Calendar Desktop Wallpaper: October 2010

瀬を速み岩にせかるる滝川のわれても末に逢はんとぞ思ふ
Although a swift stream is divided by a rock in the strong flow,
in the end it unites again.

This is one of my most favorite waka poems I learned in school. It’s from a famous poetry anthology in the Heian period.


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My Business Card Design

I’m invited to NEC Labs America to give a talk there, so I’ll be in the U.S. from 23rd to 25th September 2010 (first visit to the country!). After I became a freelance designer I didn’t have a business card, so I made one for this chance.

The concept of this is a business card that can stay on a desk as long as it can before getting tucked away into a business card book.
(Sorry, the email address and phone number on the card are for those who have contacted me via this email.)

If it stands, it will probably stay on the desk for some time not buried under other stuff. But if it can be used as a tool, it’ll stick around much longer. So I made it a built-in webcam cover that can be hung on top of a computer monitor (with a camera). I heard a webcam can be hacked, so it can be a precaution.

Can’t wait to hand this to someone 🙂

The printer I asked for this is Japan Advertising Inc., where I used to work about 5 years ago, does a pretty good job printing this kind of cards. This card is thicker than usual and there was a cutout, but they did a very good job.

Motion Graphic Designs For SOTBANK 30-Year Vision Movie

I had a chance to design concept models for a movie titled “Information Revolution” which was aired at the 30th Anniversary Event by SOFTBANK.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXMtRSCcGY4]

Here I designed the user interface for a future computer.

This is a concept model of future computer program. I made lots of images and the below movie is the motioned sequel of them. I tried to make it look organic. (Not all of the below cut was used in the final version.)

(View it on Behance Network.)

I also made some concept images of future medical technology.

I was invited to the anniversary event in Budo-kan, Tokyo. I was truly impressed with the vision of the SOFTBANK president Song-san.

Calendar Desktop Wallpaper: August 2010

Do not quench your inspiration and your imagination; do not become the slave of your model.
Vincent Van Gogh


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Comically Conical – Door Knob Concepts

I was looong wondering if there’s a good way to let one notice if the door is to push or pull only with the shape of a normal (round/tulip shaped) doorknob. Thinking of a good knob design for pushing is not so difficult but in most cases the shape is also good for pulling and vice versa.

So I thought differently; it might work if I can find a shape that makes it HARD to push/pull. Then a user instinctively notice which way the door should open. (Not sure if this has already been used.)

The above knob is for pulling. It a little hard to turn this knob and push.

Likewise the above knob makes it a little hard to turn and pull.

There are times when you have to push a pull-door and pull a push-door, such as when you release a door stopped with a door-stopper, so I made it “a little” hard to push/pull. Will these doorknobs help many people you think?

For manufacturers, please contact me for development.

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Face Door Hanger

I started freelancing from this month and have more time to work at home than before. My son, by the way, is 2 years old and can’t read yet, so he ignores a door hanger that says ‘Do Not Disturb’ in words. That’s why I came up with this concept. He understands what this face door hanger means, but there’s one problem: he got to like it so much that he cries out for it in front of the door of my room… So he’s disturbing me much more now. Oops!

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.