How can designs reveal new perspectives and surprising values in the familiar? Meet an architect bringing new value to existing products through upcycling. A project using AI to bring new perspective to traditional crafts, and artists using collage and other techniques. These creators use a softer aesthetic to move past stereotypes and shape fresh, unique designs. Join us to explore this exciting new world!
Today on DESIGN X STORIES, we're exploring "Variations on a Theme."
Design can reveal "new value" in pre-existing items by offering a "new" perspective.
I'll be visiting someone who "upcycles" construction materials and furniture in "astonishing" new ways.
And I'll be meeting a woman who explores the world of art through the medium of "collage."
What happens when "AI" gets involved in traditional crafts?
Let's explore the beauty of new approaches that "tear" down stereotypes.
So I'm in Shibuya here right now, and there's a perfect spot - here for today's topic.
Let's go check it out.
I've come to a hotel that has some fascinating furniture.
- Hello.
- Motogi-san?
Nice to meet you.
The designs are the work of architect Motogi Daisuke.
The hotel is upstairs. I worked on the interior and first-floor shop.
- I love this space.
- Thank you.
A café, and a craft beer store.
The shelving looks unique.
- It's part of the fridge.
- How unusual.
A crafted fridge to sell craft beer!
Very crafty!
I disassembled an old fridge to remove the cooling system.
- Then used it here.
- It's like an AC unit.
Instead of an industrial product it's a crafted, DIY design.
These are called GI pipes, usually used in scaffolding.
Oh yes.
Fiber-reinforced plastic, not steel.
I use them a lot.
Oh yes, I see them. They're something of a signature?
- Yes, even the lights.
- Oh yes!
And the beer taps.
Oh wow! Interesting.
Next, we head upstairs to the hotel lobby.
I like the round table.
Wait, what's going on down here?
Lashing belts used to hold down items on a truck.
The table uses no screws or glue. It's held together by the belts.
There's a pipe across this gap. The belt holds them together.
Fastened tightly. That's smart!
- I put a lot of thought into it.
- I can tell!
Motogi brings a "fresh perspective" to familiar products, transforming them into something "new."
His work is truly unique!
Let's visit his office to see more.
What is this?
It's a plug, right?
Tug on the tail! It's a prototype.
- From a vacuum cleaner!
- It's retractable, yes.
- Smart thinking!
- Thank you.
What a great hack.
The stool is part of a project titled "Hackability of the Stool."
It's based on the iconic Stool 60.
The project has accumulated over 330 diverse and useful product ideas using this stool.
100 of which have been turned into products.
I see six ways to iterate new, simple ideas for a product.
The first is to make "a stool for X." For architects, or presenters.
A stool for a cameraman! Just find a list of professions.
That's an endless list!
Find a catalog of household items and imagine a stool doing each job.
Interesting!
You could do that with a dictionary. Splice a stool with each word.
You have a talent for spotting that potential. It's always on your mind?
Pretty much.
Each of Motogi's ideas showcase his approach.
Take this hanging stepladder.
The frame really adds something.
Makes it look smart.
Instead of hiding it in a closet.
I hang up all kinds of things.
Not just the ladder?
I've framed a broom. Today it's this.
I love this idea! So interesting.
Motogi spots a drainage pipe and sees a "pen" stand.
- I instantly know your work!
- Yeah.
It's so recognizable.
It feels rude to say, but I genuinely love that it looks cheap.
Thank you!
- But it's solid!
- The cork bottom, yes.
It's done properly.
Function is a key part of your designs.
Oh yes.
- A masterpiece!
- Thank you.
You're always thinking outside the box for form, function, and use.
- I suppose so.
- Yes?
I was born in 1981, an era with lots of stuff.
- It was.
- Right?
The 80s, yeah.
I make things because it's fun. But I do feel a little guilty.
There's already so much stuff out there. Do we need new ideas?
True.
But despite that, making things is fun! So I want to keep doing it.
So the key is finding new roles and ideas for preexisting items.
- Makes sense.
- Right?
