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 majored in psychology and English literature at Yonsei University. She graduated from Glbab Academy and is currently working as a translator at Barun translation. His books include The Dollhouse , The Good Girl , Someone Knows , Writing Strategies to Capture Your Heart , What Your Emotions Tell You , The Psychology of Situations , How the Best Education is Made , How to Make a Difference , 75 Survival Wisdom from the Wilderness , The Philosophical Teenager Changes the World and more.
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Géraldine Borio
Dr Géraldine Borio is the founder of Borio Lab and an Assistant Professor at The University of Hong Kong, Department of Architecture. Dr Borio is a Swiss-registered architect who holds a PhD in architecture from RMIT, Australia, as well as a master’s degree in architecture from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). Invested widely in knowledge transmission through teaching, research and publication, Dr Borio has conducted numerous workshops and lectures worldwide. Prior … -
Seo Yu-kyung
She is a lawyer, patent attorney, and legal designer. She received her B.A. in design and information culture from Seoul National University, her J.D. from Kyungpook National University College of Law, and her J.D. from Seoul National University, specializing in intellectual property law, with a thesis entitled A Study on the Intellectual Property Law System for Protecting the Form of Virtual Goods. While running the law firm Artis, he served as a lawyer for legal counseling for artists at the … -
Anthony Dunne
Anthony Dunne, of Dunne & Raby , is University Professor of Design and Social Inquiry at The New School in New York and a Visiting Distinguished Professor at the China Academy of Art (CAA) in Hangzhou. Between 2005-2015 he was professor and head of the Design Interactions department/programme at the Royal College of Art in London. He studied Industrial Design at the RCA before working at Sony Design in Tokyo. On returning to London he completed a PhD in Computer Related Design at the RCA. … -
Charles Wallschlaeger
In his long tenure at The Ohio State University (OSU), Charles A. Charles Wallschlaeger was instrumental in creating one of the first full-scale industrial design departments at the university level. In more than 30 years there – including 19 as department chair, Charles influenced countless students and design educators. -
Yamamoto Riken
Riken Yamamoto, born 1945 in Beijing, China is a Japanese architect. In 2024, he received the Pritzker Architecture Prize, considered to be the most prestigious award in architecture, becoming the 9th Japanese architect to receive such honor. -
Pyo Hyun-myung
President of KT. In 2004, during his tenure as Vice President of Marketing at KTF, he played a pivotal role in introducing service design into corporate management and marketing activities in Korea. Drawing on his extensive experience as a corporate leader, he applied service design to KT’s innovations, leading to the creation of iconic branding campaigns such as Have a good time (2005), SHOW (2007), QOOK (2009), and the groundbreaking exclamation olleh (2010). These efforts marked a … -
Ko Bong-seok
He graduated from Hongik University and the Graduate School of Industrial Art. He is a member of the Korean Institute of Brand Design. He is currently the CEO of August Brand. -
Lee Kyung-il
Architecture journalist. She majored in architecture at Seoul National University. He has worked as a reporter for Space , chief reporter for plus , editor-in-chief of bob , and editor-in-chief of Architecture Culture , and editor-in-chief of Architecture World , Interior World , and MADE . -
Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism
Established in 2017, the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism explores the diverse challenges arising from rapid urban growth through the lens of architecture and urbanism. With a focus on Seoul and other global cities, the Biennale seeks to address pressing urban issues and propose innovative solutions. The Biennale features Thematic Exhibitions centered on a specific theme, Guest Cities Exhibition showcasing pioneering public projects from around the globe, and On-site Projects that … -
Jeong Jin-uk
Majored in Aesthetics at university and admires musicians who compose and transcribe invisible music. Believes that love resembles music in its essence. During times of turbulence, instead of leaning on a prewritten life, he embraces her uncertainties and writes imperfect sentences as if transcribing music, striving to play his future more vividly. He is the publisher of ESSAI , an independent magazine for minimalists, and the author of Etudes on Love . -
Jasper Morrison
Jasper Morrison CBE RDI (born 1959) is an English product and furniture designer. He is known for the refinement and apparent simplicity of his designs. In a rare interview with the designer, he is quoted as saying: “Objects should never shout.” Jasper Morrison is a leading British designer, best known for his work in furniture, lighting, tableware and everyday products. Born in London in 1959, he studied design at Kingston Polytechnic, the Royal College of Art and Berlin’s HdK. In …