Friendship

The College of Design Challenge

Three years ago, I successfully left my previous job and decided to go independent, but this coincided with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I was wondering what would happen in the future.

Well, I decided to take this opportunity to carefully design and rebuild my own house.

The "house" was completed without any problems.

Around that time, it became possible to go out, and last month I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to teach at a university and graduate school in Tokyo.

I teach "visual arts" classes, focusing on design, at a general university/business school that is not an arts-focused institution.

This is also a challenge for the College of Design.

It was a sudden change, so I was given six months to prepare thoroughly, and classes started in the second semester. During my time as a company employee, I was working in design practice, so I had no time to "teach." Or rather, I was doing my best to teach my juniors.

What was most important to me was to spend my free time imagining various ideas, going out into the city, and traveling.

When I left, I felt a sense of accomplishment, having done everything I could in the design field over my 35 years as a company employee...

Inspirational lessons that can only be experienced as a student

So, what exactly should be taught at university? The content, syllabus, and development of the classes are all up to you, so I thought long and hard about it.

All I can do is make use of the experience I have gained so far, but I spent every day asking myself what I could do without being attached to the past.

I thought back to my student days and thought about what "design" meant.

So, what has brought me to where I am today? For me, it is my meeting with my mentor from university and my previous job at Shiseido's creative department, where I was able to fully utilize my practical experience working with professionals at the pinnacle of design.

I have read books by many different people, but what remains in my memory are books and collections of works by people who have actually worked as artists or designers, discussing universal issues.

There was a six-month preparation period for the 15 classes (5 months) in the second semester.

I wanted to aim for "a class that would move the heart, something that can only be experienced during one's student years."

MC Power is born

When I left in 2020, all employees were suspended from work and were working fully remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I felt it was a lonely departure.

Then, a few days later, I was surprised and deeply moved when I suddenly received messages and a large collection of messages from everyone in the club.

When I reread it, I realized that in the end, I began to feel a sense of ``affection'' for having ``designed'' this club.

And then it occurred to me,

In class, we also tried to incorporate this ``meeting structure and