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Interview with So Koizumi |
Home > Designer Interviews > So Koizumi |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer So Koizumi (SK) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of So Koizumi by clicking here.
FS: 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?
SK: When I was 17, I went to work in Germany with my father and visited Bruder Klaus Kapelle (designed by Peter Zumthor). I still remember the impact it had on me, and looking back, I think it was then that I decided to become a designer.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
SK: SO KOIZUMI DESIGN was established in Tokyo in 2021. The company is involved in a wide range of areas of design, including interiors, products, and objects.
FS: What is "design" for you?
SK: This does not mean designing to make everyday life more convenient but to enrich it by presenting small emotions such as surprises and discoveries, and ideas that are different from theirs.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
SK: I like to design things that have margins where I can use my personality (thinking and modeling).
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
SK: I like the simple and powerful design.
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
SK: The wind chime 'Seven' was awarded the A'Design Award this year.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
SK: Metal and stone. This is because both are materials derived from nature.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
SK: It's that moment when people who are involved in creating the same thing come together and sincerely share their opinions to make it better, resulting in a genuine resonance.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
SK: Balance. The emphasis is not only on figurative balance, but also on the relationship between space and objects, and more specifically on the balance between people and the environment.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
SK: It is a very concentrated time, so close to a sense of nothingness.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
SK: There are no emotional feelings. Just making sure that the space and objects are there properly.
FS: What makes a design successful?
SK: Knowledge and Communication.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
SK: I think it's about having an appropriate sense of the times. This is because no matter how elaborate a design is, if it is out of step with the times and society, it cannot be called good design.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
SK: I believe that as freelance designers, we have a unique profession that allows us to transmit our individual opinions to society through our own designs. Although our opinions may seem insignificant in the eyes of society as a whole, I consider it incredibly significant to continue doing so.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
SK: Even though technology has made the world more convenient, traces of human manual work and thought will still be a factor in inspiring people.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
SK: In June 2023, he presented his new work in a gallery he had designed and built myself.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
SK: It is an accumulation of travel and daily observations.
FS: 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?
SK: From a single concept, the product is often researched and experimented with many times, and finally produced by craftsmen and their own hands.
FS: 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?
SK: I am from Tokyo, Japan. I have never designed with Japan in mind, but some of the people who have seen my work have told me it is Japanese.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
SK: The designers themselves should be respected for their individuality and ideas, and the designers should not be treated as people within the company, but as people who work together to create things, accepting opinions and ideas and helping each other as they progress.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
SK: From a single concept, the product is often researched and experimented with many times, and finally produced by craftsmen and their own hands.
FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
SK: I like the simple and powerful design.
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
SK: It is a series of small things to achieve a big goal.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
SK: It is very interesting for a freelance designer like me to be able to express my opinion on society as an individual through my own designs.
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
SK: Knowledge and observational skills
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
SK: Sometimes it takes three months, sometimes a year.
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
SK: It is a time to think and consider ideas.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
SK: I do everything myself from start to finish.
FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
SK: Fossil-like furniture has been produced. It will be presented soon.
FS: How can people contact you?
SK: Info@sokoizumi.com
FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.
A’ Design Award and Competitions grants rights to press members and bloggers to use parts of this interview. This interview is provided as it is; DesignPRWire and A' Design Award and Competitions cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.
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