Research Director:
Associate Professor Yoshitaka Sugimoto, Faculty of Design
Keywords: Collaboration with the association of design departments and schools in Japanese public universities, product design, local industry

　This research theme involve a joint project with the Kanazawa College of Art and the cooperation of Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd (hereinafter “MUJI”), as part of the National Public Design University Collaboration program promoted by the Center for Designed Futures of Kyushu University. The strengths of Kyushu University are more in the planning and conceptual areas, while the strengths of the Kanazawa College of Art tend to be expressive ability and formative abilities. Therefore, by involving students together from different universities for the project, we expect to provide each other with mutual stimulation and exercise a synergistic effect.

　As local universities, both Kyushu University and the Kanazawa College of Art have a mission to proactively work for local industry and revitalization. Meanwhile, MUJI has long worked for local revitalization in their aim to contribute to the creation “Truthful and sustainablie Life for All”. The national government also lists leveraging local resources and industry to strengthen local competitiveness as one of the measures for achieving a vigorous local society into the future. Accordingly, for this project we designed appealing products for sale with the involvement of MUJI, a popular brand both domestically and internationally, based on a theme of “products typical of MUJI that leverage local industry and the skills of traditional crafts”, with Kyushu University focusing on local Kyushu companies based around central Fukuoka, and the Kanazawa College of Art focusing on local companies in the Hokuriku region.

　The project was held over an approximately five month period from October 2022 through March 2023. Participants in the project included 17 students at Kyushu University, including 3rd year faculty students to 2nd year master’s degree students, and 11 students at the Kanazawa College of Art, including 2nd and 3rd year faculty students.

　We first carried out a desktop survey and observed MUJI products and stores to understand the MUJI corporate philosophy and business activities, and made observations about what made MUJI what it is through mixed group work with members from both universities, coming up with concepts such as “Functional yet simple + good materials”, “Extension of use”, “a spic-and-span lifestyle”. Then each university surveyed the local industry and traditional crafts in their areas. In addition to literary and Internet based research, we also actually visited local industry and companies producing local traditional crafts, observed the workplaces, and interviewed craftsmen. We then selected skills that each member found interesting, and moved forward with considering ideas.

　We held an interim review meeting at the Kanazawa College of Art in December 2022, and obtained the advice of three MUJI designers from the standpoint of basic product design, such as usability and aesthetic appeal, and from the standpoint of the MUJI approach to manufacturing. We then clarified the directions and changes to each idea based on that advice. Subsequently, we brushed up the ideas while repeatedly considering manufacturing approaches and costs with local companies.

　We held a final review meeting in March 2022 where the three MUJI designers selected eight design proposals as candidates for commercialization based on criteria including the leveraging of local skills, compatibility with the MUJI manufacturing approach, and excellent usability and aesthetic appeal. An exhibit was held at the Design Commons on the Ohashi Campus of Kyushu University, and it was very well received by the approximately 120 attendees over two days.

　The eight selected designs were commercialized by local companies, and then displayed and sold at the “Tsunagaru-Ichi” (Connect Market) held in September 2023 at several MUJI stores, including the Tenjin Daimyo branch, the Daimaru Fukuoka Tenjin branch, and the Tenjin Shoppers Fukuoka branch in Fukuoka, and the Nonoichi Meirin-dori branch in Kanazawa.

This research received a small grant in FY2022 from the Center for Designed Futures of Kyushu University.