What Was Explored at Musashino Art University's Department of Visual Communication Design

YanagimotoCould you tell us about what sparked your interest in graphic design and your student life in Japan?

HashizumeLooking back, my love for music was what led me to design. It's a common story, isn't it? (laughs) In my teens, visiting record stores was a daily ritual. Beyond the music, I was captivated by the visual appeal of the record jackets displayed on the walls. After that, I enrolled in the Department of Visual Communication Design at Musashino Art University. At the time, the web was just emerging, and Flash had only recently appeared. It was the dawn of an era when graphic design was merging with multimedia, becoming a major trend. I myself was keenly interested in the "interaction" that such creations offered.

YanagimotoSo your interests began to narrow down.

HashizumeWhile I studied traditional typography in university classes, I also dedicated myself to creating works through programming. For my graduation project, I presented a mockup that visualized social bookmarking, similar to what "mixi" is today. Specifically, white dots would appear on a screen, and related items would connect. What I was thinking about at the time was how interesting it would be to visualize and share the information individuals possess. Although it was a mockup, it was filled with my concept of "interaction."

YanagimotoAnd after graduation?

HashizumeI started working as a freelancer, and for a time, I joined an advertising agency. Back then, Flash was at its peak, and we presented web content to clients on a package basis. I also participated in many large-scale projects. However, as various websites began to be built prolifically, I found myself repeatedly asking, "Am I limiting my own ideas and expressions by relying on technology?" Being young, around 23 or 24, I was grappling with these questions, driven by a desire to "try something more."

YanagimotoI see, and that led you to take action.

HashizumeAt that time, the first country that came to mind was the UK. Using music as a model, I was drawn to the strong sense of autonomy seen in activities like running labels, organizing events, and pirate radio. Comparing this to my current situation, which was routine client work, I felt a desire to go to a country where autonomy was culturally ingrained. Around the same time, I was looking at the "Europe Special" featured annually in IDEA magazine, and I was struck by a lot of the designs. The work of Daniel Eatock and Åbäke was particularly impactful. There was a coolness to it that could be perceived as both design and conceptual art. My desire to go to a country that produced such talent grew, and in 2004, I went to study at the RCA (Royal College of Art) for two years.

Why Do Talented Designers Emerge from Here?

YanagimotoHaving attended schools in both Japan and the UK, did you feel a difference in the level of education?

HashizumeGoing to the RCA was a long-held dream, so I was very enthusiastic when I went to London. However, upon entering, it didn't feel like a "university" in the Japanese sense; it had a very free atmosphere. Initially, I was puzzled, thinking, "Why do such talented designers come out of here?" (laughs) First of all, British people don't learn by being told "do this." Instead, they learn their own methodologies within existing systems and regulations. This aligns with the RCA's educational philosophy, but many students entering the RCA were already established figures, such as chief designers at companies, or had their own methodologies and philosophies. In class, these preconceived notions were first challenged. And before creating or expressing anything, they were prompted to return to the fundamental question: "What does it mean to create something?"

YanagimotoBut that kind of stance is very educational.

HashizumeI felt it was similar to the classes I had in my first year at Musashino Art University's Department of Visual Communication Design. At that time, Mitsuo Katsui, one of Japan's leading graphic designers, was the head professor. When we enrolled, he told us, "Forget the drawing skills you've practiced for exams. Use the university to find what is important to you." In class, we would pair up, walk around campus blindfolded, and create maps based on the information gathered, or draw 100 different lines... It felt close to the education at the RCA. However, at the RCA, rather than formal classes, we were given themes and were expected to conduct private research on them.

YanagimotoSo what you learned at Musabi proved useful.



HashizumeThen, in my second year, I had a significant encounter. My tutor became Åbäke (a design studio based in London). Actually, I was assigned a different tutor, but since they were designers I admired, I pleaded, "Please let me have Åbäke as my tutor!" The RCA allows for that kind of initiative. And then Åbäke's lectures...—These were so impactful that they changed my values. In one class, we were given an A4 sheet of paper with the day's theme written on it. Upon closer inspection, it read, "After this meeting ends, stalk the first person you encounter when you open the door, from morning till night" (laughs). We were to observe them as much as possible and then present our findings. There was also an assignment to "live in one spot on campus" (laughs). At the time, students discussed "residing in public spaces." Initially, I was taken aback by these assignments but found them enjoyable. However, I gradually began to question, "Does this class relate to design?" Although I had enrolled at the RCA because I liked Åbäke, I sometimes felt a sense of rejection towards their radical ideas. But this was a realization that my own ideas about "what design should be" and "what design is" were simply different from their language. I tend to create things based on logic, but looking at Åbäke's work again, I realized that linguistic analysis wasn't always necessary.

YanagimotoFrom that conflict, a kind of conclusion began to emerge.

HashizumeAnother significant realization was that graphic design, up to that point, was not about initiating something, but rather a secondary act performed in response to something that already existed. However, product design and architecture possess "corporeality" and relate to fundamental aspects like sitting and living, which are on a different layer than graphic design. When I entered the RCA, I was greatly influenced by the product designers there. Indeed, graphic design until then had been dependent on clients, but I wondered if self-initiated graphic design was possible from now on. And the theme I chose for my thesis was "Emptiness." The title of my thesis was "Emptiness of Design." Coincidentally, the same as Kenya Hara's (laughs).