Voice

• 

  Learning from professional designers for four years changed my world.

  I like to draw pictures and had a vague longing to go to an art university, and then I learned about product design. I chose this course because I was fascinated by the idea of a job where something I made could enrich someone else’s life. The classes were very stimulating because I was learning new things all the time. The teachers, who are all professional designers themselves, will teach you how the journey of a single product, from planning to commercialization, involves many people and how everything is planned down to the last detail. Product design is not just thinking about appearance. In order to find out what situations a product will be used in and to discover what people need, we have to start by understanding their lifestyles and social backgrounds. It may seem difficult at first, but it's exciting how a whole new world opens up as you learn. It was the friends I met at university who helped me when I was stuck for ideas. My friend from the Faculty of Manga helped me loosen up my rigid thought process with fantastical ideas like, "Why don't you just fly into the sky?” After graduation, I plan to go work as a designer for a pet supplies manufacturer. I'm looking forward to proposing products that can help us meet the needs of pets in today's society, where the nature of the family is changing.

• 

  Design not for yourself but for others.

  My field is industrial design, which is the pursuit of usability and beauty in industrial products. In addition to my research, I am involved in product development at my own design office and in projects to revitalize industries in Fukui Prefecture. As someone involved in manufacturing, I am always conscious of potential environmental impacts and aim to demonstrate the effects of design in every aspect of a product. One appeal of this course is that there are many subjects where students have the opportunity to collaborate with actual companies, many of which are based in Kyoto, which I think is very meaningful since traditional culture and advanced technology exist side by side here. The course is highly specialized, so it is easy to imagine your future while you're still in school. When you enter university, try to take an interest in what is going on in the world. Product planning and development can only be accomplished with a correct understanding of the times. Industrial design is not about self-expression but about doing things for the greater society, and this is what makes it so fascinating. We welcome students who feel that the products around them could be made easier to use, those who want to make use of the specialized skills they learned at technical high school, as well as people who have no specialized knowledge or skills but are simply full of ambition and curiosity.