Interviews with Past Winners

Mr. Tasuku Denno won the Grand Prix out of 1,480 entries in the KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD 2024. In response to the theme of "primitive," which was interpreted as a "redefinition of essence," he proposed the work titled "You Shape," a product that can be shaved into the shape you want and used as a material. As described by the judges as "a straightforward proposal that does not need explanation," this work brilliantly recaptures the essence of the material by using a simple method of returning a standardized pencil to its original form. We asked Mr. Denno about how this work was born.

Facing "what I really wanted to do" once again

――  You usually work as a product designer at a manufacturer, but what made you decide to apply?

Denno: I actually tried out for the KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD competition when I used to work for a design company, twice in my 20s and twice in my 30s. I had strong momentum in my youth, and I was like "I'll definitely win this competition!" but I didn't have the chance to be selected. At that time, I had changed my job, so the contents of my job had also changed, and my motivation had gradually declined. As I continued with my current job, I suddenly wondered more and more if it was okay for things to stay the same. My passion for design and the desire to "try something more interesting" began to reinvigorate me, and just about a year ago, I restarted my design activities and took on the challenge of the KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD this time.

The origins of his works are "inferiority complex" and "inconvenience" in his childhood

――  What was your first impression of the theme "primitive"?

Denno: First of all, I intuitively felt a world view of Japan. Also, in a world where digitalization is progressing, I wanted to come up with a product that would evoke a fundamental sense of humanity. With that in mind, I had no difficulties coming up with ideas. I would say that it was because of this theme that I decided to apply for this year's competition.

――  You must have come up with quite a lot of ideas, but can you tell us the background behind your decision to create the "You Shape?"

Denno: The "You Shape" is an idea that came up relatively late. Until this idea came up, I had been coming up with ideas based on rather logical calculations, but for the "You Shape," I was inspired by my own original childhood experience.

From an early age I had large hands and could not hold a standard pencil well. People around me pointed out the way I held my pencil, and I sometimes felt inferior and inconvenienced. Also, according to my parents' educational policies, I sharpened my pencils with a small knife instead of a pencil sharpener. I think I was very out of place among the children around me. I thought that if these two memories were fused together, I could create a new product by pursuing "the ease of gripping" and "the fun of shaving tools by oneself."

――  What did you think was important or creative when developing the presentation sheets?

Denno: When making such sheets, I have the habit of putting a lot of effort into CG and 3D, but rather than that, I was conscious of conveying the world view of the sensation and scent of shaving wood. Specifically, I intentionally reflected pencil shavings in the photo, and included a design in the background that reminds us of shavings, so that people would be able to tell at a glance that the work was being shaved.

The response to the Grand Prix he felt from the final judging

――  How did you proceed with the creation of the model once you were notified of the finalist selection?

Denno: Actually, the work that I was most confident of being selected for was the one that I imagined would be made with resin molding and metal fabrication, so when it came to making the model, I was going to order the work from an outside processing company. However, contrary to such assumptions, "You Shape" was selected, so I started researching the material by myself.

It is actually a soft cypress wood called incense cedar that is used in many pencils, but it is very difficult to obtain personally. So I selected about 10 different materials similar to this wood and purchased a woodworking processing machine to make prototypes. Unfortunately, all of them were hard, and in the end I could not find a wood as soft as incense cedar, but I narrowed down the ones that were as easy to shave as possible and felt comfortable when shaving.

――  Besides material selection, were there any other difficulties you encountered?

Denno: Generally, the process for a pencil is to carve a groove in a board, place the lead in it, and then insert another board between the two to shave it into the shape of a pencil, but I found that this was impossible with my model. Therefore, in this model, holes are drilled from both ends of the board and the lead is embedded. It looks beautiful because there are no seams on the board, however, it was very difficult to make holes in the board.

――  What were your honest impressions when the Grand Prix was announced?

Denno: This work was inspired by a lot of my personal memories, so I was really happy that my experience was recognized. I also felt that I might be able to make it through the final judging because I realized again that my work was in line with the primitive theme. In the end, I was able to win the Grand Prix, and I am truly grateful to have worked so hard to achieve this.

Pursuing designs that enrich people's time

――  Once again, how do you feel about the awards as a whole?

Denno: Since I had to work on it while still working at my job, it was difficult to make time. But I still enjoyed the feeling of ideas popping up, and it reminded me of the passion I had when I was in my 20s and 30s, when I was working on competitions. Such thoughts and sensibilities will become dull if I do not continue my creative activities, so I would like to continue to challenge myself, especially in competitions.

――  What do you think is a good design, Denno?

Denno: When I think about design, I place importance on "how to enrich the time of the user." Humans have a limited amount of time to live their lives. I want to create ideas and designs that will lead to a memorable experience for the user, because having them use something I have designed is a way for them to spend their valuable time.

――  Please give a message to those who are considering applying for the KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD.

Denno: I can tell you from my experience that it is still important to broaden the range of ideas, and I think that if you stick too tightly to the ideas that you think "this is it!," it will be difficult to get results. Through this award, I also feel that while it is of course important to think about this and that, in the end, there is nothing better than one's own actual experience. When thinking about ideas, if you touch your own sensibility and become honest with that sense, it will naturally lead to good design.