Bon Vivant Information Magazine by Kiyoka Yamazuki is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Silver A' Design Award in Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Competition Category.
SilverGraphic· 2025
Bon Vivant Information Magazine
Client: Bon Vivant / Credit union
Silver A' Design Award Winner in Graphic Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #170205The Design
About Bon Vivant Information Magazine
Bon Vivant is an information magazine distributed free of charge at credit union branches across Japan. Each bimonthly issue introduces local people, industries, regional products and tourist sites, connecting readers with the towns around them. The magazine measures 21 by 15 centimetres and contains about 15 pages. The cover illustration is hand drawn with brushes and acrylic paints on illustration board, using compasses, rulers and ruling pens, and is then refined in image editing software. Warm colours invite readers to take a copy home.
The Recognition
About the Silver A' Design Award
Bon Vivant Information Magazine is a Silver A' Design Award winner, an extraordinarily prestigious recognition granted to top-of-the-line, gorgeous, and impressive designs. Silver winners are tremendously brilliant and exceedingly creative works that illustrate the outstanding expertise, talent, and acuity of their designers. Bon Vivant Information Magazine is expected to be a wonderful, showpiece work that is remarkably professional and profoundly innovative. This Silver A' Design Award-winning design is a highly notable, admired invention that benefits and advances the boundaries of art, science, design, and technology. Bon Vivant Information Magazine is a vastly envied creation that evokes desires, introduces positive feelings, and sparks amazement and wonderment.
Where to Get It
Hand-Drawn Corporate Illustration Services
We create warm, nostalgic illustrations that connect people and places, specializing in magazine covers, posters, and marketing materials. With over 35 years serving major Japanese brands like Toyota, Sony, and Yamaha, our traditional hand-painted approach brings authentic emotion to corporate communications.
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Design Interview
What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
When creating a cover illustration, which is the face of a booklet, we want it to be an impactful illustration that makes the reader want to pick it up and read it.
If the theme we received is "festivals," we will incorporate the characteristics of the town and the feeling of the season as elements into the design and create the illustration.
What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
Are the characteristics of the town well expressed in the illustration? Does it improve the town's image? If the theme is "festivals," I want the cover illustration to be fun and make people want to visit the town.
What are your future plans for this award winning design?
This work ended in 2017.
Therefore, I have no plans for the future.
If there is a request for such a work, I will be happy to create it. Also, the direction of the illustrations will not change, so I would like to continue creating illustrations of Japanese festivals, festivals around the world, world heritage sites, etc.
Grand Interview
Your innovative approach to Bon Vivant Information Magazine, combining hand-drawn illustrations with vibrant colors to showcase Hiroshima's summer spirit, has earned significant recognition including the Silver A' Design Award - could you share the creative journey that led to this distinctive visual storytelling approach?
Itsukushima Shrine is a beautiful shrine, not only for its large torii gate, but also for the vermilion-painted pillars of the main shrine.A visit here cleanses the soul, and a solemn atmosphere permeates the air.It was registered as a World Heritage Site in 1996.I have visited twice, but unfortunately I have never participated in the Kangen Festival.The Kangen Festival, which is held in July at Itsukushima Shrine and surrounding shrines, is a maritime ritual that is said to have been started by Taira no Kiyomori during the Heian period.The moment when the royal boat passes under the great torii gate is said to be a spectacular sight. I would definitely like to visit during that time.
The Bon Vivant Information Magazine serves as a bridge between Shinkin banks and local communities across Japan - how did you develop the visual language to ensure the magazine would resonate with diverse audiences while maintaining its warm, approachable character?
As part of my job, I have had many opportunities to draw local festivals and local shrines and temples.Also, because the illustrations are hand-drawn, I think they naturally convey the warmth and familiarity of hand-drawn art.It wasn't something I developed specifically.
Your work on Bon Vivant Information Magazine spans an impressive five-year period with 30 unique editions - how did you evolve and adapt your illustration style throughout this journey while maintaining consistency in the magazine's visual identity?
The illustrations were created based on instructions from the designers and clients.The theme changes every year, with some years being flowers, others being festivals, and others being World Heritage sites.We aimed to create fun, nostalgic illustrations that would encourage people to pick up the magazine.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- This magazine is available at credit unions across Japan and is available for customers to pick up at their convenience. She created it with warm, hand-drawn illustrations and eye-catching colors to make it easy for customers to pick up and take home.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Used for the cover illustration of the magazine.
Magazine size: 21cm x 15cm, 1mm thick (B5 size), about 15 pages
Published bimonthly, this year's theme is "World Heritage Sites and Festivals."
The illustrations are mostly hand-drawn, but sometimes Photoshop is used. - Tags
- #142430 Graphic, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Category Silver Award / Kumano Kodo
- Production Technology
- My works are mainly hand-drawn illustrations using brushes, acrylic paints, illustration boards, compasses, rulers, ruling pens, etc., and some are retouched in Photoshop.
- Design Challenge
- She didn't know how the magazine actually got from store shelves to customers' hands. However, the magazine did receive feedback from readers. One such comment, "Looking at the illustration on the cover, I felt nostalgia and a sense of the season, and it reminded me of home," made her happy.She didn't quantify the actual effect, so she doesn't know, but it seems that this activity was effective.
- Research
- This magazine is a pamphlet distributed free of charge by Shinkin banks nationwide. How do customers get it? We think it is important for customers to get to know the local people and towns. She created eye-catching illustrations that convey the warmth and nostalgia of the town. As a result, people visit the area (by buying local products, etc.) and learn about its good points. I think this has connected people and towns.
- Inspiration
- This project was created as an information tool that can be placed in the storefronts of Shinkin banks nationwide and can be freely taken home. It is also an information magazine based on the concept of "shinkumi," which energizes people and cities. The theme of the issue for which she was asked to illustrate was Hiroshima Summer. She created an illustration based on the theme of the Itsukushima Shrine Orchestra Festival, which energizes people and cities.
- Project Duration
- She was commissioned to do this project by a planning and production company (BOON Corporation + Shinkumi Sogo Service Corporation). She produced six books per year for each month over five years (30 books) from January 2011 to April 2018. The project was supervised by the National Federation of Shinkin Banks.
- Operation Flow
- Installed at Shinkin Bank branches/
Distributed free of charge/Information and gifts
This information magazine introduces people, industries, local products, and tourist spots working hard in each region of Japan, helping to steadily connect people and cities. - Patents
- Copyright Kiyoka Yamazuki 2014
- Image Credits
- Main image is Image #1 Illustrator Kiyoka Yamazuki 2015
Optional image #1 Illustrator Kiyoka Yamazuki 2015
Optional image #2 Illustrator Kiyoka Yamazuki 2014
Optional image #3 Illustrator Kiyoka Yamazuki 2014
Optional image #4 Illustrator Kiyoka Yamazuki 2015
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