It's a shift in perspective.
And I find it fascinating.
Motogi has applied his unique perspective to more than just "products."
Tanukikoji Shopping Street in Sapporo, Hokkaido.
A renewal project here left a vacant lot.
Motogi turned it into a public space by placing cushions and simple seats made with artificial grass.
It's now a popular relaxation space for locals.
And he has other projects on hand as well.
Say they start doing construction.
They section off part of the arcade, marking the construction site.
Instead, I suggest setting the site back by 1.8 meters.
Like this.
Yes, and then use that sliver of space.
Open a 'thin store.'
So by setting up a temporary store you're preventing dead space.
No dead zones, yeah.
That's a very neat idea.
Those barriers are a dead end. An ending.
It's easier to find ideas for a skinny space like this.
Construction barriers don't spark the imagination.
But a skinny space? Maybe it's a bar. Or a gallery!
Or close off the construction and have a members only sushi bar.
Interesting.
I think it's important not to simply accept the things around us.
There's always room for improvement.
How will that approach evolve?
The more perspectives we can gather, the better.
Whether that's for design or for improving something different.
It changes how we see things.
Once that gets rolling, the chain reaction begins to improve all our plans.
More people see that perspective and are changed by it.
This stunning pottery is Asahi-yaki, made in Uji, Kyoto for the last 400 years.
Right now, there's a plan to train an AI on this traditional beauty and ask it to create new designs.
16th-generation Asahi-yaki studio director Matsubayashi Hosai.
Nobody knows whether AI is going to be a force for good or bad.
But we can't deny its existence. It's going to keep evolving.
So it seemed wise to find ways to work with it in its present form.
The project was launched by IT gurus Terasawa Yutaka and Fujisawa Yoshitami.
We're using a neural network.
We wanted to work with people who are interested in new tech.
People who want to take on new iterations of old ideas.
Traditional arts and crafts seemed like a great match.
A neural network requires a great deal of data.
The long history of Asahi-yaki made it an excellent match.
Asahi-yaki is well-regarded for its ceramics that are used in traditional tea ceremonies.
Our work doesn't provide a set of instructions to follow.
We offer a set of possibilities. Our AI can help with inspiration.
First, over a "thousand pieces" made from all 16 generations of Asahi-yaki were captured and digitized.
The AI was trained on this data, and the team built a program to generate Asahi-yaki models.
There's a wide variety of models, but Matsubayashi is "clearly" drawn to the broken designs.
I'd never think of making something broken.
Naturally they can't be made as shown, because they're broken.
But there's beauty in them. What exactly is so appealing to me?
There are potential new variations I couldn't have found alone.
That was the most interesting part of the tool for me.
Inspired by the AI models, Matsubayashi created "this" piece.
A vessel with a "hat"-like lid.
The cutting-edge design evolved as an offshoot of a "chato" tea bowl.
Usually I think of use cases, then come up with a suitable design.
This time the design came first.
Then I came up with interesting uses.
I considered possible situations where it would fit.
It's a fascinating, creative process.
There are still a lot of issues to solve but there's real potential.
Today I'm meeting an artist who specializes in the medium of "collage."
We've arranged to meet at this store.
- Hello!
- Hello.
- I'm Shaula.
- I'm Midori, nice to meet you.
This is artist Midori.
This is lovely, are you the owner?
No, but I have a lot of my work here. They kindly display it.
Midori works in collage, assembling images cut from newspapers and magazines to create new arrangements.
It's become a recognized form of contemporary art.
- I love this!
- Thank you.
The woman's body and the water jug are entwined.
Finding unexpected coincidences like that is the fun of collage.
There's always something I didn't intend or expect.
A lot of these make me think of fashion, but do you have a theme?
I don't start with a fixed idea.
But I find older material has its own story that appears as I work.
Collage reveals a new story by placing separate items together.
I think that's a big part of it.
Where do you find your material?
This woman's face has a vintage look to me.
They're all old papers.
I focus on anything from 1930 up to the 60s and 70s.
