Interviews with So Koizumi

When I was 17, I went with my father to work in Germany and visited Bruder Klaus Kapelle (designed by Peter Zumthor).
I still remember the impact it had on me, and looking back, I think it was then that I decided to become a designer.

Themes from everyday life are considered in depth and a concept is developed through research and experimentation.
At the same time, the output method is examined using both digital tools and manual work, leading to a final expression.

When an idea is born, it is also the most exciting moment.
When I am considering a design, I am in a state of selflessness in order to realise the idea.

It is the accumulation of setting small goals to achieve a big goal and completing these small tasks on a daily basis.

I do not follow trends. Instead, I focus on emotions and events that I experience in my daily life.

I think it's about having an appropriate sense of the times. This is because no matter how elaborate a design is, if it is out of step with the times and society, it cannot be called good design.

One by one, the small problems and gaps from the image that I discovered with my own eyes during the study are solved, and at a certain stage it becomes clear to me, and that is the moment of completion.

The wind chime 'Seven', which received the A'Design Award this year, is one of the most important pieces of work.

I visited Berlin last year and was inspired by the city's attitude of respecting the past and trying to merge it with the future.
Based on this experience, I am currently creating a new work.

I was most interested in how my work would be evaluated by people abroad.
I also hoped that this evaluation would motivate not only the designers themselves, but also the craftspeople who worked with them.

One is that it is a wind chime with a new structure, so I had to sublimate it into a form that was unique to me.
The other is that this wind chime stands on its own with a very delicate balance, so every component required precise technical skills.

I would like to exhibit first in Tokyo and then abroad.

The concept is something that has come naturally to me over the last couple of years of my life.

This was not commissioned, but part of an independent production.

The production was carried out in Takaoka, Toyama, Japan, a city famous for its metalworking. It could not have been completed without their technical expertise.

The concept was born out of daily life and the idea of a wind chime with a tensegrity structure was conceived to realise it.

There are works in the world that use tensegrity structures, but this is about incorporating the features of tensegrity structures into the function of a wind chime and sublimating them into a form like a work of art.

The first is that it makes use of a tensegrity structure, which, when viewed from the side, is shaped like a combination of "7". The second is named after the division of labour in Takaoka, with a total of seven factories and their craftsmen producing the product.

3D software and craftsmanship.

It is the incorporation of the features of the tensegrity structure into the function of a wind chime and its sublimation into a form like a work of art.

It was produced by craftsmen in Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture, Japan, which is famous for metalworking.

In the case of this work, the research is in the discoveries of everyday life.

Because the structure of the wind chime was unprecedented, design and experimentation were repeated.
There were some problems in the actual production, but it was the technical skills of the craftsmen in Takaoka that led us to a solution.

I was interested to see how people in Japan and around the world would rate it.

It is about persevering to the end and not giving up, paying attention to subtleties and communicating with the craftspeople.

It is about being able to help others through your designs.

I chose to become a designer.

The company designs a wide range of areas, including interiors, products and objects.

Being able to take responsibility for one's own design.

I think it's about having an appropriate sense of the times. This is because no matter how elaborate a design is, if it is out of step with the times and society, it cannot be called good design.

The wind chime 'Seven' was awarded the A'Design Award this year.

Helping people.
This does not mean designing to make everyday life more convenient, but to enrich it by presenting small emotions such as surprises and discoveries, and ideas that are different from theirs.

I believe that through my designs I should express my opinion on society as an individual.
It is only a small opinion from the perspective of society as a whole, but I think it is very significant to continue to do so.

Fossil-like furniture has been produced. It will be presented soon.

For example, a project may be able to make a small contribution to improving environmental problems, depending on the materials used.
However, this is only a small event in the context of society as a whole and does not represent a dramatic improvement.
What is important is to sustain the idea and the activity.
As one person's idea spreads to people, another activity is born.
By sustaining it, we believe that it has the potential to become a good society.

Conversations with craftspeople. They give you knowledge and background on things you didn't know.

The wind chime 'Seven' was awarded the A'Design Award this year.

