We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Jisuke Matsuda ("JM").
Born in 1964, Jisuke Matsuda founded Atelier Jisuke in 2010. Influenced by the Bauhaus at the age of 18, he taught himself design and persisted in spite of repeated frustrations. In 2011, he devoted himself to poster production. Since then, he has participated in many of the world's poster competitionsl. His design philosophy is to view the relationships among line, space, and form as similar to human relationships.
Jisuke Matsuda Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Jisuke Matsuda.
Jisuke Matsuda Design - Richard III Poster
Designer Interview of Jisuke Matsuda:
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?
JM : My inspiration came from ukiyo-e. I've always wanted to be a fine artist, so I aspired to become a fine artist within the world of design, which has strict rules.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
JM : The main focus of my design studio is split between my student's web studio and my own workshop. The theme of my workshop is "Create Theatre Poster," and I create posters for this purpose.
DI: What is "design" for you?
JM : The shape of living and the shape of having lived.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
JM : Any kind of design
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
JM : Ikko Tanaka's posters, "Japan" (1986)
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
JM : Company logo
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
JM : Macintosh Apple
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
JM : The initial rough sketch
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
JM : I don't understand emotions. My stomach hurts.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
JM : My stomach hurts.
DI: What makes a design successful?
JM : A critical perspective.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
JM : Color and form.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
JM : Designers have no responsibilities.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
JM : To become more free.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
JM : Last year's "Create Theatre Poster," this year's "Create Theatre Poster" again.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
JM : Video, words, scenery, sound, seasons, and others.
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?
JM : independent
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?
JM : I live in Tokyo. I am influenced by Japanese cultural heritage. Like Hokusai and Hiroshige.
DI: How do you work with companies?
JM : A fifty-fifty relationship.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
JM : Through competitions, companies can select designers suitable for their projects.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
JM : First, I lay out the individual materials presented in a mind map, consider their arrangement, and then add emotion to it.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
JM : Macbook pro, iPad, EIZO monitor, iPhone, Nintendo Switch
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
JM : Wake up, clean, eat, design. Then listen to music and sleep.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
JM : Don't get buried in erudition.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
JM : Good points, attentive to detail. Bad points, attentive to detail
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
JM : The usual golden ratio.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
JM : Knowledge.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
JM : Macbook pro, Adobe illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
JM : I'm not managing it.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
JM : Why did you create such a design?
DI: What was your most important job experience?
JM : Sales experience.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
JM : Everyone who accepts me.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
JM : Color transformation. Because it's the miracle of Johannes Itten's color theory vividly occurring on a computer.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
JM : It's undecided
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
JM : By myself.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
JM : The "Create Theatre Poster" project, where you can see bright, pop visuals revealing a new side of me.
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
JM : A'Design. I want to feature you.