Maki Ohashi

A Special Awards Panel was held on September 27 to select 20 GOLD AWARD winners from more than 5,000 entries. At the Special Awards Panel, the winners of the GOOD DESIGN BEST 100 present their work, and a selection meeting takes place. In this article, we will introduce the discussion that led to the selection of the special awards and the final screening which takes place before the announcement of the winners.

The 20 winners of the 2024 GOOD DESIGN GOLD AWARD have been confirmed! The winners will be announced on October 16

journal editorial department

Here is a little instructive story behind the design familiar to us. The topic for this time is the bottle design of Yakult, a dairy lactic acid bacteria beverage. The iconic Yakult bottle hasn't changed much in design since it was first developed in 1968. We heard about the story of its beginning.

How and why was the indentation of the Yakult bottle created?

About 100 interns come from design universities and graduate schools across the country to help in the GOOD DESIGN AWARD screening process. In this article, we will introduce some of the answers from the FY2024 student interns to the question “What can design do?”

What University Students Think Design Can Do

At the Second Screening Session, thousands of entries for screening were displayed at Makuhari Messe. The judges picked up each item, verifying application details, and had discussions from morning to evening. After a three-day-long screening, the items that passed the second screening (unofficial award) were finally determined! On the final day, a screening session for determining the GOOD DESIGN BEST100 also took place.

Report on GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2024 Second Screening Session and BEST 100 screening! Results to be announced on August 23

Tomoko Ishiguro

Chieko Shiraishi

Johnson Town

Isono Shokai Co., Ltd. / Osamu Watanabe Architects

Johnson Town provides welfare services that would normally be handled by the government. It is a unique town where people who live, work, and create homes are integrated, and families with children, creators, people with disabilities, and the elderly live and work actively. In the first part, we asked about its history and design points. In the second part, Mr. Akio Isono of Isono Shokai Co., Ltd., the owner and manager of Johnson Town, and Mr. Osamu Watanabe, who planned and designed the town, talked about how they created an inclusive town.

A utopia can be created (Part 2)

The GOOD DESIGN NEW HOPE AWARD is open to current students as well as new employees who have just graduated or completed their studies. Aiming to support the new generation to play a role in the field of design, this award has no designated theme, and allows applicants to challenge themselves with their assignments at school or their independent designs. Here we let you know about GOOD DESIGN NEW HOPE AWARD, which enables you to improve skills and connect with people.

Applications for GOOD DESIGN NEW HOPE AWARD
The deadline is August 15 at 1 p.m. (JST).

Shunsuke Imai

Masaki Koike

Yutaka Nakamura

Anthropologist | Tama Art University Professor / Atelier Anthropology LLC CEO / KESIKI Inc. Design Anthropologist

Focused Issues researchers looked over all the screening subjects and explored the “ground swell” from the perspective of outside experts who were not judges. We asked three of them to each write based on their own expertise and from their own angles about what they noticed and saw as they accompanied the screening process.
In this essay, design anthropologist Yutaka Nakamura examines the “brave” required when faced with “social issues” that need to be resolved.
This article is also included in the 2023 Focused Issues Report.

We MUST NOT solve those social issues──Yutaka Nakamura

A five-month-long GOOD DESIGN AWARD screening began on June 6. The first screening is a paper screening. After an online vote from about 100 judges active in Japan and overseas, entries selected for the second screening were decided at the First Screening Session held on June 21.

The First Screening Report of GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2024! The results will be announced on July 2

Now that six months have passed since the earthquake, we can create a future. The exhibition “NOTO NEXT-Ideas beyond the Disaster-” is being held at GOOD DESIGN Marunouchi. It presents an attempt to design a new future by gathering wisdom not only from victims and supporters but also from everyone who has learned about the charm of Noto.

Wisdom and Design to Create a New Future of Noto

The GOOD DESIGN AWARD’s regular exhibition “My Favorite Design.” Each judge selects an awarded design that is their personal favorite or that caught their eye, outside the field of design in which they specialize. In this edition, we present designs selected by architects who served as judges for 2023, along with their comments.

Good Designs Selected by Architects

In recent years, a construction method called bricolage has been attracting attention. It is a method to collect what already exists and anything immediately at hand, and change them into something new. Johnson Town, which is a revitalized housing area for the U.S. forces in Japan in the Showa era, is a good example. It is a broad-minded ‘town’ that is open to anyone, which could not be achieved by deliberate design. It is a town with a community where various generations live, work, and interact. However, it used to be a run-down place. How was it capable of changing into an ideal environment? We heard from Mr. Tatsuo Isono and Mr. Akio Isono of Isono Shokai, the owner and manager of the town, and Mr. Osamu Watanabe, the planner and designer of the architecture firm.

