Hamamatsu Design College
Graphic Design Department
Professor Hiromichi Takada
Q. What kind of classes do you teach?
mainlyDesktop PublishingI teach classes in the field, including practical training, industry-academia collaboration with companies, and contest entries.1I also teach exam preparation classes for first-year students. I am also the homeroom teacher for the graphic design department, so I also provide guidance on daily life and career paths.
Q. The moment when the font's sensitivity was turned on
Since I started working.
Before becoming a teacher, I worked as a graphic designer. I became a designer because I loved drawing, so I didn't pay much attention to letters until I started working. Once I started working with letters in my job, I learned the importance of choosing typefaces and typesetting.
Since then, I have started to notice something odd about the fonts and typesetting in everyday cityscapes, something I had never noticed before (laughs).
Q. What is your favorite Morisawa font and why?
It's "Jun." It's cute and soothing. I think it's a versatile font that can be used by people of all ages and genders. I often use it on handouts I hand out to my students.
The other is "Shin Go"EL(the thinnest weight) andU(The thickest weight.) Despite its extreme thinness and thickness, the form is beautiful and comfortable, with a sense of stability. There aren't many typefaces with such a wide range of weights, so I like to use it often.
Q. What do you think of the students at this school?
As for the graphic design department, it is a three-year program, but each year has a different color.
All first-year students enroll with a goal in mind, so they are full of motivation, passion, and work hard. By the time they reach second year, they gradually begin to specialize, and geeks in DTP and graphics start to appear. Third-year students have also improved their skills and are a reliable presence. You can really feel their growth over the three years.
Q. The moment the switch turns "OFF"
It's a bit cliché, but spending time with family and friends.
It's when I'm off work and truly off. I'm usually in the design industry, so when I'm off I consciously switch off and try not to become a design nut. I try to look at things from a consumer's perspective and enjoy life to the fullest (laughs). However, I feel that this consumer perspective also has a positive impact on my work.
Q: What would you like to challenge yourself with in the future? What are you interested in?
It's always a challenge!
Recently, on social media,New media is being born. It may be possible that even non-designers can use these tools to create good designs, but we can't continue as we have been.
Even as I get older, I want to see things from the same perspective as young people, go out and do things, act silly every once in a while, and cherish the experiences I get from using my body. For example, even if there's a trend that I don't understand, there must be something interesting about it that makes it popular! Rather than being negative, I want to embrace the sensibilities of the times in a positive way.
