I just want to get better. That's all. | Hiroaki Nakano (THREE, L/O) [GOTO-CHI CREATIVE! Niigata Edition]

Fishing and DJing, and then I started designing by chance.

What were some of the things Nakano-san liked when she was little?

Since there was a sea and a river near my house, I spent all my time fishing. My family environment was completely unrelated to design or art. I also loved music, and in high school I became interested in hip-hop, which led me to become a DJ.

I find the culture of treating a record not just as a music instrument, but as a musical instrument, fascinating.During my university days, there were times when I would spend 10 hours a day just spinning records in front of the turntable.Looking back now, my immersion in battle DJing and scratch culture was the formative experience that led to my design work.

I didn't go to university for art or anything like that; I went there just to have fun. Back then, I really enjoyed going to clubs and DJing.I myself have never been interested in graphic design or visual arts.

Then, as an extension of my clubbing, I started working for a music-related company in my hometown of Niigata, which managed club events and artists based in Niigata. I was involved in things like selling and distributing CDs for the artists under contract, and traveling around the country with the artists to CD stores—kind of like a makeshift A&R.

This company also became the starting point for my own design work.

There was someone at my workplace who made flyers for event planning, and I thought, "So this kind of job exists?" At the time, I was in my late twenties, and I was starting to wonder if it was okay to just continue doing something that was just an extension of my hobbies. My income wasn't particularly high either. So,I just happened to think, "Maybe I should try my hand at design," without any particular reason.I've got the necessary equipment, like a computer and design software, so I thought I'd give it a try.

The shock of "I can't design well"

What was it like designing flyers at work?

I still remember what I made...it was a really lame flyer (laughs). I tried to imitate key parts of a flyer my senior had made, but it didn't get any better at all. This initial experience of "I can't do it at all" is what got me hooked on design. Even if you imitate, even if you use the same materials, it turns out to be something completely different,The more you tinker with it, the uglier it becomes. It's a shock that leaves you utterly devastated.

At the time, I had a main job, so it's not surprising that I thought, "If this isn't working out, I'll just quit."

For some reason, I have a personality that gets incredibly obsessed with things I can't do. Whether it's fishing, DJing, or design, I get frustrated by the gap between people who can do it well and myself who can't, and I pour all my passion into figuring out how to bridge that gap.

I guess I just couldn't let the frustration go unchecked. So, not knowing what to do, I went to a bookstore and looked at design books. I didn't even understand the concept of fonts, so I wondered things like, "Were these letters written by hand, one by one?""I didn't know anything." That's where my design journey began.

By the way, did your supervisor give you any feedback on that initial design?

Actually... I was told, "That's totally doable." I can't remember how I felt at the time, but I was even more frustrated to hear that after I had made something lame by imitating my senior, so I thought, "First, I'll do it until I'm satisfied with it."

Putting the input into practice in the flyer production process.

How did you learn everything starting from knowing absolutely nothing?

What suited me best was tracing tutorials from overseas websites. I didn't even know how to use design software, so I started from "what can I do with which function?" In Japan, PhotoshopVIP would be the answer. I would watch the tutorials there and keep practicing until I could replicate the same shape. I had a steady stream of flyer design work, so I was able to put the methods I learned from the tutorials into practice. I was lucky to have opportunities to put what I learned into practice.

Back then, even after I got home, I would keep designing.I didn't really have a sense of weekends or holidays, so I just worked endlessly every day. I couldn't make a living from music-related work alone, so I did other part-time jobs while designing in between.

As you repeatedly went through the cycle of input and practice, were there any moments when you felt a sense of accomplishment?

Since I started using design software, I've gradually been able to produce output that reflects the shapes I envision. Also, when I have something specific I want to do but don't know how to do it, I can now connect information about design in my mind, like "Maybe I can find it on that tutorial site."

Also, at the time, I relied on design software to create designs, but at some point I clearly felt the gap between my work and that of my senior colleague. What my senior colleague created was simple, made only of text, with few decorative elements, but it was cool.That's when I realized, "Ah, it's because I'm relying too much on tools."I still remember that time.

Are there any designs that have influenced you while you were studying graphic design?

It's definitely the designs of the seniors who made the flyers for me. They're all still active designers today. I don't have an inferiority complex, but I still have this feeling that I can't surpass them. That's probably because the initial experience of making my first flyer has left a strong impression on me.

Did your graphic design work increase after that?

There were a lot of people in advertising and creative fields at the club, so I had plenty of connections. Restaurant owners would ask me to create logos and shop cards for their new establishments. Seniors and friends who knew I did graphic design started asking me for work, and little by little, it started to become a regular job.

In that process, I met the president of a T-shirt shop, and we met at the time when he was looking for a designer. He reached out to me, and that was the beginning of it.I got my first full-time job as a designer around the age of 30.