A utopia can be created (Part 1)

Aki Hayashi

Editor, writer, director | President of Brand Journalism, Inc.

Focused Issues researchers looked over all the screening subjects and explored the "ground swell" from the perspective of outside experts who were not judges. We asked three of them to each write based on their own expertise and from their own angles about what they noticed and saw as they accompanied the screening process. In this essay, Aki Hayashi, Focused Issuess Researchers, explains why, from a business perspective, she clearly states that all business people, not just designers, should aim for the GOOD DESIGN AWARD.

Why every new business should aim for the GOOD DESIGN AWARD──Aki Hayashi

This year’s GOOD DESIGN AWARD entries will come to a close soon. For possible applicants, we will introduce tips for applying to the award which were introduced in the Screening Perspectives Seminar.

GOOD DESIGN AWARD entries close May 23 13:00(JST)! What are the screening perspectives?

Yuki Uchida

Urban Designer | Senior Director, Re：public Inc. / President, YET / Co-Owner, A New Scale

Approximately 90 judges, including designers and experts from Japan and overseas, who are active at the forefront of each field, gathered for the screening of 2023 GOOD DESIGN AWARD. Three simple questions were asked to the judges about design. In this second installment, we will introduce the responses of various members, including Mr. Shigeki Hattori, Art Director, and Mr. Dominique Chen, information studies researcher.

Design 3 questions and 3 answers

Sakura Nomiyama

Design historian, design researcher | Curator of Igarashi Takenobu Archive at Kanazawa Institute of Technology

Focused Issues researchers looked over all the screening subjects and explored the "ground swell" from the perspective of outside experts who were not judges. We asked three of them to each write based on their own expertise and from their own angles about what they noticed and saw as they accompanied the screening process. In this essay, design historian Sakura Nomiyama discusses the significance of the GOOD DESIGN AWARD, an activity that evaluates present-day design, and its potential.

The GOOD DESIGN AWARD, a fixed point observation──Sakura Nomiyama

Applications for the 2024 GOOD DESIGN AWARD started on April 1! In this article, we will introduce topics discussed at the kickoff seminar, including what we expect from this year’s entries and the continued evolution of the GOOD DESIGN AWARD, considering this year’s theme, “Brave Attitude, Organic Design.”

Applications for the 2024 GOOD DESIGN AWARD open until May 23!

Kazuyuki Koyama

The “wave” of design seen through the 2023 GOOD DESIGN AWARD
Nine Perspectives and 23 Proposals for Creating “Brave Attitude, Organic Design” opened

Unraveling Brave Attitude, Organic Design: 2023 GOOD DESIGN AWARD Focused Issues Report Published

Rika Namiki

Tetsuhiro Ishida

Aki Hayashi, a researcher for the 2023 Focused Issues, picked GOOD DESIGN GOLD AWARD winner Social Good Market Kuradashi as an interesting example of good design that benefits society, the company, and individuals all at once. How did their business model come up? Hayashi interviewed Kohei Kawamura, the CEO of KURADASHI, about the background of Kuradashi’s almighty business model, which simultaneously achieves economic rationality, public benefit, and eco-friendliness.

Economic rationality, public benefit, eco-friendliness, all-in-one business model──Kuradashi: Kohei Kawamura x Aki Hayashi

Chiaki Murata

Product Designer, Design Producer | Representative Director, hers design inc. / Visiting Professor, Research Center for the 21st Century, Osaka Metropolitan University

Approximately 90 judges, including designers and experts from Japan and overseas, who are active at the forefront of each field, gathered for the screening of 2023 GOOD DESIGN AWARD. Three simple questions were asked to the judges about design. In this first installment, we will introduce the answers from various members, including Mr. Katsuo Mizuguchi, Art Director, and Mr. Tasuku Mizuno, Lawyer.

Mayu Sasaki

Yutaka Nakamura, a researcher for the 2023 Focused Issues, mentioned “One Thousand Names of Zeng-wen River, 2022 Mattauw Earth Triennial,” which won a GOOD DESIGN GOLD AWARD, as an intriguing work from the perspectives of design as well as anthropology. How did they produce the art festival, which reconstructed the communities of humans and non-humans in the basins? Nakamura asked Gong Jow-Jiun, the general curator of this festival, about the production process of the art festival.

