Yuki Ijichi

Specialized in Kitchenware Design.

Yuki Ijichi

About Yuki Ijichi

Yuki Ijichi works on a variety of design projects under the trade name Zero Hours Design Studio. From space design and product design to branding, graphic design, and web design, he designs across mediums to meet the challenges of his clients. At Zero Hours Design Studio, he captures the unique characteristics of his clients and matches them with their social context and needs to propose designs that solve their problems. The studio also features designs that take into account cultural context in order to create more sustainable value.

  • Winner of 2 A' Design Awards.
  • Specialized in Kitchenware Design.
  • Original Design.
  • Creative, Diligent and Innovative.
  • All Designs
  • Kitchenware
  • Architecture
Redesign of Kurojyoka Drinkware

Redesign of Kurojyoka Drinkware

Kitchenware Design

Chinza No Manma Ao Architecture

Chinza No Manma Ao Architecture

Architecture Design

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Interview with Yuki Ijichi

Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
I have always loved making things with my hands. With this background, I was inspired to become a designer when I saw a TV program when I was a student that showed a designer working with craftsmen at a local factory to create something and then using that design to break out into the world.
Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
Zero Hours Design Studio designs in all media, including graphics, products, and spaces, and we transcend genres in order to find the best solutions to our clients' challenges.
What is "design" for you?
I think it is about solving problems, connecting smoothly to people and society, and making changes without stress for the better.
What kinds of works do you like designing most?
I like to design not just a form, but to rethink it in terms of meaning and concept, and to design it in such a way that it can be experienced.
What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
My favorite design is a work in which I redesigned the traditional Kagoshima sake cup "Kurojyoka" from my hometown, Kagoshima, to fit the modern age. Knowing the background of how it has remained as a tradition, finding the points where it diverged from the modern living environment, and designing objects with consideration of the mechanisms that would make it a modern craft, was an opportunity for me to find my own design style.
What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
These are the natural materials used in crafts (wood, lacquer, ceramics, metal, dyeing, etc.) and the handcraft techniques of the artisans who work with them.
When do you feel the most creative?
I feel most creative when they become things that allow you to experience their worldview and message, rather than just explain it.
Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
Emphasis will be placed on delving into the background of human, social, and cultural illiteracy.
What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
We try to flatten the emotion as much as possible with a deep sinking image. Then, depending on the project, become one with the target user's emotions and look for design clues.
What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
Along with a sense of accomplishment, we also feel a sense of tension as we stand on the starting line to market.
What makes a design successful?
I think what makes a design successful is that it digs down to the root of things, and from there the consistency is worked down to the object.
When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
Consider whether the expression of the object is consistent with the concept, purpose, etc.
What are your future plans? What is next for you?
We plan to dig into the culture of life nurtured in the land and initiate a project to update the concept to meet the needs of the modern age.

Extended Interview with Yuki Ijichi

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
I studied information design and media art at the School of Art and Design,University of Toyama. I then worked in design at Organ Design Office in Gifu Prefecture, Studio Shirotani in Nagasaki, and gained product experience as a member of the ceramics production staff at Hasegawa Ceramic Studio before starting my own business.
How did you become a designer?
My current motivation for design is to solve social issues and problems faced by clients. My personal motivation is to reconstruct the culture of life through all design activities.
Which emotions do you feel when designing?
I design for a variety of media, without limitation of domain: graphic, product, graphic, and web. Therefore, I want to do consistent branding design from product to space and brand identity. I also want to design for the culture of the land.
What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
I think the difference is that we are able to dig out the essence from the historical and cultural background, rather than just capturing the current trends.
What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?
I think it is about capturing the background and making people experience the essence of the design rather than designing it in a descriptive way.
You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?
The value is that it enriches our lives and society. Because investing in it makes society more affluent.
What is your day to day look like?
I want to reconstruct the lifestyle culture and aesthetics of the past and design them as modern interior products. I believe that this will be a message to the next generation.
How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?
It's about digging into things and researching historical backgrounds.
What is your biggest design work?
The SEDIA 1 CHAIR was designed by Enzo Mari. It made me think again about the meaning of the chair itself, rather than designing a chair based on styling.
Who is your favourite designer?
It is a Chinza no Manma Ao Project. I think it is wonderful that we were able to create a consistent design for this project, from the architecture to the brand identity, based on the brand concept.
Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?
It is about continuing to study and consider historical and cultural backgrounds while observing trends in the world.
What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?
It is to eliminate the various distortions that exist in society.
What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?
My family and the representatives of the design firms I have worked for in the past.

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