This is where work stops being just an extension of play.

While designing T-shirts, I was also doing freelance advertising and graphic design work, and before I knew it, the graphic design work was increasing. That's when the idea came up that "it would be better to create a separate company with just people who can design," and that's how Three was founded. That was in 2015. But even then,In my mind, I was more passive than proactive, and to be honest, I didn't really have a vision.However, I really enjoyed the design process. I was very thorough with the design.

My web-related work increased thanks to my gallery website.

Apparently, Three originally focused on graphic design, but gradually the number of web-related projects increased, and by 2018, 8% of their work was web-related.

I started working seriously with the web in 2018.The turning point for me was "RYUTist".RYUTist is an idol group based in Niigata, and their music is quite edgy. When the producer approached me, he said, "Let's create something 'cutting-edge creative' in terms of design." From there, I became involved in graphic design, including RYUTist's CD jackets. That led to me getting involved in their web design as well, which ultimately became theきっかけ (trigger/opportunity) for them to become known outside of Niigata.

A major trigger was,The gallery sites "MUUUUU.ORG" and "S5-Style" both featured RYUTist's website.Because I was living in Niigata, people started saying, "Someone from Niigata is making an interesting website." That became theきっかけ (trigger) for it to gain wider recognition, and at that time, I myself felt a strong desire to "go out more!"

Meeting Yoshikazu Katata of KATATA YOSHIHITO DESIGN around the same time was also significant. He, too, felt a great sense of urgency regarding the web as he was doing brand consulting. When we talked, we found that our values ​​aligned perfectly, and we started working together. During this period, Mr. Katata was getting more and more work from businesses all over the country, and naturally, my work outside of Niigata also increased.

As your work became known nationwide, did your perspective change, Ms. Nakano?.

Things have changed. As my work becomes more widely known, it means that "evaluations of what I create," both good and bad, are being gathered. Of course, I had the intention to create good work, but I have become more determined than ever to keep going with what I create, and I have become acutely aware that "it will be seen by leading figures and aspiring designers."I started putting my heart and soul into each project, wondering if I could leave some kind of lasting impression on them.

◾️Achievement 1: emuni

I was in charge of the redesign of the website for the design studio "emuni"! I started by rethinking the browsing experience of their portfolio site, and then explored how I could create a design that would influence its structure.https://t.co/vXwAN48H4s

Web Front-End Developer: Keita Yamada (@P5_keita） pic.twitter.com/LAUrOMEOVS

— Hiroaki Nakano (@HiroakiNakano) July 17, 2024

Now, let's talk about your achievements. First, emuni.

I met emuni through a product brand project called "SETOMANEKI," and one day at a dinner, he asked me to redesign his website. To me, Masashi Murakami of emuni is someone I look up to. It was such a heavy burden that I almost wanted to refuse, but it turned out to be a turning point in my career.

Given those hurdles, how did you go about making your proposal?

Mr. Murakami's only request for the website was, "I want a website that will last 10 years." He left the rest up to us.

However, we cannot proceed without logically and systematically considering where to focus our attention and how to represent emuni through the web medium, and simply offering Murakami superficial design ideas would be meaningless. The site itself,The site must be something that only emuni can create, and it wouldn't function if you replaced it with content from another company.

Considering that, I think that unless we can design at the level of "user experience" rather than just "visual expression," we won't be able to fully agree. We were using the term "product" among ourselves,I wondered if there was anything we could imbue in the beauty of a product that you can touch, or the tactile sensation you feel when you use it.Furthermore, when considering a website that would last 10 years, there's no point in proposing a design that's purely fantasy-like. We aimed to create a sustainable site with realistic performance and update costs.

This is the initial discussion material, but I felt that it wouldn't work if the fundamental "attitude" was off before we even got to the concept or expression, so I made "three statements of attitude" outlining the kind of web design we aim for.

one is,How do you "frame" the artwork that is the star of your portfolio site, within the limited canvas of the web?Framed posters look great just by being displayed, don't they? I want to consider what kind of framing can make something look even more appealing on the web, rather than just being a simple image.

Secondly, just because it's a portfolio site doesn't mean it's enough to simply display works. Visitors should be able to feel the atmosphere and scent of emuni,To create an online visual identity that feels tangible, even to the point of being perceived as touchable.

The third idea is to design a portfolio website as a "product." We want to design the "form" that is linked to the "function" of the product. The characteristics of a portfolio,Given the nature of emuni and its characteristics as a web media platform, are there any factors that might influence the site's "structure" or "user experience"?We then work backward from there to create the colors and shapes.

