Hiroshi Naito
Chairman, Japan Institute of Design Promotion (JDP)

I am honored to serve as the new Chairman, filling the big shoes left by Mr. Motomi Kawakami. Our signature project, the Good Design Award, continues to flourish under the leadership of the Chair of the Judging Committee. In addition to managing the award, JDP has been steadily promoting design in increasingly diverse fields. Since these activities have been successfully continuing for nearly 70 years, I believe my role as Chairman is to protect that legacy.

We must remember that a product cannot exist unless there are people who wish to buy it. The form of that product is determined by its design. Unfortunately, however, Japanese policy thus far has not prioritized design. This is despite the fact that Japan must rely on foreign income generated by the export of products.

Design has likely thrived in Japan thanks to the wisdom of individual companies. Good products sold well because they were appreciated by the market. Bad products did not last long because they were shunned by the market. In other words, the market judged the quality of products. This system worked well when our economy continued to expand steadily. However, we now face various changes, including climate change, the revolutionary growth of information technology, the rapid aging of our population and changes in our lifestyle due to a maturing economy, and emerging economies that are quickly catching up to us by prioritizing design in their national policies. Given this situation, Japan needs to shift its attitude toward design. JDP and the Good Design Award should play an even greater role in promoting design throughout Japan.

We must also rethink the word “design.” This word, which has only seen casual usage until now, can be developed into a more strategic and creative tool. In recent years, “design” has expanded beyond the design of objects, and has come to refer to a wide range of systems behind objects. Regardless of what it is, I believe that good, attractive design has a “touch of the near future.” Through design, people envision a new way of life, imagine themselves living that life, place their hopes in that future, and try to make that life a reality. Therefore, all designs look towards the future: not a distant and unrealistic future, but a near future that each person can attain. While seeking functional designs that fulfills their needs, people also hope to obtain a “touch of the near future.”

Over the past several decades, many revolutionary devices and technologies have changed the way we live, including cell phones, LCD TVs, computers, the internet, and hybrid cars. These superb objects and systems all have a “touch of the near future.” Filled with countless dreams, they are designed with distinct visions of the near future.

The Good Design Product Selection Program (the predecessor of the Good Design Award) was established in 1957 to support the creation of products that can be sold abroad. Since then, our annual selection process has led to heated discussions on what constitutes “good design.” The definitions of “good” and “design” change with technological innovation and various circumstances of the moment. However, no matter what those circumstances are, the essence of JDP’s activities—to find and evaluate new designs that have a “touch of the near future” and to promote them widely—remains the same.

As the new Chairman, I look forward to ensuring that these excellent activities continue to thrive.