We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Chizen Shimoda ("CS").
Chizen Shimoda is an award-winning designer that helps make the World a better place with their original and innovative creations and advanced design works.
Chizen Shimoda Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Chizen Shimoda.
Designer Interview of Chizen Shimoda:
DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
CS : I just learned art in normal class with other people in teenage, but I have been takeing many art exhibition and have much curiosity about everything around the world since childhood. I don't have any dream to be a designer, but the 3D CAD software and the mega earthquake in Japan changed my life.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
CS : Established in July 4th in 2011. The main purpose was to transmit any kind of information to the world first. However, the 3D CAD software changed company to transmit my design to the world due to I have been well operated of any kind of application software and fit it to make any kind of product on digital.
DI: What is "design" for you?
CS : It is something useful thing for someone.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
CS : I like software operation on 3D CAD software due to the design is going to make something on virtually.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
CS : Every design in nature is most favorite because any kind of natural design have meaning on it.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
CS : The first design was large dish (30cm x 30cm x 20cm) on the 3D CAD software.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
CS : Any kind of production which is produced on the earth because everything is born by any kind meaning.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
CS : I feel it when I communicate with others how to produce designed product on the 3D CAD software.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
CS : I'm caring the beauty and universal design aspects as I could when I design.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
CS : I feel pleasure feeling when I design on the 3D CAD software.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
CS : I feel to support from many people due to I can't realize any material alone.
DI: What makes a design successful?
CS : To keep basic beauty even if the design is complicated.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
CS : I don't have any emotion on the judging because I would like to know the point of view from others. It is glad to see what kind of aspect my design feel to others.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
CS : Designer should care about environmental impact from start to end, and also contribute to society by creating something as much comfortable for someone.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
CS : The design field will be spread to everyone who can touch or use digital world. However. the true great design will surly survive and make impact to everyone when it see and memorize quickly.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
CS : This is the first to exhibit my design. I plan to attend large exhibition to make networking to sell the product as much as I can.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
CS : My design inspiration come from usual life in Tokyo. I feed anything memorized in my brain to my design creativity, like color, feature, lighting and so on.
DI: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
CS : My design style categorize as timeless and modern product. I apply my design from nature rule, mathematical beauty and geometry.
DI: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
CS : I grow up in Hokkaido which located at northern area in Japan and live in Tokyo where are one of advanced city in the world. I have been feeling the cultural heritage which effect by natural rules and history. The pros in my country is keeping the any kind of historical record since more than thousand years ago, and cons is far from the large market due to island country.
DI: How do you work with companies?
CS : First communication is on internet if I need. Usually, I communicate companies by email, on the phone and face to face meeting.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
CS : Companies should be well communicate with designer who is not only internal but also the outside from start to end on any kind of design. And also they should hold many design competition with a theme without any bias like large or famous design company brand The designer want many chance working with company by value add work backing on funding, continuously. In addition, it would be great to introduce the good designer to other company. So designer also feel responsibility to make design work for them. It also needs patience and well communication on designer side.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
CS : Make design when I feel inspiration or memorized something on 3D CAD software.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
CS : A unit of tea pot and tea cup made in Germany. Headset of a famous company. iPhone 4S Original painting by Japanese artist and American artist. Wrist watches from vintage to modern.
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
CS : Have some coffee at coffee shop (for wake up and thinking daily schedule) Walk around somewhere if I have free time (feel inspiration from something) Go office and make something inspired design on 3D CAD software.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
CS : Go to abroad to stimulate yourself from any kind of design or culture in other countries. Feel something from any kind of design even if usual life. Touch any kind of news, information without bias. Just do it anything, anytime whenever you want.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
CS : Positive is free from bothering organization routine work if the design work doesn't have deadline. However, it need endurance by isolation. Negative is not easy to make money. It need that to create human networking with humanity by myself even if working alone.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
CS : Apply natural rule and beauty method to the design.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
CS : Curiosity and diversity on life. Any kind of experience has been accumulated in myself.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
CS : 3D CAD software is the tool for my design. The inspiration sources any moment when I wake up.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
CS : Do it soon anything as I could and memorized anytime on the whiteboard when I inspired. Time management was learned during long employee life.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
CS : It takes several days to complete design, but it depends on the cooperated company when it produced.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
CS : Why and what motivate to become a designer?
DI: What was your most important job experience?
CS : Working with others with generosity.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
CS : Everyone in the world.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
CS : I enjoy design daily useful product due to someone feel something from my product.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
CS : My long time future plan is to create large product like house, hall. and so on. Immediate future plan is to spread my product in the world.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
CS : I develop design by myself, but realized product is working with company which can create.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
CS : I have several design for the future and would like to challenge any kind of product design if I have a chance.
DI: How can people contact you?
CS : Email or homepage on the internet (will be open in April, 2012) or contact on the phone.
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
CS : I was known life is short and death is always next us from mega earthquake in Japan at March 11th. 2011. I surely appreciate others who support to me and the life.