Also, if you're just looking at achievements, you can see them on social media, and if you're just looking at the viewing experience, Instagram is overwhelmingly more efficient. So, if we're going to consider why people would bother coming to our portfolio site, we want to maximize the experience when viewing it on a PC. That's why we decided to design the screen and interactions by analyzing the characteristics of PC devices. We also showed the visuals during the first discussion.

I see, so they've already shown the visuals at this stage.

At the initial draft stage, we had already created a prototype in Figma, and we proposed a design that would give users a good sense of how it would work. It's extremely anonymous, but it has that emuni feel to it, and the project itself takes center stage. That's the kind of presentation we wanted to start with.

Incidentally, before this initial proposal,The first person who came to mind when I heard this story was Keita Yamada.I've always been a big fan of Mr. Yamada, and I felt that he was the only one who could create something timeless that wouldn't get old even after 10 years, so I reached out to him. I asked Mr. Yamada to consider how he could technically realize my proposal, and once the feasibility was fairly clear, I made the proposal to him, but we on the production side already had a feeling that "this is it."

I was relieved when I received such a positive response from both of them when I showed them the initial proposal. From there on, it's truly the realm of graphic design, so I worked closely with Mr. Murakami to thoroughly explore the most pleasing way to present things, such as how to create columns, how to place grids, and the overall sizing. I think you can fully feel the atmosphere and texture of emuni in every detail.

What's particularly distinctive is the viewing experience of both lists and details, which is designed as a form linked to the functionality of a portfolio.

I agree.I wanted to update the browsing experience for both the list and details sections of the portfolio site.I myself felt stressed by the process of switching between the list and details sections on designer portfolio websites. I believe that providing a new browsing experience where users can easily switch between the list and details sections without stress is what product design is all about, and it's an expression of what makes emuni unique.

The two different ways of displaying content—showcase and index—are also impressive.

For the showcase, we focused on creating an experience similar to viewing an "exhibition." Since emuni's designs are appealing as objects of appreciation, we created a screen that allows for visual "appreciation." On the other hand, for the index, we envisioned it as the "table of contents" of an art catalog of emuni's work. We wanted to convey the volume and sheer number of entries that an art catalog would have. And of course, in terms of discoverability, we included sorting and other rearrangement functions to address the need for users to actively search for specific works.

And the indicator that makes use of the "m²" logo at the top is interesting.

At some point, I thought, "I absolutely want to create a weird design."95% of the creative work that emuni creates is orthodox and basic, but there's about 5% that has an unexpected accent or a way to break the sense of déjà vu, always shifting things in some way. That's what I like about Murakami's creative work, and I wanted to reflect that spirit on the site, so I created this indicator. I think it's a function that could only be achieved with the "m²" logo.

We spent a considerable amount of time verifying things like the font size scale and the number of characters here with Mr. Murakami. We checked each detail, such as the sense of whitespace and the pleasantness of the relationship with the text when "Works" appears with zero top and bottom margins, and how it looks on a smartphone. This thorough attention to detail is truly Murakami-ism. I was secretly excited while working on it with him.

I see, so that extensive verification work is what brings out emuni's unique atmosphere on the site. And as expected, this indicator hook is really effective.

Since it's a graphic designer's portfolio, it looks great just by being on screen. If the artwork is cool, then as long as you decide on the rules for the container, it will automatically become a cool book. However, this time I wanted to add something a little extra. I had a general idea of ​​what I wanted to do even before I started working on it, so I started creating the design without much hesitation.

One aesthetic we aimed for was that of Experimental Jetset from the Netherlands and OK-RM from London. Both companies are run by people that Murakami and I both admire. Experimental Jetset, for example, is quite particular, only using Helvetica typefaces, but you can tell it's them when you see their work.

I like the way they use "numbers" so effectively. I had this idea in mind that it would be nice to somehow recreate that atmosphere. I thought that indicators are where arranging numbers becomes rational. I continued that idea, wondering if it would be possible to have indicators exist on the screen not as a function, but as sculptural forms.

At this stage, you're creating the animation, including the movement, right?

Yes, I always show prototypes in Figma when I'm presenting designs. Ultimately, I think the web is about the browsing experience, so I try to prototype not just the images, but also the user experience as much as possible. I don't usually create multiple design patterns either.

Ultimately, what did Murakami think of the finished product?

They were very satisfied. They both said they were really happy with it. I want to go back to when I was first contacted and say, "I made it work!" (laughs). If this hadn't worked out, I would have lost confidence in continuing, so it was a turning point for me. Personally, I like it when each individual element of a site has affinity with the others, and when they are all put together as a whole, the strength increases, so I hope that I was able to convey that consistent feeling in the creation of the site.