Sometimes it takes three months, sometimes a year.

It starts with researching the background to the project.

I do not follow trends. Instead, I focus on emotions and events that I experience in my daily life.

It is an aid to human creation.

I want designers to understand what they wanted to convey through their designs.
We tend to focus on the phenomena and materials in front of us, but I think the important thing is to know the background of the design.

SO KOIZUMI DESIGN was established in Tokyo in 2021.
The company is involved in a wide range of areas of design, including interiors, products, and objects.

This does not mean designing to make everyday life more convenient but to enrich it by presenting small emotions such as surprises and discoveries, and ideas that are different from theirs.

I like to design things that have margins where I can use my personality (thinking and modeling).

I like the simple and powerful design.

The wind chime 'Seven' was awarded the A'Design Award this year.

Metal and stone. This is because both are materials derived from nature.

It's that moment when people who are involved in creating the same thing come together and sincerely share their opinions to make it better, resulting in a genuine resonance.

Balance. The emphasis is not only on figurative balance, but also on the relationship between space and objects, and more specifically on the balance between people and the environment.

It is a very concentrated time, so close to a sense of nothingness.

There are no emotional feelings. Just making sure that the space and objects are there properly.

Knowledge and Communication.

I think it's about having an appropriate sense of the times. This is because no matter how elaborate a design is, if it is out of step with the times and society, it cannot be called good design.

I believe that as freelance designers, we have a unique profession that allows us to transmit our individual opinions to society through our own designs. Although our opinions may seem insignificant in the eyes of society as a whole, I consider it incredibly significant to continue doing so.

Even though technology has made the world more convenient, traces of human manual work and thought will still be a factor in inspiring people.

In June 2023, he presented his new work in a gallery he had designed and built myself.

It is an accumulation of travel and daily observations.

From a single concept, the product is often researched and experimented with many times, and finally produced by craftsmen and their own hands.

I am from Tokyo, Japan. I have never designed with Japan in mind, but some of the people who have seen my work have told me it is Japanese.

The designers themselves should be respected for their individuality and ideas, and the designers should not be treated as people within the company, but as people who work together to create things, accepting opinions and ideas and helping each other as they progress.

From a single concept, the product is often researched and experimented with many times, and finally produced by craftsmen and their own hands.

I like the simple and powerful design.

It is a series of small things to achieve a big goal.

It is very interesting for a freelance designer like me to be able to express my opinion on society as an individual through my own designs.

Knowledge and observational skills

Sometimes it takes three months, sometimes a year.

It is a time to think and consider ideas.

I do everything myself from start to finish.

Fossil-like furniture has been produced. It will be presented soon.

Info@sokoizumi.com

This wind chime would not have been completed without their technical expertise.I believe it is a design made possible because I trusted their delicate craftsmanship and experience.

It all began when I realized, while creating a model of the tensegrity structure, that it generated more "sway" than I had expected.When I wondered if I could transform this seemingly unstable "sway" into something positive, the idea of a wind chime came to mind.

The process of designing the shape while maintaining functionality was the most challenging part. I believe I went through about 300 design iterations.In the end, the final design was the simplest and best expressed the qualities of the tensegrity structure.

The beginning of the project was sparked by my daily emotions.Later, when I encountered the tensegrity structure, the concept was fully realized.

When I visit the factory, it becomes clear that they possess an immense wealth of knowledge, making conversations with them incredibly valuable to me.I believe that the accumulation of communication with them ultimately enhances the quality of the final design.

Achieving a pleasant tone was the most challenging task during the process of refining the prototype after its completion.By incorporating my own ideas and listening to the craftspeople's opinions, I was able to find a solution.

What I discovered during the process was that simplicity best highlights the qualities of the tensegrity structure.By repeatedly revisiting initial ideas and exploring new ones, I was able to create a design that I could fully embrace.

It is a great honor to have received the A' Design Award.With the confidence gained from this recognition, I will continue to strive and work hard moving forward.

I believe this is still a field full of potential, and I hope that this wind chime can inspire others and lead to designs that spark creativity in them.