journal editorial department

Here is the solution to a mystery behind a design familiar to us. Today, we talk about the design of the QR Code which we see in all kinds of everyday situations. We listened to the story behind the development of the black and white square patterns, which have been used not only in Japan but all over the world since their introduction in 1994.

Why does the QR Code have this pattern?

Ryo Hasegawa

Shunsuke Imai

Masaki Koike

GOOD DESIGN AWARD Focused Issues will capture the design “wave” behind the award-winning works and set a theme every year, with the vision of being a “think tank for design.” In the 2024 fiscal year, the report “Focused Issues 2024： A Small Step, Design Leaps” was published as a proposal after a process of several screenings. Three Focused Issues researchers who followed the screening process and developed this proposal from an external standpoint of “not being” judges for the award summarized the Focused Issues for FY2024 and looked ahead to the future.

The potential of designers as “modern-day activists”： reflections on the GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2024 by Naoki Ota, Yutaka Nakamura, and Aki Hayashi

Tomohiro Kurimura

Kazuyuki Koyama

The exhibition “A Small Step, Design Leaps” is being held at the Tokyo Midtown Design Hub as a 2024 Focused Issues initiative. Shigeo Usui of Panasonic and Kazuhisa Horikiri of Fujifilm were invited for a talk to mark the opening of the project. What is the first “small step” within a company which thinks about various trailblazing aspects of “design combined with management”?

How can designers take small steps within companies? — Shigeo Usui of Panasonic, Kazuhisa Horikiri of Fujifilm, and Seiichi Saito of the GOOD DESIGN AWARD

Chieko Asakura

A “wave” of design became visible through the screening for the 2024 GOOD DESIGN AWARDS. And now, the exhibition “A Small Step, Design Leaps – GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2024 Focused Issues,” packed with many hints to connect this “wave” to the future, is being held at the Tokyo Midtown Design Hub! We also introduce the event held in collaboration between the Screening Perspectives Seminar and Focused Issues on Wednesday, April 9.

“Focused Issues,” the small steps leading to design’s future, is now on display until May 6!

The LONG LIFE DESIGN AWARD, which celebrates standard designs that have been widely supported over many years, is now accepting applications for 2025! We accept not only company’s product applications, but also recommendations for products that you have been using for a long time, and your favorite designs. This time, we hear from the judges and introduce the appeal of this award.

Your design will go down in history! What is the appeal of the LONG LIFE DESIGN AWARD?

The acceptance of applications for the GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2025 started on April 1! We introduce the message “A Small Step, Design Leaps” discussed at the kickoff seminar, including what we expect from this year’s entries and the continued evolution of the GOOD DESIGN AWARD to address a broader definition of design.

Acceptance of applications for the GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2025 has started! The deadline is May 22.

Six proposals and 18 awarded works are released to create the wave of design, “A Small Step, Design Leaps,” which we have been observing through the GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2024.

A Small Step, Design Leaps: 2024 Focused Issues Report Released

Here is your solution to a mystery behind the design familiar to us. The topic this time is FUJIFILM Corporation’s QuickSnap. The epoch-making product defied the common idea of photography. We learned about how it was born.

How does QuickSnap take pictures?

Akie Iriyama

Professor at Waseda University Business School(Graduate School of Business and Finance).

Aki Hayashi

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

Aki Hayashi, a Focused Issues Researcher, made the proposal “Start by questioning identity'” as a 2024 proposal for future design. It was Akie Iriyama, a professor at Waseda Business School (Graduate School of Business and Finance) and a management scholar, that Hayashi asked to talk with her in order to deepen the proposal further. Due to space limitations, some episodes could not be included in the report. However, we are releasing the full dialogue.

Design as “the formalization of tacit knowledge” in order to boost innovation ー Akie Iriyama and Aki Hayashi

Here is the solution to a mystery behind a design familiar to us. This time, we will explore the design of Shokutakuen (table salt) 100 g, well-known for its bright red screw-top. We heard about the story of the bottle design, which has kept a user-friendly shape since its debut in 1952.

Why is Shokutakuen easy to hold?

My Favorite Design is an established GOOD DESIGN AWARD’s regular project. Each judge steps outside their field of expertise and selects an award-winning design which is their personal favorite or caught their eye. In this article, we introduce the designs selected by four of the judges for the 2024 awards, active in research fields such as design, informatics, and preventive medicine, together with their comments.

Good Designs Selected by Researchers

Arturo Escobar

Yutaka Nakamura

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

Yutaka Nakamura, a Focused Issues Researcher, presented “Decolonizing the nature-culture-economy ecosystem with inner creativity” as his recommendations for FY2024. To further deepen the recommendations, we approached Arturo Escobar, an anthropologist and professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina, for a dialogue.

Decolonization of Design in the Context of “Pluriverse” — Arturo Escobar × Yutaka Nakamura

Tomoko Ishiguro

Kenji Masunaga

House for Marebito

VUILD, inc.

Digital fabrication is attracting attention for accelerating the pace of manufacturing. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications defines digital fabrication as technology which produces creations based on digital data. There are many devices including 3D printers, 3D scanners, CNC milling machines, robotic arms, and sensors, and their expansion within the field of architecture is particularly impressive. The VUILD architectural group is producing cutting-edge examples of this. House for Marebito, an accommodation facility that was selected for the GOOD DESIGN GOLD AWARD in 2020, was an ambitious work created by meticulously cutting local wood with a digital milling machine and assembling the pieces like a plastic model kit. The company’s founder, Koki Akiyoshi, is pursuing the democratization of architecture and continues to boldly implement this principle in order to bring about a society in which anyone can become a maker. What he has in his sights is changing the Japanese construction industry. It was also an activity to propagate innovation.

