Today there are increasing numbers of graphic designers who are creating their own work as active members of their local communities.

The Japan Graphic Design Association (JAGDA) has collected case studies where designers are creating designs that meet the needs of local communities in eight regions around the country – Iwate, Miyagi, Tochigi, Nagano, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Tottori and Kochi. These case studies have been given the collective name “Personal, Local, Rewarding – Designing Hometown Work Opportunities.” Through video interviews that feature project sites and comments from the various people involved, who are “creating work themselves, creating work in the community, and creating work to be proud of,” we explored the new possibilities and values inherent in the graphic designer profession.

In 2022, JAGDA introduced these case studies as a form of exhibition at Tokyo Midtown Design Hub, and also released the interview videos on YouTube.

This book documents a series of these projects by rerecording the interviews of designers and individuals involved, along with a conversation with Taku Satoh, JAGDA President.

[Table of Contents]

– Exhibition Photos
– Foreword “Our era needs design works that are personal, local, and rewarding”
– Conversation with Taku Satoh, Osamu Fukushima, Nobumitsu Oseko
– Agriculture x Design | Nagano | Hisashi Todoroki
– Everyday Living x Design | Iwate | Atsuko Kimura
– Local Research x Design | Hiroshima | Masahiro Nohjima
– Traditional Cuisine x Design | Tochigi | Toru Aoyagi
– Greengrocery x Design | Miyagi | Yuichiro Takahashi
– Linkage x Design | Tottori | Shingo Yoshida
– Arts Festival x Design | Tokyo | Osamu Fukushima
– Power of the Land x Design | Kochi | Makoto Umebara
– Project History

[Links]
– Exhibition Outline: Tokyo Midtown Design Hub Official Website
– Interview Videos: YouTube

[Product Details]
Title: Jikatsu Design (Personal, Local, Rewarding – Designing Hometown Work Opportunities)

Published by: Japan Graphic Design Association Inc. (JAGDA)
Edited by: JAGDA Exhibition Committee
Editor in Chief / Cover Design: Osamu Fukusima
Interview Text: Nobuko Shimuta

29 February 2024 | 232 pages | w148 × h210mm | Colour
ISBN 978-4-416-92375-7

Price: 2,750 Yen (with tax)
Distributed by: Seibundo Shinkosha Publishing