Tama Art University, Department of Integrated Design
Professor Ken Okamoto

Q.What kind of classes do you teach? 

This is a class called "Editorial Exercise" that can be chosen by students in the Department of Integrated Design from their third year. It teaches editorial skills unique to integrated design, that is, the organization of textual information required in a variety of environments, not just for books but also for packaging, products, interfaces, and spaces.

The focus is on developing the skills and insight to layout information consisting solely of text, rather than decorative expressions, such as the back of a flyer, ingredient lists on packaging, or exhibition venue captions, to create something that is easy for the recipient to read and conveys information accurately.

Q.The font's sensibility isONThe moment it became 

I originally graduated from the Faculty of Letters, and after graduating I worked a lot of part-time jobs to get a job as a graphic designer. When I finally joined a company as a full-time employee, I was assigned my own desk and dedicated computer for the first time. It had a lot of different fonts on it. I remember being impressed by the wide variety of fonts and knowing that I could use them freely.

Q.What is your favorite Morisawa font and why? 

."TaigoB101" The typeface has no major quirks, and the subordinate alphanumeric characters are beautiful, making it easy to use. Although there are no weight options, I often use it because it can be used for all purposes.

In my classes, I have a rule that students can only use one typeface throughout the entire year. I think there are far too many font options for students today. Just trying it out for a bit won't deepen their understanding of a typeface's characteristics and tone. For this reason, I have students use "Bold Gothic B101," a typeface that is easy to typeset, throughout the year.

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

I haven't seen students from other schools so I can't make a comparison, but I feel there is a huge difference between students who have a deep knowledge of design in general and those who don't.

Another issue, which could be considered the fate of the Department of Integrated Design, is that because you study a wide range of design-related subjects, it is inevitable that you will be late in deciding on your career choice. I am concerned that this delay in starting your job search will leave you unable to decide on your future path.

What students learn in the Department of Integrated Design is useful not only for design work but also for general employment, but I think that there is still a small gap in society for this knowledge. I feel that this situation also leaves students wondering, "What do I really want to do?" and "Which company is right for me?"

Q.The switch is "OFFThe moment it becomes 

Maybe there is no "OFF" switch. I'm the type of person who is bad at switching off... Even when I go to a chiropractor when I have really stiff shoulders, I'm often told, "Your head is constantly moving and your body is constantly stiff," so it's a challenge for me to switch off (laughs).

Q.What I want to challenge myself with and what I'm interested in 

In terms of education, I would like to try teaching the classes I am currently teaching at other schools. I feel that the target audience could be high school or junior high school students, not just university students. I would like to teach a variety of age groups.

Also, when it comes to work, I am interested in how we work and how we continue to operate.
I am fortunate to be able to employ staff and work in this environment, but I would like to explore ways of working that enrich both my staff and myself. For example, I think that if I were to question the common sense of the working environment, such as working three days a week, I might be able to come up with some interesting ways of working.

Another challenge I would like to take on is to create a base somewhere other than Tokyo. If there is a place that staff and their families can use freely, we could create a triangle between the office, home, and another base, and perhaps create a new cycle.