◾️Achievement 2: Chinese Noodles Nanahachi

I created a logo and a small website introducing "Chuka Soba Shichihachi," a ramen shop in my hometown of Niigata 🍜 Their ramen is great, of course, but their charcoal-grilled char siu is incredibly delicious, so if you're in the area, you should definitely check it out 🍥https://t.co/5zBkkgzSfK pic.twitter.com/AFip9zLI0b

— Hiroaki Nakano (@HiroakiNakano) November 7, 2023

Next up is "Chuka Soba Nanahachi," which has received a great response on social media.

This is a ramen shop in Niigata City that was recently opened by the owner of a wine bar called NAPA in Niigata. I've known this owner since my clubbing days, and I've been helping him with the graphics since his NAPA days.

The owner is a "culture lover" of Harley-Davidsons and surfing, and having previously worked in Western culture such as Western restaurants and bars, people in the town were looking forward to seeing what kind of place he would create when he ventured into Eastern culture like ramen. Since it's a ramen shop run by him, it wouldn't do to give off an ordinary impression. It would be better to end up with a ramen shop that has elements of fashion, music, and other subcultures subtly showing through.

So rather than just a Japanese feel, I wanted to evoke the atmosphere of an Asian region where different cultures are intertwined. Also, the owner himself really valued the idea of ​​"a place where people can come regularly = everyday life." So,Starting from everyday life, the first thing that caught my attention was the Northern Wei (Beiwei) regular script style.This is a calligraphic style that is commonly used in Hong Kong for things like restaurant signs.

It's a typeface that you see every day in that area.

Actually, there's a project by a typeface designer to digitize this typeface as "Northern Wei Script" in order to preserve it as a cultural artifact, and I've been personally supporting it. When I heard about this project for July 3th, I thought, "This is it!" However, since it would take three years to complete through crowdfunding, I created the characters myself based on the sample, emailed the typeface designer saying, "I want to use this typeface," and purchased them one character at a time. I bought what already existed, and had them create what didn't. 

https://www.cnn.co.jp/style/design/35161832.html

For me, the main focus was on this Northern Wei script, and that would definitely be the visual centerpiece. So I created it with only one thing in mind: how interesting the typeface would be and how well it would complement the ramen.

Mr. Nakano's dedication is truly extraordinary. He doesn't hesitate to spend his own money on design, and he even goes to the trouble of directly negotiating to use characters that don't yet exist.

There are times when you have to compromise,If I'm going to compromise, I want to do it at the highest possible level.In this case, we had exchanges like, "I want to change the details of the character '七' in this font like this," and "That's unacceptable," so we did make compromises like that. Even so, there are many other things that we don't need to compromise on. It's a difficult situation, but if it's something I can do by spending money, time, or doing the work myself, then I want to do it.

I bet Ms. Nakano herself was excited when it was decided that she could use the font..

It really boosted my confidence. I was also happy when the typeface designer said, "This is fantastic!" when I showed them the initial design proposal. Using this font might have been everything for this website.

In Emuni's case, there was a proposal document to express her stance, but what did you propose at that time?

At that time, there was no formal declaration of intent, just one proposal. The owner was the type of person who judged things based on whether they looked cool or not, so I figured there was no need for any detailed explanations. I showed it to him, and within a minute he said, "Let's go with this." With the identity decided, the website remained unchanged. I haven't made any changes to it even once. I didn't even show it to the owner until the site was launched (laughs).

In Mr. Nakano's case, the proposal process is completely different depending on the client.

We change it for every single project. There may not be a single project that follows the same process. The process itself is relatively standard, but...The fact that I change the style improvisationally each time might be what sets me apart from others.I adjust it depending on the stage, considering expectations and what's being asked of me. This is where my DJ-like intuition comes into play.

◾️Achievement 3: LQVE

Next up is one of Ms. Nakano's more recent projects, LQVE.

Actually, this was the most challenging project of my life. LQVE wanted to redesign their website, so we looked at many production companies, but none of them really clicked. Then, after seeing the "Tsubame-Sanjo Factory Festival 2023," we received an offer through Mr. Murakami of emuni.

The orders themselves were placed around the same time as emuni's, but the contents were completely opposite.While emuni's focus is on simplicity and functionality, their order is to make their presence known within the industry.The website wanted to win an award and do something that would make it stand out.

They're all in their early thirties, and each of them is a remarkable creator, having won awards at Cannes even before the company was founded. In particular, the CEO, Tominaga, is what you might call an "outsider," having been headhunted by top executives at foreign creative firms. So, they wanted to make the website innovative as well.

For me, emuni, which I considered universal, and LQVE, which I considered innovative, were two completely opposite projects running simultaneously.I'm good at the direction of emuni, but I'm not good at the additive design required for LQVE. I didn't know how much to add, and the more I added, the harder it became to see the right answer... so I struggled with that quite a bit. In the end, even after the design was approved, I voluntarily redrew it about three times (laughs).

