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

Today, we release the report “FOCUSED ISSUES 2024 A Small Step, Design Leaps,” which outlines the GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2024 Focused Issues.

→ FOCUSED ISSUES 2024 A Small Step, Design Leaps(PDF)

This is a 40-page booklet that summarizes the wave of design seen from a bird’s eye view of this year’s GOOD DESIGN AWARD and provides detailed examples as well as actions and tips that guide the wave to the future.

Focused Issues closely coordinating with the GOOD DESIGN AWARD

Through screening since 2015, Focused Issues has been released as an activity to consider and propose new possibilities of design.

Marking the 10th anniversary this year, Focused Issues has been evolving year by year in response to the changes in society and design environment.

This year is the second year under the new system, which implemented drastic renewal last year under the leadership of Chairperson Seiichi Saito. This year’s GOOD DESIGN AWARD theme “Brave Attitude, Organic Design” was derived from last year’s Focused Issues theme, clearly showing a strong tie between Focused Issues and the award.

Meanwhile, “A Small Step, Design Leaps” was decided upon as the 2024 Focused Issues theme.

A Small Step, Design Leaps: Focused Issues theme decided

Based on this theme, a total of six members work together to deepen their deliberations and interview various professionals and experts to write a report proposing concrete actions. The team consists of three Focused Issues directors, who are Chairperson and Vice Chairpersons, and three Focused Issues researchers, who are experts in their fields.

Six proposals with explicit, specific details and backgrounds

What stances and moves are required at present in design, as well as in politics, government, and business--six proposals for various stakeholders are presented in the report.

In addition to proposals by directors and researchers, the report covers commentaries for deepening your understanding of proposals, discussions and interviews with experts, and interpretation of awarded designs.

In addition, Unit Review by the chiefs of the 19 screening units are also included to provide a broad perspective on the GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2024 as a whole. Covering all the winning works in the report was difficult, but the Focused Issues team looked through all the awarded works to form the proposals. We hope readers will get a sense of this overall feeling from the overview comments.

In the latter half of the report, as a stepping stone to take a “small step” mentioned in the theme, we gathered tips for taking the first step extracted from the recommendations. Each proposal is full of deep insights, which may make you wonder, “What should I do first ...” We hope readers use the tips to guide them to take the first small step.

This report summarizes well-thought-out opinions on the possibilities and of the role and significance of design in future society. We hope this report will naturally inspire you to think of the first action you want to take.

→　FOCUSED ISSUES 2024 A Small Step, Design Leaps(PDF)