Interview with Tomohiro Kaji

I have 3 huge inspirations in my life. The first one is by my grandfather who was a calligrapher. He had been drawing calligraphies mixing letters and any shape by painting or paper material. Often he had made sculptures. The second one is some advertisings created by John C Jay. He has been a huge inspiration for me, always. Lastly, El Lissitzky. His graphic designs shocked me out from a ob of typical poster design. Their art inspired me to become a designer.
And I learned a graphic design at Academy of Art University in San Francisco, US.

Trying help making a good product or business for client. And design how good they are to the world.

Climbing on a huge mountain with steps one by one.

An experience as a creative director and marketing manager as a in-house creator so I learned how to bridge good creative and business.

Business growth of my company as a creative agency for global good clients.

Always ask if it is the best for for them, and for you.

There is no success or failure. It is just a part of a process and just keep going to where you really want to go.

Design is in a matter of process. Good design always comes at the end of result.

If there is no more explorations for a client and for me.

John C Jay

Educating clients to be a good for their customers as well as for society.

This is the first time.

TMDCH Ltd is an independent creative agency focusing in branding started from 2019. Our uniqueness is we are a hybrid of an award wining design studio and a branding agency which builds a creative strategy committing on business growth.

Design means an inevitable and inspirational result from a creative process based on a rational choice with clients.

Building and designing brand strategy and identity system including launching program for a good client to become a great brand.

Producing an all sustainable restaurant, called Nœud. TOKYO. It is one of a remarkable project I had been led at the beginning of my company building from strategy, team and its execution with a great result to the client as well as they have been earning the Michelin Star for 3 years after the launch.

Nœud. TOKYO

Material—Physical materials such as wood, rock, paper and soil used for space design, especially relevant ones with its business and its location.

Finding a better solution than before, especially facing any complicated issue / challenge.

Process for the best solution for clients' success.

Climbing on a huge mountain with steps one by one.

Never leave a client or their business’ growth behind especially the design fells great.

A great relationship with its client.

If it is unique enough to get a strong attention.

Work and contribute to a good client for society and environment. If not, educate them to be so. Or leave from the project.

Wether we like it or not, AI and new technology push us out from existing roll like steam power or computer have done. The more technology evolving, the more our creativity become important for making a better world.

Culture and people are the great sources of inspirations.

What's your approach to design?
Inspirational design that contributes a business growth. We bridge business strategy and creative strategy so the design works for them.

In Japan, there are so many cultural, historical aspects behind us. It inspires a lot as well as new technology and digital solutions. There are also a critical issues are in front of us. Especially, aging and luck of human resources are really critical. Some of Japanese don’t realize, or don’t want realize it.

I will be a CEO counterpart to discuss their business strategy and creative strategy with building an appropriate creative team to execute their creative programs.

Please produce a good product and be a good client. And good designers will come to the company.

Discussing product or business model to understand how unique and how good enough in a market or a society with unique. If it is not yet, we start improving it before design.

A book designed by John C Jay. A kitchen knife shaped by MASAMUNE. A calligraphy by my grand father. A Russian poster designed by Stenberg brothers. A jacket and pants designed by Keizo Shimizu. Rolex Date Just.

Always ask if it is the best for for them, and for you.

You will inspire the world with good clients, or you will just make garbages.

Never stop studying until you are happy.

Speed and imagination

Sketchbook, a fountain pen, laptop PC, some white copy paper, and EarPods.

Work as a team with people, and with a good project manager to identify what I am supposed to do by when.

It depends on how complex the object to be solved is.

Any experiences I failed.

My company's growth as a global creative agency.

Both. But. I will do less by myself for education.

Yes. But, I cannot by October 2024.

By e-mail: info@tomodachiltd.com or message via instagram.