Yuya Nakazawa

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Yuya Nakazawa ("YN") for their original perspective and innovative approach to design as well as their creative lifestyle, we are very pleased to share our interview with our distinguished readers.

DL: Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?

YN : Since childhood, I have been fascinated by forms and structures through indie games, music, and scale models. After a 15-year career in video editing, I studied woodworking for one year and received the Top Graduate Award. Subsequently, I worked at a solid wood furniture workshop for four years, learning not only technical skills but also the methodology of decision-making through production. My debut work, "ORUHA," created in my sixth year of woodworking, has achieved eight international design awards.

DL: What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?

YN : It started because I couldn't find furniture that I was truly satisfied with. I am interested in how forms influence human perception and behavior, and I believe design is the only way to consciously control those elements.

DL: Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?

YN : I chose this path as a transition from digital creation as a video editor to tactile, analog craftsmanship. While I didn't have absolute certainty at first, my conviction grew as I persisted and engaged deeply with the craft. It was only after committing seriously that my choice became clear.

DL: What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?

YN : I currently focus on chair designs centered on wood. Moving forward, I aim to create furniture that integrates structural beauty and comfort at an even higher level.

DL: What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?

YN : Never give up on believing in yourself. People around you will use various words to obstruct your path; view them as trials. If you can overcome them, you will finally become your true self. I was in that exact position before winning this award.

DL: What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?

YN : It depends on where the designer’s perspective lies—how they perceive the world and how they approach it. Simply put, I believe it comes down to the depth of their problem-solving abilities.

DL: What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?

YN : A design can only be called "good" when there are no points left to correct. If even a single contradiction is found, it is a failure.

DL: What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?

YN : It fundamentally transforms the experience of a space. Long-lasting designs also reduce waste and contribute to a more sustainable society.

DL: What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?

YN : I would like to design chairs for public spaces. I want to see how forms behave and function under uncontrolled, diverse usage conditions.

DL: What is the dream project you haven’t yet had time to realize?

YN : To collaborate with an architect to design furniture not merely as objects, but as an integral part of the architectural space.

DL: What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?

YN : Never giving up and never compromising on the goals I have set. Even if a project is near completion, if I find a structural issue, I will discard it and start over.

DL: Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?

YN : Leonardo da Vinci, Antoni Gaudí, Susumu Hirasawa, and Hayao Miyazaki. Technically, I am influenced by a highly skilled veteran furniture craftsman I worked with.

DL: What are your favorite designs by other designers, why do you like them?

YN : Furniture that has survived across generations. Its raison d'être is still clearly expressed within its form today.

DL: What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?

YN : Human beings themselves. I find the human structure inherently devoid of waste. Even from a creative standpoint—money, history, religion, capitalism, and morals—everything was designed by humans.

DL: How could people improve themselves to be better designers, what did you do?

YN : Thorough observation and repetitive prototyping. I constantly keep my antennae up to analyze anything that strikes a chord with me.

DL: If you hadn’t become a designer, what would you have done?

YN : I would likely still be working as a video editor.

DL: How do you define design, what is design for you?

YN : The act of expressing maximum freedom and beauty within the constraints of functionality.

DL: Who helped you to reach these heights, who was your biggest supporter?

YN : My family, and the connections I have with friends and acquaintances.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

YN : Experience in the field—specifically, learning the decision-making criteria held by a veteran master craftsman.

DL: What were the obstacles you faced before becoming a design master?

YN : Time and financial resources.

DL: How do you think designers should present their work?

YN : Taking excellent photographs and organizing one's personal background and philosophy logically.

DL: What’s your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?

YN : Developing chairs with new structural concepts and expanding the "ORUHA" series.

DL: What’s your ultimate goal as a designer?

YN : To continue creating without interruption throughout my life.

DL: What people expect from an esteemed designer such as yourself?

YN : I am not yet sure if I am "renowned," but I believe people expect work that is truly essential.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

YN : By creating items that are loved for a long time, I contribute to a sustainable society that does not rely on mass consumption.

DL: What are you currently working on that you are especially excited about?

YN : Ongoing production and the construction of my own workshop.

DL: Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?

YN : "ORUHA Chair." My ideals of structure and beauty were realized without compromise, proving that the idea could physically exist.

DL: What would you like to see changed in design industry in the coming years?

YN : As digital technology advances, I hope to see a re-evaluation of the importance of tactile materials and physical sensations.

DL: Where do you think the design field is headed next?

YN : Most designs will become easier to produce and, consequently, easier to ignore. AI will accelerate this, but what remains will be human judgment—the decision of what to select and what to reject.

DL: How long does it take you to finalize a design project?

YN : Several months, though it varies depending on the number of times I start over.

DL: When you have a new design project, where do you start?

YN : I begin with small-scale models, then transition to full-scale prototypes.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

YN : Never ignore discomfort.

DL: Do you think design sets the trends or trends set the designs?

YN : It is like the "chicken and the egg" dilemma where you don't know which came first; I believe design and trends are born while reflecting each other.

DL: What is the role of technology when you design?

YN : Technology increases precision, but it is not a substitute for human judgment.

DL: What kind of design software and equipment do you use in your work?

YN : Hand tools, woodworking machinery, and clay for modeling. I use whatever the required shape demands.

DL: What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?

YN : Materials are the core of the design, and the environment is the context in which it exists. Color serves to emphasize the inherent texture of the material.

DL: What do you wish people to ask about your design?

YN : Questions regarding the "inevitability" of the structure and form.

DL: When you see a new great design or product what comes into your mind?

YN : Whether the thought process that led to that specific form is visible.

DL: Who is your ideal design partner? Do you believe in co-design?

YN : An architect.

DL: Which people you interacted had the most influence on your design?

YN : The Japanese musician Susumu Hirasawa.

DL: Which books you read had the most effect on your design?

YN : "Paintabon!" by Katsuya Terada.

DL: How did you develop your skills as a master designer?

YN : Countless hours of prototyping and a continuous habit of rigorous self-criticism.

DL: Irrelative of time and space, who you would want to meet, talk and discuss with?

YN : My own children when they have reached my current age. I intend to live as a role model for them, and I would like to ask if my path was the right one.

DL: How do you feel about all the awards and recognition you had, is it hard to be famous?

YN : I still don't have a real sense of being "famous."

DL: What is your favorite color, place, food, season, thing and brand?

YN : The color of wood (walnut), orange, salmon roe (Ikura), autumn, and quiet spaces.

DL: Please tell us a little memoir, a funny thing you had experienced as a designer?

YN : When someone saw the clay model of "ORUHA" and asked if I would sell it as a sculpture.

DL: What makes your day great as a designer, how do you motivate yourself?

YN : The day a curve I imagined finally takes shape as a beautiful physical line.

DL: When you were a little child, was it obvious that you would become a great designer?

YN : Vaguely. I felt that if I remained sincere to my own internal standards, I would eventually reach this point—though this specific recognition came quite suddenly.

DL: What do you think about future; what do you see will happen in thousand years from now?

YN : Technology will advance exponentially over the next few decades. In 100 years, the world will be beyond our current imagination. As for 1,000 years from now, I simply cannot say.

DL: Please tell us anything you wish your fans to know about you, your design and anything else?

YN : I will simply continue to create.