on design. This book, which itself “designs the act of design” through language, has been lauded for its lucid sensibility, presenting the possibilities of design. It earned Hara the 26th Suntory Prize for Social Sciences and Humanities in Arts and Literature.

Hara Kenya

Born in 1958, he is a designer, President of the Nippon Design Center, and a professor at Musashino Art University. Known for groundbreaking exhibitions that challenge conventional values, he has curated projects such as RE-DESIGN – The Daily Products of the 21st Century, JAPAN CAR – Designs for a Crowded World, and HOUSE VISION, which have had a global impact. He applied design deeply rooted in Japanese culture for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Nagano Olympics and the Aichi Expo. Since 2002, he has served as the art director for MUJI and has worked across diverse fields, designing for Matsuya Ginza, Mori Building, Tsutaya Books, Ginza Six, Mikimoto, Yamato Transport, and the visual identity (VI) for Xiaomi in China. In 2008–2009, he held large-scale solo exhibitions in Beijing and Shanghai. At the 2016 Milan Furniture Fair, he collaborated with Italian architect Andrea Branzi on the exhibition New Primitive Era – 100 Verbs, presenting human history as a co-evolution of tools and desires. He is also the general producer of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ JAPAN HOUSE, focusing on leveraging Japanese culture as a resource for the future. In 2019, he launched the website Low Flying – High Resolution Tour, introducing Japan from a unique perspective and exploring innovative approaches to tourism. He is the author of several books, including Designing Design, 100 Whites, Design of the Future, and The Secret of Macaroni Holes.
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