Naoto Fukasawa [Hardcover]

Naoto Fukasawa (Author), Antony Gormley (Contributor), Jasper Morrison (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2007

Naoto Fukasawa (b.1956) is one of the best-known Japanese product designers working today. After graduating from Tama Art University in 1980, he moved to the United States and worked at IDEO, one of the world's most innovative design companies. In 1997, Fukasawa moved back to Japan to set up the IDEO Tokyo office. During his time at IDEO, he developed his sense for how people perceive and use objects. In 2003, Fukasawa left IDEO to form his own design company Naoto Fukasawa Design. Besides being a consultant for major companies, especially MUJI, he has also set up a new product brand called PLUS MINUS ZERO, a collection of minimal home appliances and products that has achieved worldwide acknowledgement for its user-friendly aesthetics. Moreover, Fukasawa's designs for companies such as Driade and B&B Italia attracted attention in Europe at the 2005 Milan Furniture Fair, and have continued to do so since. Fukasawa's design philosophy relies on carefully observing what people do and feel in their everyday lives in order to find simple solutions that touch the senses and link to shared memories. By working with the 'iconic' value of a product, be it a watch or a sofa, Fukasawa is able to come up with designs that address the common knowledge about things that people have. His groundbreaking wall-mounted CD player for MUJI in 1999 was based on the image of a kitchen fan and moved away from all the conventions of hi-fi equipment manufacture. It was a simple appliance, restrained in appearance and function, and very different from the numerous black boxes that had become the standard in the market. Interestingly, as Fukasawa's products are based on people's common and not always conscious view of things, his design solutions sometimes swim against the current of received opinions to achieve popularity and success. The LCD TV monitor he designed for PLUS MINUS ZERO reinstates the shape of the cathodic-tube TV set instead of becoming even thinner; his mobile telephone Infobar for KDDI/au has large keypads, referring back to the first models of the 1980s. The book is the first monograph published in English of the work of this innovative designer. Edited by Fukasawa himself and with contributions by writers from East and West, it includes a selection of his products to date, ranging from umbrellas and vases to sofas and telephones. Illustrated with never-before-seen photographs and drawings, Fukasawa's text elucidates the ideas behind each of his projects. Essays by artists, designers, and lecturers, notably Antony Gormley, Jasper Morrison and Bill Moggridge from IDEO, complete the book by giving an account of Fukasawa's design philosophy and of the significance of his work for the contemporary design world.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Phaidon Press (April 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714845868
• ISBN-13: 978-0714845869
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 10 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #123,935 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #97 in Books > Arts & Photography > Schools, Periods & Styles > Pop

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, January 17, 2008

By 

M. Schneider "mattisimo" (NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Naoto Fukasawa (Hardcover)

This is a fairly comprehensive look at one of the most prolific product designers today. The conceptual drive of Naoto Fukasawa's work is incredibly inspiring and seeing his projects and prototypes displayed in a, roughly, 9 by 10 inch format is great for visual reference.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book, March 23, 2010

By 

Yuebo Wang "yuebwang" (Bloomington) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Naoto Fukasawa (Hardcover)

I read through the book from the first page to the last. It is a beautiful book. Beautiful in many ways. His design philosophies penetrate into his every design piece. The design themselves are beautiful in both the outlook and the design rationale. What interested me the most is that he shared his thoughts and design details of the designs, which are very inspiring and valuable for young designers.

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book, extremely valuable lessons to learn from Fukasawa, February 24, 2011

By 

Santiago Hossni "Foo Fighter" (Buenos Aires, Argentina) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Naoto Fukasawa (Hardcover)

I have not finished this book yet, but just reading the introduction by Fukasawa instantly inspires you, and you can notice how open minded this designer is. His work is beautifully portrayed and the book does justice to his design style, having a printed nylon-fabric as a cover (feels like Lycra). Beautiful work by the publisher Phaidon, and on a genius designer. Has to be in every industrial designer's library.