DI: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
KiyokaYamazuki 山附貴世香 : For example, when creating a cover illustration, which is the face of a booklet, you want the illustration to have an impact (or a sense of nostalgia or familiarity) that will make the reader want to pick it up.
Also, if there is anything seasonal in the illustration, include that in the illustration.
DI: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
KiyokaYamazuki 山附貴世香 : This booklet is a magazine that is published twice a year.
The cover illustration is also the face of the booklet, so we focused on creating it with a sense of the season and events taking place during that time.
DI: What are your future plans for this award winning design?
KiyokaYamazuki 山附貴世香 : This project magazine was commissioned and produced from 1993 to 1999, but the project has already ended.
There are no particular plans for the future.
If there is anyone who would like to use illustrations like these, please contact us.
I would also like to create illustrations if I find any other interesting themes.
DI: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?
KiyokaYamazuki 山附貴世香 : The production period is limited, so it takes 1-2 weeks for the idea and rough draft stage.
Production takes about 1 week to 10 days. If it's urgent, I will follow that.
DI: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?
KiyokaYamazuki 山附貴世香 : This design was commissioned.
It includes an illustration based on the concept of "enlivening the local area and its people" and themed around a local festival.
DI: Is your design being produced or used by another company, or do you plan to sell or lease the production rights or do you intent to produce your work yourself?
KiyokaYamazuki 山附貴世香 : Of course, my illustrations can be produced and used by other companies. I will also produce new ones if requested. I also intend to produce some work myself.
DI: What made you design this particular type of work?
KiyokaYamazuki 山附貴世香 : When I became a freelance illustrator, I wanted to express my own unique style that other illustrators didn't have (or had never seen before), so I remembered the dyeing (tube painting and stencil dyeing) of washi paper I made as a student and created similar illustrations using acrylic paint.
DI: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?
KiyokaYamazuki 山附貴世香 : I see a lot of different works, so I think I'm influenced by a lot of different things. If I had to say, it would be the late dye artist (Serizawa Keisuke), African patterns, Kel patterns, Japanese patterns, etc. As for illustrators, I learned the basics of illustration from Nishiguchi Shiro, who passed away last year.
DI: Who is the target customer for his design?
KiyokaYamazuki 山附貴世香 : The target audience of this design is the people of Aichi Prefecture and those who support Aichi Prefecture, and it is an illustration and design for Aichi Prefecture.
DI: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?
KiyokaYamazuki 山附貴世香 : This design was made between 1993 and 1999. There was an information magazine with the goal of making Aichi Prefecture a lively and attractive place for people.
I remember being impressed that Aichi had such a fun and unique festival, so I made it.
I think the concept is sound.
DI: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?
KiyokaYamazuki 山附貴世香 : I think the name of this design, "Aisanka,"（あいさんか） was thought up by three companies: production company &S, client planning and publishing Aichi Prefectural General Affairs Department Regional Division, editing, and design by Grand Canyon Entertainment Co., Ltd.
(I don't really understand)
The meaning of "Aisanka"（あいさんか） seems to be that it was chosen with the hope that Aichi residents would "participate" in making Aichi an attractive prefecture, and with the expectation that it would become a "hymn" to Aichi from other regions.
DI: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?
KiyokaYamazuki 山附貴世香 : I don't use technology as a design tool yet.
The works from 1993 to 1999 are from about 30 years ago.
I don't rely on technology in particular (for my illustrations).
DI: What is the most unique aspect of your design?
KiyokaYamazuki 山附貴世香 : Nowadays, illustrations can be created using AI, but the most unique thing about my illustrations is that they are hand-drawn.
DI: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?
KiyokaYamazuki 山附貴世香 : The design was produced by I&S Co., Ltd., planned and published by Aichi Prefecture General Affairs Department Regional Division, edited, and designed in collaboration with Grand Canyon Entertainment Co., Ltd.
I don't know the details, but I'm sure they worked with people with specialized technical skills.
DI: What is the role of technology in this particular design?
KiyokaYamazuki 山附貴世香 : As I mentioned before, this work was created between 1993 and 1999, about 30 years ago. It was created around the time when modern technology had just started to be used.
DI: Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for making this design?
KiyokaYamazuki 山附貴世香 : I think my illustrations were created far from the influence of data or analytical research. (I think the designer in charge did some research on Aichi Prefecture, but I'm not sure.)
When I was creating the illustrations, I watched a video of a festival in Aichi Prefecture and created something that I thought was interesting.
DI: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?
KiyokaYamazuki 山附貴世香 : We are now in an age where illustrations can be drawn by AI. I think that hand-drawn illustrations have a warmer quality than those beautifully drawn by computer, and these days, fast, cheap, and high-quality illustrations are being praised.
How can we create illustrations that are unique to us in the future?
DI: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?
KiyokaYamazuki 山附貴世香 : The reason I decided to enter an illustration from 30 years ago in this contest is because I entered it in 2022.
In 2022, I received a silver prize for number 3, but at the time I mistakenly entered my next nominated work for this entry. It seems to have caught the eye of the judges.
DI: What did you learn or how did you improve yourself during the designing of this work?
KiyokaYamazuki 山附貴世香 : Even though my submission was a mistake made 30 years ago, I am honored to have my work recognized in this way. It has given me a new direction for my illustrations, and I feel like I have been successful in my current direction. I would like to use this award to continue creating new works.
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
KiyokaYamazuki 山附貴世香 : Nothing in particular. Thank you for asking.