How exactly did you make your proposal?

When we considered what kind of website we wanted to create, the most important thing was "standing out." Having originality and making a lasting impression by being different. Also, as a creative agency, it's necessary that "what we want to communicate is easy to understand." And it's about "understanding it intuitively." Being able to understand the brand intuitively and understand the information rationally. These are contradictory elements, but both are important.

Also, since they wanted to break away from the image of a production company and become a creative agency, they came up with this classification. In terms of being an agency, it's more about "dynamic and rich expression" than "simple and intuitive." It's about the background and results of projects, rather than just a gallery of deliverables. It's about contemporary relevance rather than universality. And so on.

"The tagline, "Let's create love from questions," is also striking..

Their core philosophy was to create love starting from a question, so their corporate message and unique corporate illustration (CI) featured illustrations by manga artist Masakazu Ishiguro. This, however, also became a source of worry for us.

I believe that CI and VI are things that have a story within the context of a company or brand, something that is, in a sense, continuous. But in the case of LQVE's CI, it was non-linear and a leap forward. Mr. Tominaga wanted Mr. Ishiguro, whom he greatly admires, to design the CI, and he had a gut feeling that this would be innovative in the industry.

While Murakami is logical, Tominaga is intuitive. It was consistently high-context. Therefore, the CI was also nonlinear and irrational. So, in the end, we created it based on a vague feeling of "Can you sense the essence of LQVE even if it doesn't have a specific meaning?"It's not rational in every aspect, but I hope that it will act as a kind of "side dish" in music, ultimately adding depth to "a single song."

What I felt after looking at this site is that it's a site where Nakano's DJ-like mixing sense is fully showcased.

Towards the end, I was creating it with the idea that it was, in a sense, "music."The order was actually the complete opposite of what emuni had requested: "Please create animated graphic design." Tominaga himself loved and admired graphic design that unfolded on screen, and since his main field was originally video, he had a deep understanding of movement.
I felt that the web, as a medium, would allow me to combine my passion for "movement," which is my main area of ​​expertise, with my admiration for graphic design.

How did you express orders that were based on irrationality? The contrast between monochrome and vivid red (=love), and the LQVE company song are distinctive features.

Ah, that's at the stage when you start thinking about the design."Mr. Nakano, I've written a company song for you," he said (laughs).It was the early days of music-generating AI, and they were already using AI to create and sing songs, and even had AI handle everything from VFX to music videos, except for the filming. Their company song was very interesting. However, a website that simply plays music isn't revolutionary. I wondered if they could take it one step further.

Since they wanted to use this carmine color as an accent color, and considering how to combine this red with the music, I thought, "Let's use the 'waveform' visual as one of the graphic elements!"

I thought that a graphic with vivid red unfolding as a wave in the site's footer would be visually and conceptually interesting, and that the company song would enhance its impact, so I thought, "Let's definitely do this." As a result,For the footer and header, which are common elements, we focused on the "waveform" design. The waveform was central to our thinking, considering its balance with the overall image and how it would look when viewed together with the other elements.

I see. So, designing an entire website based on irrational ideas is something that hasn't been done before, right?

That's right. We do rely on things like VI (Visual Identity), but we haven't really tried to decipher anything from the visual elements of a website. Also, while they wanted to be noticed, they also wanted to take on national-scale projects as an agency, so we made sure that while the appearance was flashy, the track record was clearly explainable as an agency. We wanted to have a solid and reliable setup so that we could properly provide information to visitors.

I realized later that LQVE and Tominaga's thinking often involves contradictory ideas. So I thought, perhaps my mission in this project was to integrate these contradictory ideas and elevate them to a higher dimension... In that sense, it was definitely a new field of work for me.

It's like, in response to an irrational request, I freed myself from rationality and used all the skills, ideas, and sensibilities I had accumulated to create it. Perhaps the closest description is "creating a website that sounds like music." I remember Shimura-san from IN FOCUS on X saying that it had "a complex chord progression kind of feel."

https://t.co/mdzd4cr4a6
Mr. Nakano, Keita Yamada's website is also amazing, or rather, it feels like it's on a next level. I thought it had the kind of intensity you'd expect from a song with complex chord progressions.

— shianbrown (@tetsuroshimura) March 21, 2025

I was incredibly happy when Mr. Shimura said that. As he said, I think "musical sensibility" was my way of finding my footing. Music has structure and logic, but we often listen to it with our senses and emotions rather than our reason, don't we? I think this website was also created by not being afraid of being irrational, cherishing our senses and emotions, and putting it together with my own unique sense of mixing.

