How would you describe your style? Which work of yours best depicts it?

I think my style is both graphical and minimal. I have been a graphic designer for long time, so I base my ideas on graphic design regardless of the specific design category. Also, I always want my ideas to be simple and clear. The design concept and works represent a guide in the process of designing, for instance clarifying a design target (challenges and solutions) and minimizing or eliminating excess (information, mechanism and expression) which are not only basis of but also common to any design category.

One of my work, named "sen", depicts my style well because "sen" is the furniture series which turns 2D lines - just like drawing - into 3D forms; I have given "sen" a functional role of product, as well as a role of planar composition and communication of graphic. Also, "sen" has been created with lines that minimize excess to express both form and functionality in a range of applications.

Which materials do you prefer?

It depends on projects.
Each project has different objectives, and I have to find the best material in order to achieve such objectives.

How hard and challenging is to be innovative in terms of design?

I don't know if it is to be or not to be innovative, but the most important and hardest thing in terms of design is to figure out the expressions and techniques that are truly necessary for each project. Therefore, I always try to steer away from conventional thinking and work from a clean slate when developing a project.

Also, the major role of graphic design is to communicate something to people, and the major role of (physical) product design is to be used by people. Also, graphic is dealt in a limited plane, in an imaginary or unreal world, so to speak. On the other hand, product is a solid object in a real world. While such differences cross over with one another, respective results are achieved; I feel such design process is fun.

In your opinion, what is the main purpose of a design item? What must it have?

I think a design item must give us the required value (form, function, information, mechanism, philosophy...). Especially nowadays I think that the background philosophy of the design item is getting important in addition to the form and function. I have to figure out what the required value is for each design item.

What's the main feature of Japanese design?

I think the main feature of Japanese design is a simple and effective negative space as typified by the Japanese tea ceremony, flower arrangement and garden. Also, in the sensuous part of appearance, I think that Japanese design is poetic because of the influence from nature (change of the four seasons).

INFO: www.shinnasano.com

PHOTO COURTESY: Shinn Asano