I cut out my work from there. So you're seeing historical paper.
Where do you find 1930s papers?
In secondhand book stores or flea markets in other countries.
One of Midori's works uses even older paper.
This paper is from the 1700s. It's over 300 years old.
Wait, seriously? This paper is 300 years old?
Yes, reworked and framed in this piece.
Why use such old paper?
Partly because I myself love antiques.
There's something miraculous about finding something utterly unique.
It's all serendipity and chance. I want to prize those encounters.
Midori loves and respects the medium of old paper.
Jewelry store owner Shikama is a big fan of her work.
Her work is truly unique.
I love antiques from 200 years ago, so we suit each other.
Midori's sculptural collages are also wonderful.
She folded the pages of this book like an accordion before adding the collage elements.
Here, she folded the cut-out to fit the sculpture.
Other pieces incorporate real plants, a new element in Midori's fascinating creative world.
I'm blown away by her work.
And I can't wait to see her studio.
Here are my materials.
That's a mountain of old magazines!
You can really feel the era, wow!
- Fortune is still around.
- It's still published!
This is from 1947.
- 1947?
- Yes.
Lovely!
The adverts were beautifully designed. I love looking at them.
The faded color....
- Yes, that distinctive yellowing!
- It's great.
- Unique to paper.
- Wow...
Harper's Bazaar, from 1958?
May I?
- The fashions are so different.
- But the magazine still exists.
- The cover is so different!
- Wow, 1958?
Yes.
Blue Ribbon Fashion!
With a blue cover.
I've never heard of the Haberdasher Look! ‘Wonders to Come!'
It's all so chic.
Very classic jackets and skirts.
How cool!
The photo layouts are amazing.
I love this.
How do you choose from all these each time?
- Gut instinct?
- Fair enough.
I flick through the pages and see what I'm drawn to.
What appeals in the moment. So, gut instinct, I guess!
You cut a $30 magazine by instinct?
- Pretty much! No regrets.
- Wow.
Time to try my hand at making my own collage.
You can paste backgrounds onto text.
Or put a sky on top of another background. Whatever you like.
I like the freedom of it.
It opens up new possibilities if I don't need a white background.
Anything can be a background.
I like this Poiret....
Going by instinct must reveal something to you when you finish a piece.
The colors and layout often reveal my tastes, or how I feel that day.
I'm sure.
Always new discoveries.
What appeals to you about this work?
There's pleasure in a clean cut.
It's analog work. I can't change the size or color, you know?
Those are easy changes when working in digital art.
True.
I think about how to showcase what I can't change in my collage.
It's such a great rush when everything comes together.
Making anything is essentially a dialogue with oneself.
Yes.
What do I like? What's calling to me? It's fun to explore those questions.
I can imagine.
I've chosen my materials.
Let's start by combining Japan's iconic Mt. Fuji...
with a photo of Las Vegas!
Maybe here...?
This is hard.
What on earth am I making?
It's very cute. The colors are lovely.
It's not done, but done for now.
It'll never be finished.
That's the thing!
On top of the 'ski'....
Ta-da!
Yours is so chic!
I love your colors.
The combination of Vegas, Mt. Fuji, and these buildings is so unusual.
I love these hands.
I do like hands. They appear in a lot of my work.
- It's amazing.
- Thank you.
It was so fun, I hope to improve!
Please keep at it!
Making these felt very meaningful.
Each of these magazines has a history.
And the photos we cut out were carefully composed and developed.
Very true.
We're taking art from an artwork.
Then turning it into new art, decades later.
That feels significant to me.
Restructuring and reinterpreting these old designs and photos.
I try to ensure I'm creating art that could only be made now.
Is there anything specific you want to say with your art?
I don't title my art because that creates preconceptions.
I hope each person finds their own story in it.
Why is their hand coming out from here? Why this color?
I want their imagination to feel unlimited.
Personally I'd title this one "Hello!" Everyone saying hi!
Next time you pick something up, ask yourself how "else" it might be used.
You might get a surprising answer.