◾️Achievement 4: Shogo Tominaga

Following the LQVE website, here is representative Tominaga-san (@shogo_tominagaI created a portfolio website for [Name of person/organization]. The goal was to create a site that would not homogenize the multifaceted nature of Ms. Tominaga, who engages in a wide range of activities without conforming to trends or conventional wisdom.https://t.co/YvZNGmY7nc

Web Designer: Hiroaki Nakano
Web Front-End Developer: Keita… pic.twitter.com/n6mBs6n6E3

— Hiroaki Nakano (@HiroakiNakano) March 21, 2025

I was surprised that Shogo Tominaga's website was launched at the same time.

We also received an order for Mr. Tominaga's website at the same time as LQVE, but since it wasn't a company, we told him, "Do whatever you want." Mr. Tominaga is an artist, but he also has a grounded approach to business and is rational from a managerial standpoint, but he had a clear understanding that his personal website was a place to showcase his work, so we let him do whatever he wanted.

This hasn't changed at all since the initial proposal. I had no doubts. I like the conceptual artist Lawrence Wiener, and when I happened to be looking through one of his portfolios, I came across the words "WITH A LATERAL MOVE FORWARD" on a page, and for some reason, this page, which doesn't have much meaning, stuck with me. I liked the atmosphere it created.

Moving forward horizontally... and then I realized that while horizontal is also vertical, Mr. Tominaga is someone who thinks in both horizontal and vertical directions. He has the multifaceted perspective of "horizontal thinking" like a brand consultant, but he also delves into the logical depths of "vertical thinking." I thought it would be interesting to express this "possession of both horizontal and vertical thinking" on the website. And when you talk about horizontal and vertical on a website, you think of scrolling. So I decided to go with a simple "vertical + horizontal scrolling" design.

His contradictory identity—wanting to be authentic yet also wanting to be a maverick—is also a key point. He has an inclination towards essential values, but he also wants to do things differently from others. Like Takuya Onuki or Tsugiya Inoue, people who are darlings of their time. So he wants to avoid things that are only superficially authentic or just following trends.

In terms of being unconventional, they are counter-cultural figures who find new order and value without being bound by established frameworks. For example, Kota Iguchi of CEKAI and Daito Manabe of Rhizomatiks. Therefore, they don't create things that pander to users, nor do they rely on past successes or conventions.

Unpredictable yet authentic. It would be great if the site expressed multifaceted nature, uniqueness, freedom, and rebellious spirit.So, first, I placed the header right in the middle of the screen. I deliberately made it difficult to see, by positioning it in the center.

By placing elements that would normally be at the top of the page in the center, incorporating a fluorescent yellow-green color that doesn't harmonize with the rest of the page as a completely incongruous element, and including multiple thumbnails within a single achievement to create a multifaceted look,I tried to express Tominaga's contradictory identity.

When you click on the header, a screen similar to a smartphone appears, and you get a unique browsing experience where you view content as if you were watching it on your phone, with dynamic video thumbnails in the background.

I thought we could create a unique browsing experience here as well.While menus with content unfolding within them are becoming more common these days, they're quite interesting, aren't they?

It's the complete opposite of LQVE, which I created after much deliberation. I created this smoothly and without hesitation, and I'm also happy with how it turned out.

I chose this without any hesitation. Part of it was because I was given free rein, but I'm really happy with it. The design didn't take that long either. It's almost the opposite, isn't it? (laughs)

LQVE has a wide range of stakeholders, and it has to deliver results. The challenge was balancing the strength of the connection between LQVE's corporate personality, corporate characteristics, and business characteristics, and Tominaga's aesthetic as a creator. In that respect, this portfolio didn't need to be about economic rationality or social responsibility; it just needed to express his identity. We were able to leave the missionary elements to LQVE.

Creative scene in Niigata

I understand that Ms. Nakano also participated as a judge at the Niigata ADC (Arts and Design Championships).

The reason they reached out to me was, "Today's creative scene in Niigata needs someone who can work outside of Niigata while still being based in Niigata." The reality in Niigata is that it's tough to survive by only working on projects within the prefecture. They also want to see "Made in Niigata" creativity spread to the rest of Japan and the world.

To begin with, Niigata is weak when it comes to screen media design.While the digital world is thriving, with Mugen Hashimoto winning the Grand Prix at TDC 2025 and Masahiro Yonemichi of mount receiving an award at JAGDA, paper media accounts for almost 99% of the entries at Niigata ADC. There is a web section, but the web is weak in the sense of visual art, and there isn't much to see. The organizing committee members also feel this is a problem and asked me to "give this area a boost."

Why is Niigata weak in web design?

One reason is that there isn't a fertile ground for developing designers on the web. Even if you want to work in the field of web design, there are only a handful of companies that offer such services, and currently, there are few companies that are challenging themselves in terms of creative expression.

