Ikko Tanaka was a Japanese graphic designer. Tanaka is widely recognized for his prolific body of interdisciplinary work, which includes graphic identity and visual matter for brands and corporations including Seibu Department Stores, Mazda, Issey Miyake, Hanae Mori, and Expo 85. He is credited with developing the foundational graphic identity for lifestyle brand Muji, emphasizing the “no brand” quality of their products through unadorned, charming line drawings paired with straightforward slogans. His use of bold, polychromatic geometries and his harnessing of the dynamic visual potential of typography are undergirded by a sensitivity towards traditional Japanese aesthetics. Though keenly sensitive to historical precedents and established conventions, Tanaka nevertheless maintained a degree of playfulness in his work, manipulating color, scale, and form to reconfigure familiar iconographies into fresh and accessible visual representations. Tanaka is also widely recognized for his posters designs for Noh productions and other performances and exhibitions staged in Japan and beyond. He was active in realms of typography, exhibition design, and book design as well, and his publication Japan Style was released in 1980 alongside the Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition of the same name. As a leading figure in postwar Japanese design, Tanaka is also credited with playing a role in the professionalization and expansion of the discipline.
Authors
Tanaka Ikko
田中一光
다른 사람들
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She worked as a lawyer at the National Human Rights Commission of Korea and Law Firm Deoksu. Since 2013, she has been involved in performing arts research and creation, and since 2019, she has been directly participating in performances as a choreographer, playwright, and dancer. She has published books and papers dealing with disability and the relationship between human rights, art, and technology. She wrote books including Defense for the Disqualified (2018) and Becoming a Cyborg (2021), and …
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Jeon Jeong-heui
Graduated with a degree in Architectural Engineering from Chungnam National University and earned a master’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology). After completing the publishing translation program at Geulbab Academy, she now works as a translator with Bareun Translation. -
Kim Jin-woo
Professor at Konkuk University College of Design in Chungju, South Korea. Since 2004, he has been meeting with students in the ‘Interior Design Studio’ and ‘Furniture Design’ courses. He received his PhD from Hongik University College of Fine Arts and has published numerous papers and works related to furniture design. While thinking about how to connect the expertise he has accumulated with the life of this era, he challenged himself to write a book that is read by the … -
Jeong Jae-wan
Jeong Jae-wan graduated from Hongik University with a degree in Visual Communication Design and began his career as a book designer at Jung Byung-kyu Publishing Design and Minumsa Publishing Group. Inspired by a strong interest in street letters, he has held four solo exhibitions titled Letterscape since 2008. In 2018, he presented Jeong Jae-wan: Book Design and also Letterscape (Bukseong-ro) in 2019 as an exhibition focused on regional visual culture. He has co-authored several books, … -
Min Kyung-wook
He graduated from Korea University, Department of History and Education, and works as a professional translator. He ran the Japanese culture portal ‘ The Way to Japan ’, which led him to become a professional translator. His major works include Shinkai Makoto’s Weathering With You , Higashino Keigo’s Heart of Brutus , The Murder in Mansion Hakuba , Beautiful Weapon , and Dream Flower , Yoshida Shuichi’s Onna tachi wa Ni do Asobu , Ikeido Jun’s Shylock no … -
Lee Kyu-bok
He majored in calligraphy at Wonkwang University and completed his doctoral program at Dongguk University. In 2002, he founded CalliDesign, a company specializing in calligraphy, where he is currently the president, and served as a board member of the Korea Calligraphy and Design Association. He has been in charge of important large-scale projects in Korea, including the slogan titles for the 17th and 18th presidential inaugurations, the slogan titles for the opening of Gwanghwamun Square, the … -
Park Sun-a
She studied Library and Information Science in college. She began her career as a feature assistant at Nylon magazine and later worked as an editor at Around magazine and Angraphics. While working in companies, she collaborated with various brands, both large and small. Now, she is active as a freelance editor and art director. She is the author of 20 Kilograms of Life . She dreams of living “in a small house, with broad-minded people, and with a deep heart.” -
Erik Spiekermann
Erik Spiekermann is a German typographer, designer and writer. He is an honorary professor at the University of the Arts Bremen and ArtCenter College of Design. -
Kim Jong-kyun
Kim Jong-kyun graduated from Seoul National University with an undergraduate degree in Industrial Design and earned his doctor’s degree in Design from the same institution. He currently serves as an Administrative Officer at the Korean Intellectual Property Office. He is the author of several books, including Design in Korea and Design Wars , and has co-authored many others. Kim has published numerous papers on the history of Korean design, branding, and design intellectual property rights, and … -
Farah Kafei
Farah Kafei is a designer and art director who has led initiatives addressing gender disparity in design education and fostered communities pushing for a more inclusive industry. She’s had the pleasure of working for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and studios such as Sagmeister & Walsh and Doubleday & Cartwright. -
Choi Ji-won
A senior researcher at AG Typography Institute , the designer previously worked at Yoon Design and T-Lab before joining AG Typography Institute, where they led projects such as Jeju Air’s corporate typeface “Flight Sans” and “AG Choi Jeongho Sun Myeongjo.” As an independent type designer , they released “Damjae,” a typeface designed for vertical writing, and collaborated with designer Lee Yongje on the typefaces “Nouvelle” and “Jonjae.” -
Oh Gong-hoon
She graduated from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in German. After working as a pop culture critic and book editor for a publishing house, she is now a professional translator from German and English. His translations include Design Sosa , Locker bleiben mit dem inneren Schweinehund , A Realist’s Walk in Psychology , From Starlight to Dew and The Secret Library of a Science Editorial Fanatic .