Listening to non-human voices to reconstruct the communities along the river – Mattauw Earth Triennial “Gong Jow-Jiun x Yutaka Nakamura”

Koichi Takemura

Endo’s Gesoten

Endo / Suginoshita

An unexpected entry was included in the 2023 GOOD DESIGN GOLD AWARD. It was Endo’s Gesoten squid leg tempura. Community-based stores are disappearing with the emergence of large supermarkets and mass retailers. Endo, a local store in Yamagata, once struggled under such circumstances. The reason why it survived is the combination of design and local soul food Gesoten. The food has become popular, attracting people even from other prefectures. A client and creators work together to develop and expand innovation. We are getting closer to the secret.

Even squids want to be designed (Part 2)

Even squids want to be designed (Part 1)

At this year’s Good Design Award Exhibition, stage events such as “GOOD DESIGN GRAND AWARD Commemorative Talk” and “Design Talk Session on Initiative and Activity for Region” were held. In the grand award commemorative talk, the winner talked about the architecture and design concepts of Verandah with Length of 52 ken (94 m), which he could not talk about in the finalist presentation.

The Future Role of Design in “Day Service Center for Aged Persons ‘Verandah with Length of 52 ken’,” 2023 GOOD DESIGN GRAND AWARD

Aiming to open doors for a new generation of designers, the final screening of the GOOD DESIGN NEW HOPE AWARD took place on November 18. Beyond Alternative Biomaterials―Sprouting Blocks MYMORI, this year’s grand award-winning work, proposed the future possibility of using biomaterials as a main material instead of seeing them as alternatives for existing materials. In this article, we will explore details of the grand award-winning work and the award winner’s presentation.

GOOD DESIGN NEW HOPE AWARD for Students and New Graduates Mushroom-based Sprouting Blocks MYMORI Wins the Grand Award!

Kiyoto Wakabayashi

SONAENO cushion type multifunctional sleeping bag

Dream, Inc.

This time, we visited Dream, Inc., which is headquartered in Nagoya City, Aichi. Their product “SONAENO cushion type multifunctional sleeping bag” was selected for the GOOD DESIGN BEST 100 in 2021. The grab-and-go cushion-type sleeping bag was a big hit for its unparalleled viewpoint. The developer of this product, Momo Ishikawa, has always been extremely fond of emergency supplies. How did she channel her passion to engage in her favorite field into a successful process?

Giving shape to “what you love” (Part 2)

“Brave Attitude, Organic Design”—This year, GOOD DESIGN AWARD FOCUSED ISSUES has started afresh, with a renewed purpose and process. With a vision of being a “think tank of design,” Focused Issues will capture the “wave” of design behind award-winning works and determine a theme every year. The 2023 theme “Brave Attitude, Organic Design” was determined through a series of screening processes. This article will explore the intention of these words in detail.

Why design is expected to be “brave” and “organic” now—Background of the theme of 2023 FOCUSED ISSUES

The “GOOD DESIGN GRAND AWARD” was awarded to the most excellent design among this year’s award-winning objects at the Grand Award Selection on October 25! The winner is “Day Service Center for Aged Persons “Verandah with length of 52 ken (94 m)” by ALL FOR ONE Co.,Ltd. / YAMAZAKI KENTARO DESIGN WORKSHOP Co.,Ltd. This report will also introduce “GOOD DESIGN EXHIBITION 2023,” which started today!

The 2023 GOOD DESIGN GRAND AWARD goes to “Day Service Center for Aged Persons “Verandah with length of 52 ken ”

This time, we visited Dream, Inc., which is headquartered in Nagoya City, Aichi. Their product “SONAENO cushion type multifunctional sleeping bag” was selected for the GOOD DESIGN BEST 100 in 2021.  This cushion-type sleeping bag can be used in a lounge all the time, and is ready for emergency use. A disaster prevention item that can be used in everyday life is something that seems unlikely. How did you come up with this idea? We talked to Momo Ishikawa, the developer of this product.

Giving shape to “what you love” (Part 1)

This year, GOOD DESIGN AWARD FOCUSED ISSUES has started afresh, with a renewed purpose and process. With a vision of being a “think tank of design,” FOCUSED ISSUES will capture the “wave” of design behind award-winning works and determine a theme every year. The 2023 theme “Brave Attitude, Organic Design” was determined through a series of screening processes. What is the intention of this theme?

Brave Attitude, Organic Design: FOCUSED ISSUES theme decided

The results of the 2023 GOOD DESIGN AWARD were announced on October 5. This year, 1,548 awards were received. Among them, the GOOD DESIGN BEST 100, which received high praise, as well as individual special awards such as the GOOD DESIGN GOLD AWARD were announced. In this article, we will take a closer look at the five finalists that were selected from the GOOD DESIGN GOLD AWARD and nominated for the GOOD DESIGN GRAND AWARD.