Transforming the World of Architecture through Digital Fabrication (Part 1)

Audrey Tang

Naoki Ota

Co-creation Partner New Stories Ltd. CEO

The Focused Issues report, summarizing the proposals for 2024, will be released soon. Naoki Ota, a researcher involved in the project, presented the proposal “Create a chain of small challenges under a flexible vision.” To explore this idea further, he reached out to Audrey Tang, Taiwan's first Digital Minister, for a dialogue. Due to space limitations, some episodes could not be included in the report. However, we are releasing the full dialogue in advance.

Collaboration and Co-creation in Design from the Perspective of Plurality： Audrey Tang and Naoki Ota

Maki Ohashi

The GOOD DESIGN AWARD aims to make our lives and society better through design. Its activities are not limited to “screening design.” One of the important roles of the GOOD DESIGN AWARD is to discover possibilities and issues for the coming society. Focused Issues is an initiative created to undertake this role. In this report, we delve into the significance and process of Focused Issues based on an interview with one of the people responsible for supporting its activities.

Why does the GOOD DESIGN AWARD address “proposals for design”? – The role of Focused Issues –

Here is your solution to a mystery behind the design familiar to us. Let’s take a look at Levi’s® 501® jeans. We asked about the origin of jeans, which have been loved for over 150 years.

Why are jeans blue?

606 entries were received for this year's GOOD DESIGN NEW HOPE AWARD. 94 entries were selected after the preliminary screening and the first screening, and 8 of these were selected for awards for excellence. And then at the final presentations, held on December 7, the top prize winner was chosen! This year's top prize went to “Adventure BOX,” a play starter kit made by nursing students and others. We will introduce these enthusiastic presentations and the activities of the NEW HOPE AWARD, which are broadening year by year.

GOOD DESIGN NEW HOPE AWARD 2024 top prize winner selected!

At the award ceremony held on November 5, the winner of the GOOD DESIGN GRAND AWARD, which is given to the best design among this year’s award winning objects, was announced! The award went to RESILIENCE PLAYGROUND, a project to develop play equipment on which anyone can play regardless of disability. This year’s celebration ceremony, held at Tokyo Garden Theater, was even more splendid than usual, and the announcement of the result of Our Favorite G Mark, which was voted on by visitors to the winners’ exhibition, also attracted attention.

The GOOD DESIGN GRAND AWARD for 2024 goes to the RESILIENCE PLAYGROUND play equipment research project!

GOOD DESIGN AWARD Focused Issues will capture the design “wave” behind the award-winning works and set a theme every year, with the vision of being a “think tank for design.” The 2024 theme “A Small Step, Design Leaps” was determined through a series of screening processes. What is the intention behind these words?

A Small Step, Design Leaps: Focused Issues theme decided

The GOOD DESIGN EXHIBITION 2024 will be held at Tokyo Midtown (Roppongi) over five days from November 1. The exhibition gathers together more than 1,500 designs from every field imaginable, including household appliances, stationery, and other daily items, as well as industrial machinery, architecture, apps, projects, and more! We introduce the highlights such as the voting for “EVERYONE’S CHOICE FOR GOOD DESIGN,” a new project which starts this year.

Know the “now” of design! GOOD DESIGN EXHIBITION 2024

Chieko Shiraishi

kudo

KaB DESIGN INC.

“I want to raise the value of resin!” The brand “9º” (Kudo) was born from these words, part of a conversation between a designer and an engineer who met at an exhibition. These containers, which can be used for cooking, were selected for the GOOD DESIGN BEST 100 in fiscal 2018. What underpinned this project was the desire for people to continue using plastic (resin) items, which are often thrown away, for all their usable life. How was the brand built? We asked Yoshiko Saito and Mikito Ichinohe of KaB DESIGN to give us some hints about how they developed their ideas from the smallest starting point into reality, despite twists and turns along the way.

Design Expands the Potential of Resin (Part 1)

These 9º (Kudo) containers, which can be used for cooking, were selected for the GOOD DESIGN BEST 100 in fiscal 2018. This project started from a desire to raise the value of resin (plastics), which are often thrown away. While making the most of resin’s functions, 9º brings out a new look for the material and has attracted fans. How was this possible? We asked Yoshiko Saito and Mikito Ichinohe of KaB DESIGN to talk about the source of their ideas and their design work.

Design Expands the Potential of Resin (Part 2)

The 2024 GOOD DESIGN AWARD winners were announced on October 16. At the same time, the winners of the special awards such as the “GOOD DESIGN BEST 100,”“GOOD FOCUS AWARDS,” and “GOOD DESIGN GOLD AWARDS” were also announced! We will also look at the GOOD DESIGN GRAND AWARD, which has been updated, and “EVERYONE'S CHOICE FOR GOOD DESIGN,” which starts this year.

2024 GOOD DESIGN AWARD winners announced! This year sees the start of “EVERYONE'S CHOICE FOR GOOD DESIGN”

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

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

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).

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)

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!

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)

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

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

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

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

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?