Since the end of World War II, the history of design has shown development parallel with that of the growth of material production in the world.
Let us begin with the ten-year period up until the 1964 Tokyo Olympics as the first decade. Design was enthusiastically welcomed as a method for producing perfect beauty through production rationalization. Unfortunately the general opinion at the time was simply that "design is a sort of magic that can totally change the image of a product." Luckily the rumor that "designed products sell well" spread throughout the industrial world and helped establish the value of design.
The Ministry decided that design was of utmost importance to Japan since we must depend on processing, manufacture and export for our livelihood. As a result, the Ministry made great efforts to initiate a system of sending people abroad to learn about design.
The founders of our company (GK Graphics) were among those who were given the opportunity to study abroad in West Germany and America, and they brought back the knowledge they had gained. GK was officially established as a company in 1957, so the results of foreign training are clearly evident in the products and proposals of our early period.
We received high praise for our designs in the press of the day as evidence of the new Westernization phenomenon. This included projects ranging from the table top soy sauce bottle, to organs, unit core plans and public facilities plans.
The second decade leads up to the oil crisis of 1973. Japan was enjoying high economic growth and design was applied to almost all aspects of daily life. General prosperity was reflected in expression of dynamic power and refined beauty. This was a time when design began to be understood by the general populace.
The third decade is the ten years after the energy crisis. This was a time when the path followed up until then underwent major changes. Design entered a period of serious confrontation with advanced society.
Mr. Kimura, professor of Sociology at Tokyo University, called this "the end of a time when products were sought after for physical pleasure." He also proclaimed that "the next age will be a time when products that give intellectual pleasure will be popular". An example of the physical pleasure products is the high-performance car that provides an exciting driving experience, while an example of the intellectual pleasure products is the TV game on the screen of the family computer.
The fourth decade is the 1980s. Here both intellectual pleasure and personal fulfillment have been in demand. Individualists rebelled against the social trends up to this time under the banner of "a desire to place more value on the individual." The new trend prospered. The market became active in response to demands for diversification, producing a wide variety of designed products to aid self-assertion.
As a result of the detailed differences produced by revolutionary design, methodology coined the expression "Swatchism", derived from the popular Swatch wristwatch designs. Importance shifted to human interfaces and attention was focused on non-material design.
The unique demand for individuality and originality led to a veritable flood of unusual products. As a result, Japanese designers have centered a historically unprecedented period of frantic activity. However, for some reason, all this activity does not seem to bring in much cash for us. But then a problem arose.
The market became so flooded with products that it became difficult to choose among them or to even distinguish one from another. If consumers have trouble selecting products, the situation is really hopeless. Despite the abundance of self-asserting products that provide convenience, no richness of life can be gained from them as there is no way to lead a peaceful and harmonious life in their presence. Finally the situation became so impossible that a serious search for new solutions began. It seems that the spirit of harmony, nurtured in Japan since ancient times, awoke to the reality at hand.
It might be possible to claim the latitude that makes it possible to discuss that spirit was finally born. Or perhaps the move toward individuality brought satisfaction to the heart of the individual and the aim toward unique quality was clarified. This resulted in generally observing the "scene" that takes place when such individuals meet. The major problem for design in the immediate future is the creation of a harmonious environment for leading a good life.
In this instance, loud voice have risen up in protest against the delay in preparing a city level infrastructure. It is indeed true that environmental facilities foe recreational and leisure activities have not been provided yet. Japanese people have had amazing stamina and energy in making things. In such degree, in fact, that when we stop for a minute to look at our environment, we suddenly realize that our cities have been polluted and nature has been seriously harmed. When my fellow countrymen look squarely at the situation around them, they may well find their hearts hardening.
In this connection we find that the design policy supported by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry for converting Japan into a true trading nation from both the political-economic and design viewpoints to create products acceptable to the entire world had produced positive results over the past 40 years.
Now we are entering an age in which both international public opinion and the domestic demand for expansion policies of the government will improve our nation. This year has been proclaimed "The year of design" in Japan, and the first World Design Exposition is now being held there. The event was devised to make Japan a cultural nation of the future with design as its main nucleus.
The outcry to improve the domestic scene have not stopped at the improvement of city level environment. The same applies to the more personal aspects of single occupancy apartments, family homes, schools and work places. When we shift our attention to the outdoors, city streets, railroad stations, parks, public plazas, all other elements of the general living environment need re-thinking also.
We advocate to recreate all these elements of the living environment in "scenery creation". "A new scenery that creates forms" most likely means building a pleasant environment that is beautiful to look at. In other words, there is a demand for creating a good balance of man-made things, "tools" and "facilities" which bury our environments nowadays.
In this context, mass-produced products are no longer exception. Today there is a need for manufacturers to look beyond simply providing superior "things" or "services". It is important to work from the macro viewpoint of how products come to terms with their surroundings; whether they provide a pleasant living environment and whether they are generally useful to society. It has reached the point that no matter how superior products are, manufacturers will no longer be able to even discuss future business territory without taking a clear stance in the social role issue.
Design is no exception to this rule. Design business presentations can no longer be discussed without including the enterprise's social role. Social consciousness is the fate of the design of mass-produced items. Today this aspect receives much attention. From the clients' standpoint utilizing the services of a design company, design is an extremely important entity determining an enterprise's social role from an objective viewpoint. Establishing an objective understanding of design is the main reason for turning to a design company for help.
Now I would like to summarize the points discussed so far.
To begin with, the "use of the services of a design company" is to provide precise answers to timely and regionally related demands. This includes such factors as the position of companies in this age of market internationalization, the situation in which strategic design has become an important subject for corporate discussion and the desire to leave all information precessing up to design.
We have set our hopes on clarifying the meaning of design from a comprehensive viewpoint while also examining the social role the company should play. In this context the concrete central aim likely varies in different countries. But I think it can be said that one point we all have in common is that we are entering a wonderful age in which everyone is fully aware that "design is playing an important role in the achievement of quality". Above all, there is the reality that an economic interpretation of design has surfaced. In other words, the fact that we are finally reaching the stage when the economic society accepts design management is definitely the result of the great efforts we designers have made in that direction so far.
Think Visually, Act Graphically!