We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Takuya Saeki ("TS").
Raised in Kanagawa, Japan. Graduated in 2002 from a vocational school for design and currently working as a professional designer. He has worked for several design production companies where he was involved in multiple projects. He belonged to KDDI Web Communications as an in-house designer in 2005. During his years working for the company, he was in charge of designing for services such as CPI and Jimdo. He created leaflets, websites, and banner ads for campaigns and other sales promotion tools. He left the company in 2012 to start on his own as a freelance designer. His expertise is in paper-based graphic design, from catalogs, magazine advertising, brochures, to flyers. He has also worked on designing websites and smartphone apps. Although he started off working mainly on paper products, his experience at his former job has made him keen on web-based designs as well. He is good at designing the total project - from planning to the direction. His current interest is to play a role in the internet-related start-up and new business with venture enterprises. And he will provide graphic designs to help you reach your goals, solve your issues, and realize your vision.
Takuya Saeki Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Takuya Saeki.
Takuya Saeki Design - App For Musicians Find New Musician
Designer Interview of Takuya Saeki:
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?
TS : My career as a graphic designer began in 2002 when I started working for a graphic design production company.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
TS : I have been working independently as a professional freelancer since 2012.
DI: What is "design" for you?
TS : An important element in graphic design is the ability of the design to achieve the objectives and solve the problems required of the production. Flyers and pamphlets are produced to expand product recognition and convey detailed information. The content and approach will vary depending on the distribution method and target audience. Also for websites, if the purpose is to attract new customers and communicate company information, the content, site structure, and contents will differ. Of course, if it is a service website, it is also necessary to be conscious of guiding visitors to the content they are looking for, and of conversion. While it is important to be beautiful and cool, we believe that what we have described above is what is required of the design. I think that being beautiful and cool is one of the necessary items for this purpose, but it is not the most important thing.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
TS : I enjoy creating graphic designs for Internet-related businesses and new businesses. They are always taking on challenging initiatives, and many of their businesses and services are ahead of their time.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
TS : I like to create corporate websites and user interfaces for web services and smartphone applications. In both cases, I believe that the design of the lead-in line is important, and also that the impression that the user receives from the screen has a great impact on the viewer/user.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
TS : One of the booklets distributed at a small tutoring school in Japan had a page of columns related to the seasons. I designed the entire page spread for it, which I think was the first thing I designed after entering the workforce as a graphic designer. It was around 2002, so I went to the library to research and write the text about eels for the article to be published, and since it was necessary to publish illustrations, I asked an illustrator to I asked an illustrator to do the illustrations for the article, and I also designed the entire paper. Since I was still a fledgling graphic designer at the time, I proceeded with the production while receiving several instructions for revisions from the director several times. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
TS : When I see something expressed in a museum or in the pages of a magazine that is beyond my imagination, it stimulates my imagination very much. I ask myself, "How did you come up with this expression?" Why did you choose this expression? When I come into contact with something that I would not have thought of on my own, I am stimulated by the imagination when I think about the way it was expressed. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
TS : I believe that achieving objectives, solving problems, and realizing visions are the most important aspects of graphic design production.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
TS : When I am working on a project, I am always asking myself, "Will the product be understandable and operable by the intended viewer? Can they operate it? Are there any parts that are confusing? Is there anything that could cause misunderstanding? Is it not difficult to see? Are there any parts that might cause misunderstandings?
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
TS : I am still happy. When I start work on a project, I always have some idea of what it will look like when it is completed, and I am happy when I can see it in a tangible form. Sometimes I wonder, "Did I really make this? I am that happy. That is how happy I am, and I become attached to what I have created.
DI: What makes a design successful?
TS : In the case of graphic design, I think it is important to have a solid understanding of the object to be communicated and to dispel any doubts or doubts about the object within oneself.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
TS : In the case of graphic design, I think that a quick glance at a piece of paper or screen should convey exactly what it is trying to convey. It is not necessary to know all the details, but it is necessary to know what it is trying to convey and what it is communicating. If you can only give an overview of the reservation by taking a closer look, the interest of the intended viewer will quickly fade away.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
TS : In terms of social responsibility, graphic designers need to ensure that the content of the client's message is easily understood by the intended audience, and that there are no misunderstandings or misconceptions.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
TS : Compared to the past, smartphones are more widespread and print media are in decline, but graphic design will always be necessary when communicating information, even if the contact medium changes.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
TS : In any case, I think it is to look at various works, go out and experience various things, and participate in events that interest you. It is not a matter of continually looking at or following a particular collection of works, but rather of satisfying one's own interests and curiosities, and the experiences gained will inspire one and become part of one's imagination when creating.
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?
TS : I live in Tokyo, Japan. This may have an impact on our clients, because in Japan, we are required to provide solid explanations and explanations. However, because of this explanation and commentary, there may be consideration of including information that could be omitted, or there may be more notes to dispel that concern, and we always consult and discuss with our clients about the necessity of such information when we are asked to include it.
DI: How do you work with companies?
TS : Since our main clients are small and medium-sized companies, we may work on a project while talking directly with the CEO, or with the marketing manager or the head of product development.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
TS : I believe that designers who have the skills to explain various matters well are excellent. If you cannot verbalize your thoughts and ideas, you may not be able to explain your design intentions to the client, and you may not be able to keep up with the understanding of unclear points.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
TS : First, we carefully interview the client about the details of the request, the client's intentions, and the background that led to the request. I believe that this hearing is very important because it gives us a sense of the client's desires and the results they are looking for. Based on these hearings, we communicate our understanding and move on to the overall design of the production. There are many more steps to be taken after that, but this is going to be a long story, so I will stop here.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
TS : It is important to see a lot of screens and papers and to be exposed to good works of art, but you should also actively go to actual sites and live venues, such as museums and music concerts. You will have a completely different experience when you actually go to a venue than when you just see it with your eyes, and you will have a different memory and different ideas connected to it. Don't be afraid to put in the effort. If you want to do it, do it. Your efforts will be rewarded. Don't worry if someone says, "I can't do that. It is not you who cannot do such a thing, but the person who says you cannot do it.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
TS : Listening, understanding, and being able to verbalize what you are thinking.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
TS : Inspiration from my Mac comes from articles distributed from various websites that I get via RSS, which I have been adding and updating for many years. The other thing I do is to go to the bookstore once a week and look at magazines.
DI: What was your most important job experience?
TS : Previously worked as an in-house designer for a rental server company. I believe it has honed my ability to prioritize the information that needs to be posted and the information that needs to be posted.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
TS : Mainly small and medium-sized Japanese Internet service providers
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
TS : Basically, I am engaged in production alone. However, for large-scale projects, I sometimes work as a team with another graphic designer whom I have asked several times in the past.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
TS : Released in April 2024, I was in charge of the UI and UX of an iPad business digitization and sales promotion application for owners and employees of beauty salons in Japan. Since it was a new listing, it was an exciting project in which I was in charge of overall UI design production, including the creation of screen transition diagrams, consideration of the content to be included on each screen, UI wireframes, and the creation of the service logo. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
DI: How can people contact you?
TS : Contact me through my website. https://www.smoothandfriendly.com/en You can also contact me through Instagram, that's totally fine. https://www.instagram.com/smoothandfriendly/
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
TS : If I can help you with my design skills, please feel free to contact me. I am looking forward to working with people from all over the world.