Reflecting on 20 Years of Good Design

The Good Design Company was founded in 1998 by creative director Manabu Mizuno and, since their inception, have stayed true to their name. For 20 years Mizuno has attempted to “make things better” through design. And that has remained constant whether he’s designing a store, a train, a beer glass or Japan’s most lovable mascot Kumamon. Now, a new exhibition reflects on 2 decades of Mizuno’s Good Design.

In 2010, Mizuno designed the Kumamon mascot for Kumamoto prefecture. The mascot would go on to become one of Japan’s most-beloved. It’s estimated that the bear earns Kumamoto $1 billion annually

Design is often misunderstood as being something that is meant to stand out, or made presentable, explains Mizuno. And when you look up the word design in the dictionary you’ll find definitions like drawings, drafts or planning. But design is so much more than just that.

According to Mizuno, design is something that fills in what’s missing, removes what is unnecessary and maximizes appeal. An exhibition opening in Tokyo takes a look at exactly how Mizuno has achieved this over his incredibly diverse span of work. “Good Design Company 1998 – 2018” reflects not only on the final designs but the process in achieving them. The show will be on view at Creation Gallery G8 from September 12 – October 18, 2018.

one of our long-time favorites is the branding and total direction of Nakagama Masamichi Shoten, a shop that sells Japanese designer and artisan crafts

in 2015 the company was tasked with rebranding the entire Sotetsu Railway Company

the signage (2010) for the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo

the Fujisan Glass (2010) which has become a popular souvenir from Japan

a 2007 ad campaign for NTT Docomo’s iD payment system

Making even government branches look good: a 2008 branding campaign for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF)

a 2015 branding campaign for food company Oisix

in 2010 Mizuno directed all the graphics for Utada Hikaru’s SINGLE COLLECTION Vol.2

a 2015 logo and branding for the Tokyo Swimming Association

1 Comment

  1. It was an off year when that creepy bear thing at the top was created.

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