Profile
Born in Tokyo, 1965. Graduated from Tama Art University, Department of Graphic Design, and moved to the U.S. in 1989, where she received her MFA from CRANBROOK ACADEMY OF ART, Department of Design. After graduation, she worked at TAMOTSU YAGI DESIGN in San Francisco for four years. After returning to Japan, she established Awatsuji Design Inc. in 1995 as a design studio for female designers led by sisters Mihaya and Maki Awatsuji. In addition to branding design for stores and other businesses, she is active in a wide range of fields, including hotel graphics, packaging, and other graphic design, as well as signage and space production. Professor at Joshibi University of Art and Design, JAGDA member, Japan Typography Association member.
AWATSUJI design
Thoughts on Design
“We don’t often think about why flowers are beautiful. The same is true of design, if it is instantly captivating, it is clear and beautiful.” These words from my father have always been a source of inspiration to me. There is no need for difficult logic in design. Just as in the process of creating a design, the moment an image comes to mind, it must be expressed at once. If that timing is missed, the design will fade away in the blink of an eye. Inspiration comes suddenly and unexpectedly, but it does not come from nothing. It is born from the accumulation of experience and daily accumulation. In fact, the source of inspiration can be found very close to home. Therefore, it is up to us to notice what is important in our daily lives and what we can sense from that.
Design continues to evolve day by day with the flow of the times and the trends of the world, and people expect us to come up with new proposals that exceed their imagination. Even so, we must not be carried away by the status quo, but continue to have an attitude that does not overlook even the most trivial of daily activities. We believe that the enrichment of people’s lives is the catalyst for the creation of rich designs.
