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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Observes daily life and translates memorable scenes and stories into illustrations. Aspiring to convey the joy and vitality of drawing, contributes artwork across various media. Illustrated books include: Children’s University: Physics , Accidental Design , The More Different, the Better , Words on the Road .
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Hyundai Card
Established in 2001 through a technical partnership with Diners Club International, Hyundai Card quickly became a leading credit card brand under Hyundai Motor Company. In 2003, the company acquired total identity and management rights, ensuring a cohesive brand presence. Hyundai Card rapidly gained market recognition with the launch of the ‘Hyundai Card M’ and expanded its brand with a series of alphabet cards designed to align with different customer lifestyles. The company has not stopped … -
Kan Tai-Keung
An active design educator and artist, Kan Tai-keung is one of Hong Kong’s most famous graphic designers and noted ink painters. Born in 1942 in Pangyu, Guangdong, Kan has resided in Hong Kong since 1957. His passion for painting developed early on in his childhood, and his grandfather, Kan Yaosheng, a clay sculptor, encouraged his pursuit of art. Kan first studied art and design in 1964, and then watercolour painting and sketching with his uncle Kan May-tin. In 1967, he began attending … -
Paul Rand
1914–1996. Graphic designer, art director, book designer, children’s book author, and design educator. A second-generation Jewish American, he studied at Pratt Institute and Parsons School of Design. Beginning with media promotion and magazine cover design, he expanded into roles as an art director for advertising agencies and worked extensively in packaging, book illustration, typography, and corporate branding. He designed logos for major companies including IBM, ABC, UPS, and NeXT. A … -
Park Chang-hyun
Based in Seoul, this architect designs architecture, spaces, and furniture. In 2013, they founded AROUND Architects, focusing on the social perspective of architecture. Their work spatially proposes connections between people in shared spaces and between buildings to foster neighborhood connectivity. Recent completed projects include the Third Place series of multi-family housing and the Jeongbalsan House. From 2002 to 2018, they taught architecture at Kyonggi University and Korea University. … -
Gwangju Design Center
Gwangju Design Center was established to lead the advancement of the design industry to enhance the competitiveness of local industries and drive regional economic development. Since 2014, it has organized the Gwangju Design Biennale. In 2020, the organization changed its name to Gwangju Institute of Design Promotion (GIDP). -
Kim Bong-ryol
He graduated from Seoul National University with a bachelor’s degree in architecture and earned a Ph.D. in engineering from the same graduate school, and studied at the AA School of Architecture in the United Kingdom. He has served as a professor and dean of architecture at Korea National University of Arts, and chairman of the Cultural Heritage Committee of the Cultural Heritage Administration. Based on his deep knowledge in the field of ancient architecture, he is working to popularize … -
James Chae
A designer and design educator based in Seoul. He graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and worked in web design and editorial design in New York and Boston. Currently, he is an assistant professor at Hongik University, where she continues his personal projects in editorial work, writing, and web design. -
Florencia Colombo
Florencia Colombo, a Switzerland-based architect, designs cultural projects with a creative focus. She works across architecture, contemporary art, and design, developing interdisciplinary academic exhibitions and publications for various international institutions. -
Gail Greet Hannah
Gail Greet Hannah is a writer specializing in design and marketing. She was a friend of Rowena Reed Kostellow and worked with her to publish her teaching method. She lives in Cold Spring Harbor. -
Kwon Jin
Kwon Jin is a contemporary art researcher and curator and currently works as the project director of the Seoul Mediacity Biennale at the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA). He has been at the SeMA since 2016 after working at ARKO Art Center and the 4th Anyang Public Art Project (APAP), where he curated Ahn Sang-soo’s solo exhibition Nalgae.pati (2017), Latin American Contemporary Art Exhibition Work for the Future Past (2017–2018), Middle Eastern Contemporary Art Exhibition gohyang: home … -
Moon Charn
He studied industrial design at the Department of Industrial Arts at Seoul National University and continued his industrial design studies in the graduate program there. He then earned an MFA in Industrial Design from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and worked at Daewoo Electronics. Beginning in 2005, he taught product design at the College of Arts at Hansung University. Currently, he is researching creative design concepts with engineering students in the Department of Smart …