2023 Award Winners announced!

After completing the first and second screenings, the GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2023 was presented in August. On September 15, the screening panel was held to choose winners of the special awards such as the GOOD DESIGN GOLD AWARD as well as the finalists for the GOOD DESIGN GRAND AWARD. What was discussed and evaluated in order to determine designs that represent the year 2023 and will lead to the future 10 or 20 years from now? We will look into the trends that have emerged this year through the screening process.

Finalists decided! Special Awards Panel for the Present and Future of Design

The 2023 GOOD DESIGN AWARD started in April. After the First Screening Panel on June 19 and the Second Screening Panel on August 2 to 4, this year’s screening has reached the interesting part. Now that the award announcement is due next month, we will take a look back on the screening process up to now in a video, along with an interview with the Chair and Vice Chairs.

Watch the video! 2023 GOOD DESIGN AWARD Screening Panel

Naohiro Kurashina

tumi-isi

Activity to support the growth of children in the community：Magical Dagashiya Tyrol-Do

Atelier e.f.t / OFFICE CAMP LLC / General Incorporated Association Mugen

This time we visited A4/A-Yon (OFFICE CAMP LLC), which makes “tumi-isi,” hand-processed and hand-painted building blocks, in Higashiyoshino Village, Nara Prefecture. The unique building blocks each have a different shape and can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. The product was selected as one of the GOOD DESIGN BEST 100 in 2021. Mr. Daimon Kanno, product designer, started production of the blocks in earnest in 2016, eight years after the first release. Why did it take so long? How has he faced and overcome the challenges? He spoke on these questions from a creator’s perspective.

Aiming at a toy that inspires everyone (Part 2)

The Second Screening Panel was held at Makuhari Messe from August 2 to 4. At the second screening of the GOOD DESIGN AWARD, a variety of designs were displayed, including large entries such as cars and playground equipment, everyday items such as furniture, home appliances, stationery, and equipment for business use in the vast venue to evaluate actual products.

Second Screening Panel was held at Makuhari Messe! GOOD DESIGN BEST 100 were chosen

Aiming at a toy that inspires everyone (Part 1)

FOCUSED ISSUES are activities to consider and recommend new possibilities for design through the GOOD DESIGN AWARD screening process. In the FOCUSED ISSUES, we set “issues” as themes that we believe should be explored through the judging process. While observing the subject entries, the directors, selected by the jury,  will reflect on the possibilities for the future of society and the role and significance of design, and present their findings as final recommendations after judging.

2022 - Re-examining the ever-changing “present day”

Teppei Sasaki

NEURAL GP network

Shimane General Medicine Center

This time, we visited Shimane General Medicine Center, a winner of the 2022 GOOD DESIGN GOLD AWARD. “NEURAL GP network,” a project to train GPs (general practitioners) conducted by this center, is a virtual office that connects doctors working in rural areas such as mountainous regions or remote islands and universities in order to provide mutual support and research in comprehensive medical care. The center is working hard to change the future from Shimane by providing local residents with reliable medical care. Yoshihiko Shiraishi, the director of the center, told its story.

Changing society through networks (Part 2)

The first screening of the GOOD DESIGN AWARD is document review. At the “first screening session” that was held on June 19, the judges gathered to discuss the results of the first screening. As soon as the screening session began, the judges stood up in every unit and an enthusiastic atmosphere filled the room.

1st screening results of GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2023 have been determined!

Changing society through networks (Part 1)

The Judge Plenary Meeting was held on June 1 to confirm the overall objectives for this year and the specific screening method. About 90 judges, who are at the forefront of their fields, came together and kicked off discussions that would last for the next five months.

Screening for GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2023 has finally started!

Seiichi Saito

Creative Director | Panoramatiks Principal

FOCUSED ISSUES is an activity that considers and recommends new possibilities for design through the GOOD DESIGN AWARD screening process. The GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2023 will see a major change in its structure. Seiichi Saito, this year’s newly appointed chairperson, talks about the updates to FOCUSED ISSUES and the thoughts that went into it.

New Chairperson Talks about Outlook for 2023  Be a “think tank” of design: Why the GOOD DESIGN AWARD FOCUSED ISSUES was renewed—Seiichi Saito, New Chairperson

Yasuo Saji

The finest grater box of Tsuboe

Tsuboe Co., Ltd.

