Course title:

Make the uncool look cool

Course description:

I have an inferiority complex. I'm not good at drawing, I'm not good at typewriting, and I lack confidence in photography. Even though I've been working as a professional graphic designer for over 20 years, I still struggle with these issues. Graphic design is a form of communication that utilizes all visual elements—text, photos, colors, and shapes—to convey information and messages in an easy-to-understand and engaging way. In other words, graphic design often includes type (typeface) as a component. While I lack any of the strengths I mentioned above, to survive in this industry, I've begun to pursue individuality and uniqueness in my typesetting and layout. When I think of type, I don't just mean cleverly named titles and meaningful catchy slogans, but also essential information like dates, addresses, phone numbers, captions, and credits. I believe that even information that's generally considered boring can be treated with care as an irreplaceable element and space for design, turning it into a tool for communicating compelling ideas without relying on visuals. Making the uncool look cool—that's the idea. In this workshop, I will introduce and explain some examples from my past work, and through communication in a practical workshop, I aim to provide an opportunity to encourage and awaken people who face similar concerns as me but who work with graphic design every day.

Bio:

Born in Rumoi, Hokkaido in 1982, he is a graphic designer currently residing in Sapporo. After working for Dezain Co., Ltd. and other companies, he has been freelance since 2023. His trade name is Kawa. He mostly works in advertising, but occasionally engages in creative activities. He will also be running the graphic design team "River Tree Tree" from 2025. His major awards include the JAGDA New Designer Award ('21), the Taiwan International Planar Design Award Grand Prix ('21), the Sapporo ADC Grand Prix ('19, '20-'21, '23, '24), and being selected for GRAPH DESIGN in JAPAN's Nakajo Masayoshi This One! ('19). He is a member of JAGDA and Sapporo ADC, and a dog lover.