Designing Design

"Thankfully, a lot of Kenya’s works have been recently translated into English. So he may yet become a household name! It’s opened the door to this new perspective on design that emanates from Japan. His writing I was introduced to by my mentor Dr. John Maeda (more on John in a moment…). Hara took my design mindset into more of a natural, intuitive place. Oftentimes, we think of design as a democratised entity, thanks to philosophies like ‘design thinking’, or the advent of digital technologies which have been advancing at such a rapid pace. These days in the profession we often think of design in the form of UX and UI and the graphic design of computer screens. But Hara’s work really brings us back to asking what makes us intuitively human. How does design actually help solutions to show up for people in the most intuitive ways, to a point where the designer actually almost becomes invisible? Good design just feels naturally a part of our subconscious if it’s approached in this way, whether it’s a graphic design and communication, a physical affordance or other solution. Think about it – the best designs seem completely natural, unforced. That intuitiveness, that thoughtfulness is something I really appreciate in Hara’s work. I have a couple of copies in my home for that very reason. It’s a celebration. When I first saw it the book definitely blew my mind for his framing of the sensory opportunities that design can have. I just thought it was unbelievable."