In “GOOD DESIGN TANBOU(=exploring),” we take a look at the first small steps of good design through on-site interviews. Our first destination is Tsuboe Co., Ltd. in Tsubame City, Niigata, which won the GOOD DESIGN AWARD for two consecutive years for their graters. They revealed the history of the creation of their unique graters, and how design came to be integrated with everyday items.

Birth of a brand from a small local factory! (Part 2)

The GOOD DESIGN AWARD has a screening unit that covers a wide range of “Initiatives and Activities” such as regional projects, and educational and medical programs. Entries in this category have won the GOOD DESIGN GRAND AWARD two years in a row, including last year’s “Magical Dagashiya Tyrol-Do” and “AVATAR ROBOT CAFE DAWN ver.b and avatar robot OriHime” in 2021. It is a category in which many companies and organizations apply for GOOD DESIGN AWARD for the first time, yet it is a field that is attracting a lot of attention. This article will outline the application guide and the important points in screening.

“Steps taken for the task at hand” as the subject of application. What is the “Initiatives and Activities” field of the GOOD DESIGN AWARD?

The 2023 the GOOD DESIGN AWARD began on April 4. At the kickoff event, Seiichi Saito, the new chairperson, who presides over Panoramatiks (formerly Rhizomatiks Architecture), spoke about this year’s theme, “Design with Outcomes.” We will explore the true value of the GOOD DESIGN AWARD as expressed in the words “Just because it looks good does not make it a winner of the GOOD DESIGN AWARD.

The GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2023 has commenced!
New possibilities starting from the application

To foresee the next steps, branding is crucial (Part 1)

Ai Iishi

Urban Designer | Coordinator, Real Public Estate / Director, nest.inc

The world is now experiencing a series of unintended events, such as economic upheaval, pandemics, and wars. In a world where the future is uncertain and social values are rapidly changing, what kind of design will be flexible enough to suit changing situations? How can we nurture something important for several decades ahead?

Director’s Message 2023：Ai Iishi

Gen Suzuki

Product Designer｜Director, GEN SUZUKI STUDIO

Leave space, and leave it to someone else in the end. Trust in users results in the creation of products that people can live with for a long time

Dominique Chen

Information Studies Researcher｜Professor, Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Waseda University

Director’s Message 2023：Dominique Chen

Respect for “me” and collaboration between “us”:designing for compatibility between these two

Erika Nakagawa

Architect｜CEO, Erika Nakagawa Office

Director’s Message 2023：Erika Nakagawa

Everyone becomes a maker and keeps updating “the provisional first place.” Design to solve complicated problems

Laila Cassim

Art Director/Designer｜General Incorporated Association SHIBUYA FONT

A friendly society starts within 10 feet of you.
Design that creates a stir through questioning common practices

Masahiro Ino

Masayuki Koike

This time Nakagawa visited the developers of UNI-ONE. One is Satoshi Kanamori, The other is Shinichiro Kobashi.Nakagawa's interview with them seeks a clue to the design that cannot be described in a nutshell.

Interpretable design includes diverse people — Erika Nakagawa x Honda UNI-ONE

Misa Shinshi

Iishi visited the site to find hints of “Continuous design.” She talked with Tatsuro Baba, Representative Director of Kamiyama TSUNAGU Corporation, who was in charge of direction.

"Bothersomeness" fosters continuous design across generations — Tatsuro Baba x Ai Iishi

What kind of clue does this initiative of Yamakoshi, which was selected as one of the 100 best designs in the GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2022, give him to realize “Designing Our Well-being”?

How is a sense of "we" expanded?—Yamakoshi Public Meeting Haruka Takeuchi × Dominique Chen

Sachiyo Oya

Yukiya Sonoda

Masashi Sasaki

What emerges from their dialogue is the importance of moving beyond the concept of “people who support and people who are supported” and building relationships between people. We will look back on the past of Magical Dagashiya Tyrol-Do to find out what design can do.

Design starts with immediate relationships beyond just support -- Takashi Yoshidada x Laila Cassim

Yuta Hagiwara

Suzuki has hypothesized that altruism may provide a new perspective in the search for “just the right design.” Their talk began with Suzuki’s hypothesis, and evolved into the possibility of “a margin” outside rationality and economy.

Just the right design in terms of altruism -- Asa Ito × Gen Suzuki

Ryotaro Washio

Highlighted by the GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2022 and the FOCUSED ISSUES, what is the “interaction” required of design today? We interviewed the Chair and Vice Chair.

What design should achieve today is interaction and creating a compass – Thinking from the GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2022 [Takashi Ashitomi and Seiichi Saito]

Amid the changing times, we introduce the history and current position of FOCUSED ISSUES, which reflects the transformation of the public mission borne by design.