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
-
He majored in visual design at the Department of Industrial Design at Chung-Ang University. After graduation, he worked as a designer at a branding design company, gaining experience in various projects centered around branding. After working at the design studio Handprint in 2009, he co-founded Everyday Practice with colleagues in 2013 and has been running it ever since. His primary focus lies in UX/UI design, particularly in interface design and website development that considers user …
-
Korea Craft & Design Foundation
The Korea Craft & Design Foundation (KCDF) is a public organization affiliated to the Korean Ministry of Sports, Culture and Tourism. The objective of the organization is to promote Korea’s craft, design and hanbok both in Korea and internationally. It is our responsibility to promote the field in order to create opportunities for young makers, artists and related groups. We focus on preserving our own cultural heritage by re-interpreting tradition, research on craft materials/skills and … -
정영욱
서울여자대학교 산업디자인학과 부교수로, UX 디자인 랩(UX Design Lab, UXDL)을 운영한다. 삼성전자 무선사업부에서 시니어 UX 디자이너로, 미항공우주국(NASA) 에임스 연구센터에서 UX 리서처로 일했다. 국민대학교 공업디자인학과에서 공부했으며, 한국과학기술원(KAIST) 산업디자인학과에서 석사·박사 학위를 취득했다. 새로운 기술이 사람들의 삶에 들어올 때 어떤 경험을 제공해야 하는지를 끊임없이 질문하고 연구한다. 아울러 디자이너의 성장에 장기적으로 도움이 되는 기술과, 디자이너답게 보고, 생각하고, 만드는 것(designerly ways of seeing, thinking, and making)에 관심이 있다. -
Kim Eun-hye
Entered the world of translation after becoming captivated by the charm of Japanese translation, which involved meticulously studying original texts, while working an ordinary office job. After completing her studies at Geulbab Academy, she is currently working as a translator affiliated with Bareun Translation. Her translated works include The #1 Seller Doesn’t Sell Like You Do , The Neural Cleansing Revolution , The History of Business Model Innovation 1, 2 , The Diet That Melts Away … -
kim eojin
As a co-founder of the design studio Everyday Practice , they collaborate with numerous cultural and artistic institutions and non-profit organizations , including the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA), National Asian Culture Center, Busan Museum of Contemporary Art, and Green Korea . They have participated as an artist in exhibitions at institutions such as MMCA, SeMA, Ilmin Museum of Art, and Nam June Paik Art Center . In 2019 , they served as a … -
Choi Dae-suk
Graduated with a BFA from the College of Fine Arts at Hongik University, an MFA in Industrial Design from Seoul National University, and an MBA in Marketing from Yonsei University. Guided by the belief that “a successful designer must balance theory (文) and practice (武),” he is dedicated to professional design education while contributing to the field as a recommended designer and jury member for the Korea Industrial Design Exhibition. His primary interests include new product … -
Ahn Young-joo
Ahn Young-joo graduated from Hongik University, Department of Art, and received her doctorate from the same university with a thesis titled “Critical Discourse on Vernacular Design and Political Possibilities.” She has lectured on various design cultural theories such as design and material culture, design history, and craft theory at Hongik University and Konkuk University, and is currently an adjunct professor at Konkuk University’s Department of Industrial Design. Her publications include … -
Chung Kyung-won
A leading authority in design management, he has served as the President of the Korea Institute of Design Promotion (KIDP) and the Chief of Design Seoul Headquarters for the Seoul Metropolitan Government. He studied Industrial Design at Seoul National University and its graduate school, earned a Master’s degree in Industrial Design from Syracuse University in the United States, and a Ph.D. in Design Strategy from Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom. He debuted as a designer … -
Korean Society of Design Science
The Korean Society of Design Science (KSDS) was established in 1978 and restructured in 1994 with the aim of advancing the status of design studies through theoretical and practical exploration across all areas of design. It seeks to contribute to society by fostering information exchange among design professionals and promoting international academic collaboration in response to the era of informatization and globalization. The society organizes annual academic conferences and lectures, … -
Im Tae-su
A professional dedicated to uncovering the philosophy and values hidden within brands and delivering their unique essence to everyday life. Preferring leisure, simplicity, and thoughtful conversations, he tends to limit gatherings to four people or fewer. With experience at the brand consulting firm Brand&Company, Hanwha Hotels & Resorts Marketing Strategy Team, the brand experience design firm Plus X, and Kakao Pay Brand Marketing Team, he now runs Standard Project. He has led brand … -
Piers Bizony
A science journalist, filmmaker, and book creator, he began his career as a portrait photographer in London and has contributed articles on science, aerospace, and cosmology to various magazines in the UK and the US. From 2012 to 2018, he worked closely with Stanley Kubrick’s family on book projects and international exhibitions commemorating Kubrick’s films 2001: A Space Odyssey and Dr. Strangelove . He collaborated with NASA on a major retrospective celebrating its most iconic missions for … -
Unmake Lab
Unmake Lab turns algorithmic obsessions into irony, allegory, and a form of humor using machine perception in an unconventional manner. Specifically, they superimpose the historical context of developmentalism with the resource extraction aspect of machine learning to shed light on contemporary socio-political and ecological situations. In recent times, their narratives have been constructed upon elements such as Generic Nature, disaster, datasets, and computer vision. Besides their artistic …