Return report

 

Dear Sir or Madam

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you for your continued support.

I completed the six-month long JAGDA-recommended overseas training for artists by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, and was able to safely return to Tokyo on May 9th. I would like to thank you for your kindness during my departure and report on my return.

I feel that the work, expanded circle, and management that I have done by connecting my far-off office in Tokyo and New York are exactly the design style of the Internet era. I believe that my challenge will be to provide feedback on each one of them.

We look forward to working with you for many years to come.

In closing, I wish you all the best in your health and success.

 

Sincerely

Monday, May 16, 2000

Nobuhiro Shibayama

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​Brain Editorial Department

I created the art collection ``identity in NY'' and ``identity,'' which were printed using only a color laser printer. This involves everything from planning to art direction and bookbinding. Despite the fact that the quality of output has reached a high level, in many cases DTP is simply a part of the normal printing workflow. Although there are still problems with binding and bleed, this book is desktop publishing in the truest sense of the word, and is a presentation that suggests that information could be disseminated more individually.

 

The title ``identity'' conveys our thoughts and messages about the future of Japan, where we will be looking for something more different than something that is uniform. What do you think about the rapid advances in output equipment?

 

In 1996, Hewlett-Packard's large-format printerHP Designer's LABOWe planned and operated a free print experience showroom for designers, but at the time, it was still not possible to easily produce large-format prints due to cost and quality. Nowadays, fields such as large-format inkjet and color lasers can even surpass printing, depending on how they are used. Advances in output devices are also bringing printing closer to the personal level. It has become possible to do a variety of things, such as shortening the journey and creating more time to think about it, and developing projects in harmony with the region and city. I think it is significant that we are now able to output what we need in the amount we need.

 

With so many media, we need to think more carefully about how we use them, including the meaning of one-to-one marketing, and there are also environmental issues. In advertising and publishing, there are many things that are created even though they are not necessary. This is a big topic, but resources are limited, so we need to use them more appropriately depending on the purpose. I believe that future creators must have a perspective on the global environment.

 

Have you ever been impressed by the output situation overseas?　

Before I went to study abroad in New York, I visited Xi'an and Shanghai, and I found that the spaces were spacious and the output size was correspondingly large. Large-format output in Japan is based on the size of a station wall, but in China, the standard size is one wall or mural size. The equipment and know-how for this purpose have also been developed. Even in New York, the standard size is one wall. Rather, posters and billboards are seen as mass media. Times Square and other places have a lot of production, mainly for show business, and there are even specialized production companies. These printers are large printers that use winches to set roll paper.

 

However, even though it is a signboard, I felt that there is a wide range of possibilities in the sense that it breathes with the city and is in harmony with it. Technological innovation is remarkable, but how should creators face this situation?　

 

Young creators these days are changing the way they collect information. Many young creators may not fully understand the characteristics of the output devices they use. In the past, there were experts in each field such as printing and platemaking, and they were asked to do the work for them, but the current situation has made it difficult to do that due to cost considerations. Nowadays, as digitalization progresses and the scope of work for designers expands, there may be a need for people with coordinator-like roles. That's why I think the time will soon come when ordinary people can become motivated and become designers without any specialized knowledge.　

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Creators are required to have the ability to design their work - Nobuhiro Shibayama

We asked Mr. Shibayama, who has just completed an overseas training program dispatched by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, to talk about the situation overseas.