Interviews with Midori Yamazaki

My work ranges from graphics to space and installation, and is said to be innovative, but the source of this image is various things that I consider "aesthetically pleasing". I believe that human beings are very simple in theory, and I think it is important to express what I simply feel is "aesthetically pleasing", and to integrate that into communication.

My first interest was in fashion design, so I entered Bunka Fashion College to study fashion, and after graduation I worked for Burberry and then Comme des Garçons.
In the apparel industry, there are a lot of unsold clothes after the high season is over, so I was very conscious of how to avoid such losses and what branding was. Since I was young, I always thought it was a shame that the clothes I worked so hard to make would remain unsold, so I was always thinking about what kind of design I should do. That's still one of my motivations today.

I believe that talent and the ability to complete a project are two different things. I always think seriously about how to strike a balance between the two. As a creative director, when I am working on a big project, I am conscious of who I am working with. I always try to find out if we can stimulate each other by working together, and what the benefits are for that person, whether it is money, knowledge, motivation, or any other factor.

Utilize the seeds of innovation gained from the COVID-19 experience as a list of concepts and ideas for future research.

To put the seeds of innovation into practice and innovate.

It took about a year from research visits to various laboratories to holding workshops using Innovation Seed List.

During the coronavirus pandemic, we all came up with a project to deal with the coronavirus and implemented it.

During the coronavirus pandemic, we considered the best ideas and actions to take.

The created communication is for the general public who are not familiear with technology.

What makes this work stand out is that it incorporates an easy-to-understand and user-friendly UX (illustrations and list viewing functionality) for an online list.

I named it the "List of Innovation Seeds" to be as clear and direct as possible.

D3.js was used to provide an easy-to-use list browsing function.

Illustrations are used to explain each innovation seed.

For this project, we collaborated with a number of research labs at the University of Tokyo, as well as with popular children's book illustrators.

We were able to create a great, enjoyable UX by using a program that specializes in visualization.

We did design research into collective intelligence to do interdisciplinary collaboration.

Other works have won the A'design award in the past.

How to communicate to the audience the sixth sense that allows us to sense changes in nature.

To convey to the audience the sixth sense that allows one to detect changes in nature using a different medium.

It took two months, including discussions with collaborators and concept-making.

I was researching visualization of oceanographic information for my master's degree, and I designed this as a further development of that research.

This work is my own creation, and will continue to be so in the future.

I have been experimenting with different ways to express my sixth sense for detecting changes in nature, and this piece was born out of that.

For the general public who need to pay more attention to nature and sense its changes.

This design was created in collaboration with researchers and is scientifically backed.

To emphasize that the piece is about the sound of magma, which cannot normally be heard, I named it simply "Sound of Magma."

I mainly used audio software and video software.

We collaborated with volcanologists at the Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo.

We used technology specifically in working with sound, processing real, inaudible sound data so that it could be fed into a visualization program.

Create a volcano-inspired visual design using real data

Other works have won the A'design award in the past.

I used to make clothes for famous brands such as Burberry and COMME des GARÇONSs, but I began to want to not only create high-quality products, but also increase sales through brand marketing, which led to my current job as a designer.

At first I was forced to choose a completely different profession, but I chose to become a designer. It wasn't a natural decision, it took willpower.

I am interested in the algorithms that lead to the aesthetics, so I would like to create more related work.

The creative process is what makes a design better.

Good design makes the target aware of their true needs.

I want to create a life-size version of the perfect wave I designed in my award-winning work "Waiting for the Wave in Metaverse".

Inevitability is the key to successful design.

Nick Knight, Rei Kawakubo, Kaoru Kasai, FIELD, Gaudi, etc. And I think I am most influenced by nature.

My goal is to work with photographer Nick Knight. He uses the latest technology to create his own unique worldview and has a major impact on the world.

Being able to judge the quality of the designs you have created, in other words, learning standards for judging design, is an effective way to improve your design skills.

Design is "value creation"

I have learned so much from everyone I have met, both good and bad, and I believe that has shaped me into who I am.

I have experienced design plagiarism many times. Still, I want to continue creating original works and become a designer who can have an impact on the world.

I am currently working on a dream project that has been about 10 years in the making. I can't reveal any details yet, but I am having a lot of fun.

Establishing and expanding my design.

I believe that design is good at creating a better society. I think we should just design as we always do, "designing a better society."

Being able to create a design that I never expected.

It all depends on the situation; sometimes I was only allowed three hours, and sometimes it takes 10 years for the situation to be right.

Start by imagining what went well in the project and letting my imagination run wild.

I use technology to design, but I try to use it to realize the ideas I have in mind, and not to be technology-driven.