In the first place, given the regional characteristics of Niigata, there is currently a high demand for practical websites that are fast, cost-effective, and efficient. However, I also believe that if I am confident that something can be improved, I should proactively propose it as a designer. This is where the challenges lie in the web domain in Niigata today.

Is it difficult for web creators to survive in Niigata?

Actually, quite a few creators who are active in Niigata have "worked in Tokyo at some point."Some people gain experience at leading production companies before returning to their hometowns and starting their own businesses. This path allows them to work on projects in both Tokyo and Niigata. While this might be true not only in Niigata but in other regions as well, the idea of ​​going to Tokyo, gaining experience, and then returning seems like a common strategy.

Like Ms. Nakano, there are also possibilities for reaching out to people outside of Niigata through online platforms.

That's right. In Niigata ADC, products that "showcase regional characteristics," such as rice and sake, are often highly valued, which is wonderful in itself,From now on, I think it's important to have people appreciate not just the regional characteristics, but also the "unique qualities" and "abilities" of the creators themselves.

Creating creative works that can compete domestically and globally while based in Niigata, and attracting attention from outside – these things have become possible thanks to the pandemic. The organizing committee members felt that this kind of approach, or rather, this kind of spirit, is necessary for creators in Niigata. Whether it's graphic design, architecture, or anything else, it would be wonderful if designs that are pure, enjoyable, and serve as the "foundation of culture" were to emerge from Niigata.

By the way, the person who won the Grand Prix at Niigata ADC was Masayuki Tsunoda.

He was an in-house designer at PROGRAF, a printing company in Sanjo, Niigata.It's fascinating that a designer at a local printing company could evolve in this way.PROGRAF is a regular participant in Niigata ADC, and the level of their creative work is rare even among local printing companies. I'm not entirely sure, but I heard that "PROGRAF has four top designers" (laughs), and that Mr. Tsunoda was one of them. Mr. Tsunoda has since gone independent.

I see. It would be interesting if a printing company in Niigata were to come to employ four designers who are considered the "Four Heavenly Kings," and through healthy competition among them, the overall quality of design in Niigata would improve.

Ms. Tsunoda originally draws her own illustrations, so her work is generous and free-flowing, yet it also shows her unique style—it's truly "graphics that have evolved in a unique way." I like global and international designs, but I also think that designs like Ms. Tsunoda's, which are locally developed and evolving in their own way, are wonderful.

I just want to get better. That's all.

What is the underlying principle that guides Mr. Nakano's design work?

My motivation is simply "I want to get better." Design has a "role" to play, and it is the responsibility and fundamental principle of a designer to ensure that the effects and benefits of design function correctly and produce the desired results.

But for me, that doesn't quite make sense. I think there's something more to design than just problem-solving.Recently, Yugo Nakamura said in the web media "designing" that "there's a strong sentiment that the mission of design is to make it function in society, but before all that, for me, design is just incredibly interesting."

https://designing.jp/tha-nakamura

Typeface designer Osamu Toriumi said on the TV program "Jounetsu Tairiku" that "self-indulgence is also important in 'making things'." This sense of "the extra something in design" that goes beyond just solving problems really resonates with me.

Sometimes I prioritize logic and carefully construct the optimal solution, and other times I rely on intuition to explore expressions that go beyond calculation. When I achieve that, I feel an indescribable joy. I always have the desire to go a little further, to become even better, while balancing logic and intuition.

The reason I can continue designing is because this yearning to "get better" is the driving force behind my input and research, and the propulsion for trial and error. I believe that this will ultimately lead to the desired results and output. I want to create a path where both "problem solving" and "something beyond problem solving" in design can coexist. I still struggle with this thought every day.

Do you have anything specific in mind?

To achieve a breakthrough in my design theme, "I want to get better," I realized I needed experimental and independent creative activities separate from client work.I really love music, so I'd like to try combining design and music—two things I can become completely absorbed in and lose track of time.When you continue working in design, just like with DJing, you get this feeling that everything eventually converges at some point.

Another thing I'm interested in is the "Creator Information Center."I've recently come across this as the way I can best demonstrate my value. Just recently, a company approached me for a branding consultation. It seems that this company had consulted with several other companies, but none of them had worked out.

However, after communicating with them for a while, I felt that I wasn't the right person for the job, so I researched the best company and ended up suggesting a particular branding company. I shared everything from their company profile to related articles and information. The company responded that they couldn't imagine working with anyone else, so ultimately, that branding company handled the branding, and I took on the web design. Matching clients with the best companies and creators like this is what a "creator referral service" is all about.

It's like being able to introduce someone who perfectly matches the client's sensibilities; it's exactly the same feeling as when you're a DJ and you choose the songs to play based on the flow of the space and time of day.It's about mixing and matching companies that best suit the client's needs. It seems like this kind of work suits me.

