IDA International Design Academy
Professor Yoshihiro Yamada
Q. About the International Design Academy
International Design Academy (IDA) opened in 1992 and is the only comprehensive design school in Okinawa.
Students can study a wide range of subjects, from advertising and printing to architecture and manga, and for over 30 years the school has been sending graduates into the design industry both within and outside the prefecture. The job of design is to create "things" that support a better life, and to propose them in "shape." This requires deep insight into the relationships between people, people and things, and people and the environment, and the ability to give them form.
To help each student's ideas take shape, our school's experienced instructors carefully teach students from the basics of design, teach them the wide range of possibilities of design, and support them in acquiring a high level of expertise by the time they graduate.
Q. What can you learn and what is important?
At IDA, you can learn about a variety of design fields, including illustration, CG, video, magazine editing, architecture, furniture, and miscellaneous goods, and acquire the sense and skills to design anything functionally.
Not only will you learn technical know-how, but you will also acquire the mindset and manners required of a working adult, as well as the ability to communicate your own thoughts and feelings through communication with others.
Q. What is your specialty and what classes do you teach?
My previous job was in magazine editing and advertising design, so I mainly teach paper-based DTP and concept making. I also teach basic drawing and 2D composition using analog materials.
Q. Why are Morisawa fonts being introduced to student PCs?
Morisawa fonts are used in various media and products involving many companies, and we feel that their visual quality has a significant impact on the effectiveness of advertising.
Q. Reactions from students so far
By the end of their first year, I feel like they gradually begin to understand the significance of consciously using distinctive typefaces and basic typefaces. Students who are primarily focused on drawing and photography can often be seen asking for advice from students who are good at typesetting, and I think this mutually supportive relationship is one ideal environment.
Q. What do you expect from the newly released Moriawa Fonts Educational Institution Plan Student License?
It would be great to hear the reasons why professionals in all fields use Morisawa fonts, as well as effective ways to use each typeface and examples of their use. If it were to be released as a reference book, I would consider including it in a textbook for students.
KBC Gakuen International Design Academy
1-60-14 Makiminato, Urasoe City, Okinawa Prefecture, 901-2131
https://www.ida.ac.jp/
Click here for "Moriawa Fonts Standard Plan for Students"
