We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Kimiko Ida ("KI").

Kimiko Ida is a employee at Meiji Co., Ltd. The Meiji Group’s food company, Meiji Co., Ltd., provides a wide range of customers from infants to the elderly with an extensive selection of products and services featuring differentiated tastiness and nutritional value, such as milk, yogurt, desserts, cheese, ice cream, confectioneries, and nutritional products.

Kimiko Ida Designs

We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Kimiko Ida.

Designer Interview of Kimiko Ida:

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?

KI : From a young age, I enjoyed drawing and crafting. I chose the arts as an elective discipline in high school, and majored in graphic design Tama Art University. I had a dream to become a designer and engage in making things.

DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?

KI : Meiji Co., Ltd. is a comprehensive manufacturer of food related products. We offer foods for all generations: from babies to the elderly. Within the company, I work on “Design Planning” from branding, concept proposals, to design and communication.

DI: What is "design" for you?

KI : Design means that there is a “user” at the end of it all. It should be something that that enriches the user’s life and heart.

DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?

KI : Things that move your heart. Things that can used without difficulty and nearly become a part of you.

DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?

KI : There are a lot, but I particularly like Yusaku Kamekura’s “Miss Blanche.” It’s outside of my area of expertise, but I find it very appealing in it’s elegance, functionality, and originality.

DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?

KI : An Almond Chocolate packaging design.

DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?

KI : Paper. Things with different textures.

DI: When do you feel the most creative?

KI : Usually it’s in the stages before the design is finalized. Also, when I have time to sit and imagine. I feel like that happens a lot in the morning.

DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?

KI : To narrow down the required elements to convey the message. To keep things simple.

DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?

KI : At first, I feel quite free, and then I become more structured and strict as the project progresses.

DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?

KI : While I do feel a sense of accomplishment, there are definitely expectations and concerns about how the customers will receive the design.

DI: What makes a design successful?

KI : To not forget to have an objective perspective.

DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?

KI : I prioritize whether or not the original intended message is conveyed correctly.

DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?

KI : From the viewpoint of my work, I think it’s important to attempt to reduce waste and create things that can be reused.

DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?

KI : I think borders are disappearing, and it will be interesting to work in design as categories disappear and things can be created more freely.

DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?

KI : Last year, when I received an award at an exhibition in Japan.

DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?

KI : Things spotted during travel. Photos I’ve taken. Looking at nice things and going on trips. Shapes within nature.

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?

KI : I like simple design, but my style changes according to the product. I prioritized a style that will convey the correct image.

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?

KI : Tokyo, Japan. I take a lot of inspiration from Japanese culture. Japan is very strict about product quality, so that has a big impact on designing things here.

DI: How do you work with companies?

KI : I am employed as a design director.

DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?

KI : I work more on the enterprising side of things, but I do a lot of research before approaching a designer. We also do a lot of team projects, so I also look for people with good social skills.

DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?

KI : I start by looking at the product and how the customer would ideally receive it before coming up with a concept. At that time, we begin product planning, choosing team members, and moving forward on the design. (In some cases, we do user testing during this process.) After the design is finalized, we move onto printing and finishing work.

DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?

KI : Bowls. Bluetooth audio, my living room table, my KLIPPAN blanket, and my mina perhonen clothing.

DI: Can you describe a day in your life?

KI : After getting to the office, I have coffee, yogurt, and a banana, and spend some time quietly arranging my thoughts before the work day begins. I will have a good meal with colleagues at lunch, but aside from that, I spend the day in meetings and working on projects. I will go out to dinner with friends, have a low-key dinner with family, or spend some time on hobbies, and reset myself with a bath.

DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?

KI : Stay positive and be curious. Don’t be afraid to speak your thoughts. Meet people. I also recommend traveling.

DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?

KI : Producing something from 0 to 1. Sharing your ideas with users. A negative would be the constant difficultly of trying to keep up with the time schedule.

DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?

KI : That it be original. That it doesn’t use or need too much explanation. That it be simple and appealing.

DI: What skills are most important for a designer?

KI : Understanding the subtleties of the human heart. I think it’s important to be sensitive to the user’s desires.

DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?

KI : MAC, Windows, Illustrator, Photoshop, paper, pencil, etc.Books I studied from in the past, magazines, old art book etc.Things I see on trips. Photos I’ve taken of details that appeal to me. Imagination.

DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?

KI : By making calculations. I try to make an effort to give myself enough time to look at my work as objectively as possible.

DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?

KI : Depending on the project, it takes anywhere from 2 weeks to 1.5 years.

DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?

KI : I am often asked about where I get my inspiration from. I am also often asked about how to convince the company to produce a design.

DI: What was your most important job experience?

KI : Projects which forced me to look into the roots of long-selling products. I learned the importance of universal design as well as creating new proposals.

DI: Who are some of your clients?

KI : The end user. The customer.

DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?

KI : Arts and crafts. Individual countries’ techniques and culture are reflected through these.

DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?

KI : In the near future, I want to explore the concept of “gifts.” I want to try connecting people to people. If I am able to enrich the lives of people in the future, I will be very happy.

DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?

KI : We work in teams. These teams include excellent designers from outside the company as well.

DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?

KI : Not at the moment.

DI: How can people contact you?

KI : Please get in touch through our company’s contact form.

DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?

KI : Not in particular.