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

The exhibition “A Small Step, Design Leaps – GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2024 Focused Issues” is being held at Tokyo Midtown Design Hub until Tuesday May 6. This exhibition spotlights the 2024 Focused Issues theme, “A Small Step, Design Leaps,” displaying the six proposals and the latest GOOD DESIGN AWARD prizewinning designs related to each.

So what exactly is Focused Issues?

One of the important roles of the GOOD DESIGN AWARD is to discover the possibilities and issues that will be necessary for the society of the future. The Focused Issues initiative was born in order to play this role, deepening the critical questions which design must face today. In Focused Issues, each director and researcher identifies themes that ought to be explored in the course of the screening process and sets them as “issues.” While observing the designs submitted during the screening process, they consider these themes in depth and present their recommendations on the meaning and potential of design in the society of the future.

The 2024 Focused Issues booklet is available for download from the link below.

Report on GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2024 Focused Issues FOCUSED ISSUES 2024 A Small Step, Design Leaps (PDF) is available for download here

https://archive.jidp.or.jp/focusedissues/gda_focused_issues_report2024en.pdf

Taking a fresh look at design from a new perspective

At the exhibition venue, visitors can learn more about the 2024 award winning objects presented in the proposals through materials such as videos and models. Consider “What small step can I take now?” while unraveling what you have discovered from each design about the background to the proposals and the thoughts of those involved. This exhibition is packed with hints for this.

Know the screening perspectives! “Screening Perspectives Seminar and Focused Issues”

In an event held in collaboration between the Screening Perspectives Seminar and Focused Issues on Wednesday, April 9, we invited Aki Hayashi, 2024 Focused Issues researcher; Yusuke Yamamoto, Chief editor of PLUG MAGAZINE, which received a GOOD DESIGN GOLD AWARD in 2024; and Daisuke Moriuchi, a judge in charge of the Media and Contents unit, to tell us about the points which were evaluated by the GOOD DESIGN AWARD in the media and contents field, based on cases from the previous year. They also talked about the current state of the media and the key points when applying.

In the Screening Perspectives Seminar that is held during the application period every year, judges expound their perspectives and ways of thinking when screening.

Points which are evaluated during the screening, and what is good about applying

PLUG MAGAZINE is a regional magazine from Okayama Prefecture that received a GOOD DESIGN GOLD AWARD in 2024. Regarding the points of this design which were evaluated highly, Moriuchi said, “This is not a small-circulation local magazine which is taken up almost entirely with advertisements, instead, its focus is on people and it turns them into content in various ways. For the people of Okayama, the existence of this magazine evokes pride in the land where they live. There is sublime value in communicating the appeal of people who are responding to social issues through cool visualization and setting it down in material form on thick paper. I felt their sense of responsibility and determination to make this something weighty.”

Yamamoto said that what was good about applying for the award. “We were happy, and the people surrounding us were also happy. Also, in the process of making materials for the screening, we were able to face ourselves and rethink the product from a design perspective. We’ve got more words to describe ourselves.”

Broadening of media forms

Award winning designs in the media and contents field are not limited to objects like newspapers, magazines, and websites; they are understood in a broader sense. Not simply media that communicate information but also media that design experiences win awards.

Regarding the product brand for reprocessing medical devices SALWAY,” one of the 2024 award winning pieces, Moriuchi talked about how media design should connect people with even the far side of the medical scene, saying “The act of branding activities and things that people didn’t know much about until now and applying for a design award was an opportunity to bring to light the existence in the world of this kind of healthcare facilities process.”

In addition, the “Fruit Box series” of cardboard boxes for fruit and the “Rebranding of Fujiya Confectionery Shop,” which was selected as the 2024 GOOD DESIGN BEST 100, were also cited as examples of media and contents design that deliver items to consumers in a better way.

Make applying an opportunity to think about what design is

In terms of points to think about when applying, Moriuchi said, “It goes without saying the purpose and process of the project is important, but can you enjoy a rich experience by receiving the service actually? The aesthetic perspective is important, of course, but in addition to that, I expect to see an enthusiasm to deliver the design to users whatever it takes, and a determination to go on doing so. I want to see something that is solidly implemented in society, not something that is at the prototype stage. Also, if it involves a product, for example, whether or not it is physically comfortable to touch or listen to is also important.”

Hayashi said, “Since this award of the media and contents has very broad fields, many of the entries which might not be considered media are unexpectedly allowed. People who work in the media actually design a lot of things. When you apply for the GOOD DESIGN AWARD, it is very important to rethink your understanding of design, define your own sense of attractiveness, and challenge yourself.”

Finally, a reminder that the exhibition “A Small Step, Design Leaps – GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2024 Focused Issues” is being held at Tokyo Midtown Design Hub until Tuesday May 6, and “PLUG MAGAZINE” and “SALWAY,” which were mentioned in the collaborative event, are included among the exhibits. It will be held until the last day of Golden Week holidays, so please come along to the venue and sense the power and potential of design!

Applications for the 2025 GOOD DESIGN AWARD are also open. You can find more detailed information about the GOOD DESIGN AWARD and applications below. Applications will be accepted until 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 22! Please apply! https://archive.g-mark.org/entryguide/en/