Tokyo Zokei University
Graphic Design Major
Professor Tomoya Ama

Q. What kind of classes do you teach?

The seminar focuses on the theme of "Communication in the Design Process."
The basis of this is that "design cannot be done by one person alone." It may seem obvious, but designs are born from a chain of communication between many different people.

If you look at actual work, there is dialogue with clients and with other professionals like illustrators and photographers. Beyond that there is always dialogue with consumers, but in university assignments, the many dialogues that come before that rarely take place because you have to do almost everything yourself.

This is where it differs from the real world, and I believe it is something that is actually missing from the essence of manufacturing, so I teach in my seminar to fill that gap.

Q. The moment when the font's sensitivity was turned on

When I bought my Mac in the mid-90s, there were dreams and fantasies about computers. There were a lot of independent movements, and creators were exchanging ideas about graphic design and font creation, just as they were about video and CG.

For example, there was an exhibition called "Flocke Exhibition" where people exchanged works on floppy disks, and various media intersected. At that time, the Internet came along as a catalyst, and we were able to row our boats into various creative oceans.

So I visited various font creators and was shocked to discover that people choose their letters to express themselves, just like they choose an instrument to play!
I think this is a movement that wouldn't have been possible without digital technology, and I'm the kind of person who was able to become a designer because of "digital technology" and "networks" (laughs).

Q. What is your favorite Morisawa font and why?

The font I would like to take to a desert island is "Medium Gothic BBB" is the most popular font, and is actually loved by everyone. It can be used in cool situations, and can also be used to communicate clearly. Although it appears to be an anonymous typeface, I think it actually has a lot of character.

Another example is, "ReiminI was in charge of the art direction for the Reimin pamphlet, but I feel like it's one of those fonts whose potential isn't fully understood.

I think Reimin is a typeface that embodies all of Morisawa's technical expertise and efforts, but I wonder if the times haven't caught up with it yet. There has long been a movement for the emotional, old-style Mincho typeface, but there is still little movement for a modern style.

Reimin is a typeface that combines the Ming style of font that Japanese people have used since ancient times with modern system thinking and modern usage patterns. It is difficult to use, with the contrast of horizontal strokes and other features, but if used well, I think it is an unbeatable typeface.

Q. What do you think of the students at this school?

There is diversity.
For example, I think one of the features of the school is that there are many next-generation students, who study graphics while also studying film, three-dimensional art, and fashion. There are many cross-disciplinary curriculums, and the school is small, so perhaps that's also because students have friends in other majors.

I think we are entering an era where we can customize our abilities. Mastering something is great, but that alone won't differentiate you. I think it's important to multiply two or more things. It can be things that don't seem like studying, like games or music, and I think that by multiplying these things, you can find new paths.

Q. The moment the switch turns "OFF"

It's more of a toggle switch than an "ON" or "OFF" switch.
For example, I have a switch between being an art director and a teacher, and I switch between writing articles and books, creating designs, and making music as a hobby, just like switching between channels on an old TV (laughs).

Q: What would you like to challenge yourself with in the future? What are you interested in?

As an art director, I would like to not only create designs, but also create systems that consider things more broadly, such as selling things and attracting people.

Within the framework I have created, I would like to be able to delegate the design itself to each designer and leave it to them. I would like to work in a way that breaks down issues from the big picture.