The designs influenced by Switzerland, Asia, and the UK

Please tell us about the creators who have influenced you, Mr. Nakano.

First, there's Experimental Jetset and OK-RM, whom I mentioned earlier. In addition, there's Helmut Schmidt and Keisho Shirai. They've had a tremendous influence on me, and I consider them my mentors.What they create is universal, timeless, yet timely.In particular, Experimental Jetset and OK-RM are timely and cutting-edge even when viewed as individual projects, but when viewed within the context of history, they are creating things that will leave a lasting mark on the era.

The same goes for Schmidt; he's famous for the Pocari Sweat packaging, and even now it doesn't feel dated at all. I think there's been an increase in products with a more dynamic identity these days, but I think he was one of the pioneers, as his designs are made to harmonize with any form.

There's an article by Murakami-san from emuni where he succinctly talks about the good points of Schmidt. I've been influenced by Swiss graphic designers like Schmidt, Josef Müller-Brockmann, and Armin Hoffmann, who are objective, functional, and yet aesthetically beautiful.

18th installment: Pocari Sweat, a design that has lasted for 40 years / Masashi Murakami (Japan Creators)）

I hear you've recently become interested in Asian design as well.

Asia is interesting because of its multicultural crossover, such as the way it handles Chinese characters and Western languages, just like Japan. I'm particularly interested in designers from China and South Korea. There's a designer in China named Han Gao, and apparently he's recently started frequenting the Japanese Design Association.

Also, the UK, where OK-RM is based, is interesting. Their digital graphics and web design are excellent. SIX, famous for designing Kinfolk's web, is a branding agency that handles national-scale projects and offers a different kind of expression compared to similarly sized agencies in Japan, which is fascinating. The same can be said for OK-RM; it's experimental yet intellectual and academic. That's what I like about it. America tends to feel rather advertising-oriented and rough around the edges, but Britain is refined and precise.

If I hadn't encountered this 6-minute routine in my life, I wouldn't have the style I have today.

Thank you so much for your time up to this point. Now, let me ask one last question. I didn't realize that Mr. Nakano had such a deep love for DJing, but of course, there must be DJs who have influenced your designs, right?

Of course. First, DJ MURO. He's the DJ who has influenced me the most. He's someone who mixes anything and everything—soul, funk, house, R&B, etc.—using his own intuition.His genre-less style has had a significant influence on my own designs.

The other person is DJ KENTARO. He's the world champion of the DMC, a world DJ competition, and his style has also greatly influenced my design work. Each of his techniques isn't particularly difficult. Yet, within a six-minute routine, he creates a set that only he could create. When I say "a set that only he could create," I don't mean he's doing anything particularly difficult. But it's incredibly creative... sorry, I got a little carried away.

The set he used when he won the DMC World Championship in 2002 is extremely famous.The theme was "No Wall Between The Music," and I absolutely love the "6-minute routine" from that time.He mixes hip-hop, house, reggae, and techno—all genres—to create a 6-minute routine and turn it into one piece of his work, and I really love that. Yeah, I'm still incredibly influenced by him.

The spirit of wanting to incorporate graphic, web, and motion design—all genres—into my own design work is heavily influenced by DJ MURO and DJ KENTARO. I've included a YouTube link, so please check it out if you're interested. Honestly, if I hadn't encountered this 6-minute routine in my life, my current design style wouldn't exist.

That's all!

What did you think of the interview with Three Nakano?

Since we've already talked about all sorts of things, let's take a slightly different approach here. It wasn't emphasized much in the main discussion, but I was struck by his comment, "I don't really have a sense of weekdays or weekends."

Perhaps Mr. Nakano started designing as an extension of play, and has continued to this day, so in a sense he is detached from the social system.I realized that there's no distinction between weekdays = work and weekends = rest; play, design, work—everything is interconnected.

That's why the design and the "6-minute routine" episode are connected.That's what I thought (it might come across in writing, but Nakano seemed most lively when he was talking about the DJ at the end).

Another thing I was just as passionate about as DJing was fishing.It's a shame we couldn't delve deeper into this topic, but I hope we can hear more about it someday. Mr. Nakano, thank you so much for your time today! I'd love to hear about your fishing adventures sometime!

If you'd like, we'd love to hear your thoughts on social media or elsewhere (we'd also love to hear suggestions for topics you'd like to hear about, or people you'd like us to talk to!).

For "GOTO-CHI CREATIVE!", after Niigata, since it's springtime, I'm thinking of heading to Kyoto (?). What kind of work styles and lifestyles await us there? I hope you'll look forward to it.

Well then, have a wonderful day!
This was the iDID Magazine editorial team!