Color has a direct effect on the senses, so it is an element that is very important to me.

I'd love to hear what you think when you see or use a design I made.

I don't have a perfect design partner. I believe in co-design, but the conditions for successful collaboration are rare.

I was impressed by the designs of my classmates at the art university I studied at, and I learned a lot from them.

I have a lot of them, but the photo book I bought at Nick Knight's studio is my favorite.

I was self-taught in design for a long time, and then studied at art school, so I think I have acquired skills from both on-the-job learning and research-led design.

I like summer when the light is strong and everything looks shiny.

Your comments, an offer for a project, a commission of artwork, and an invitation to go surfing are always welcome.

Out of Blue is a creative lab that maximizes the power of art and design with research to give you unexpected views. Out of Blue is active in major aesthetic fields, such as communication design Including digital, graphic, and space design, branding, and experimental one-off artwork. It distinguishes itself by a unique methodology drawn from a wide range of experiences.

I am interested in Aesthetics in design. Since I have been designing for mass media, I would like to be able to create beauty as the greatest common denominator, in other words, beauty that everyone finds beautiful and that is universal.　In order to do so, I became interested in what makes people feel beautiful.

To be more specific, I am interested in the Golden Rule, fractals, fluid dynamics, etc., which formalize the laws of nature. For example, as a surfer, there is a physical reason for the shape of the waves that I am interested in, and it can be expressed in mathematical formulas. This is the main reason why I am studying programming.

The ability to program = the ability to understand and apply. I believe that this opens up new possibilities. I feel that there are relatively many digital creators with engineering backgrounds, but I am interested in what can be done if designers, who have the methodology to create beautiful things in the first place, can interpret programs.

My work ranges from graphics to space and installation and is said to be innovative, but the source of this image is various things that I consider "aesthetically pleasing". I believe that human beings are very simple in theory, and I think it is important to express what I simply feel is "aesthetically pleasing", and to integrate that into communication.

In fact, the very beginning of my career was in fashion. My first memorable experience was creating the pattern for a Burberry coat from scratch, which had over 100 parts.

What I am trying to do these days is to combine elements of design and science. I am challenging myself to use the latest technology to create designs that have never been seen before.

I feel creative when inspiration strikes me suddenly.

Does it create new value? Is it universal? Is it unique? And does the audience feel the aesthetics?

Creating good design feels similar to meditating.

I feel embarrassed and happy at the same time.

I believe that design with a creative process is the key to success.

When I judge a design, I focus on two things: whether it is memorable and whether it can make people feel good.

I believe that the role of a designer to society is to be a visionary. I believe that by visualizing and sharing a positive vision for the future, we can make it a reality.

I had a digital exhibition and presentation at SIGGRAPH 2024, the world's largest academic conference on computer graphics and interactive technologies lately.

I am interested in Aesthetics in design.
To be more specific, I am interested in the Golden Rule, fractals, fluid dynamics, etc., which formalize the laws of nature. This is the main reason why I am studying programming.

I want to be able to create universal beauty that anyone can find beautiful, and for that reason, I started to become interested in what makes people aesthetically pleasing.

I live in Tokyo, Japan. Japan has four seasons, and I think Japanese people are very sensitive to the beauty of nature, and I feel that my design is influenced by that.

I choose the appropriate way depending on the job, but I try to maintain good relationships.

I try to allow the imagination to flow freely and allow for a more creative process.

A pencil that I sharpened to your desired shape.
A scrapbook of myfavorite designs.
Design-related books that I have bought in various countries.
A desk and chair that I designed and customized myself.
A perfume that changes my mood.

Being able to judge the quality of the designs you have created, in other words, learning standards for judging design, is an effective way to improve your design skills.

Being a designer has really broadened my world. There aren't many negative aspects to it. If I had to say one thing negative, it would be that it keeps me busy.

Logically Attention to the aesthetics.

I think the most important thing is to become skilled in the coordination of imagination and action. I believe that good design can be achieved when the brain and hands are smoothly connected.

I collect things that catch my eye every day, so I don't have anything in particular in mind.

I accept that design can be a very time-consuming task at times, and I don't try to control it too much because it becomes stressful.

It really depends on the work situation. I've created an award-winning design in three hours, and I've also had projects where I spent 10 years creating the production environment.

I enjoy doing design work that I have never experienced before. This is because there is so much potential to create new designs.

I am currently creating an art installation using the laws of nature, which I am currently researching, and I would like to actually exhibit it.

Sometimes I work in a team and other times I develop designs myself. Each has its advantages.

If you have any inquiries to me, please send me an email (ymidorimidori@gmail.com).