Marathon T Shirt Graphic Art by Chika Kakazu

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DI: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?

CK : I tried to keep consistent with the concept of marathon, runner, and Tokyo in this minimal icons. All of the icons had to relate to these 3 concepts.

DI: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?

CK : Marathon runners were not only coming from Japan, but also worldwide. To be able to make the design attractive for global marathon runners, I focused on the the design as simple yet intelligible as possible. I wanted to achieve the clear concept of "marathon" and "Japan".

DI: What are your future plans for this award winning design?

CK : I will continue planning and working on new projects through simple and unique designs.

DI: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?

CK : Proposal submitted in Feb 13th, 2019, and executed the event in Feb 28 - March 4th, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan.

DI: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?

CK : I came up with 3 different design ideas (Mini Lifestyle, Minimal Japan, and Pixel Japan) so that people can recognize easily the concept of "marathon" and "Japan".

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?

CK : It was used by another company for one-time marathon event in Tokyo, Japan.

DI: What made you design this particular type of work?

CK : Based on the research and trend of perception towards Japan.

DI: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?

CK : WGSN and pinterest

DI: Who is the target customer for his design?

CK : marathon runners

DI: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?

CK : the usage of color accent

DI: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?

CK : The designs were made in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.

DI: What is the most unique aspect of your design?

CK : All of the icons are created as heat transfer labels so that marathon attendees can make & design their own one of a kind T-shirt.

DI: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?

CK : I've collaborated with a designer, Krisakorn Tantitemit for the pixel graphic arts.

DI: Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for making this design?

CK : WGSN and pinterest

DI: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?

CK : Many Japanese brands are creating lots of Japan-theme designs to attract global tourists, so it was very challenging not to be the same designs/styles that have been released already.

DI: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?

CK : At the event, many international attendees seemed to enjoy making the T-shirt customization through this design, which made me decide submitting the design to an international design competition.

DI: What did you learn or how did you improve yourself during the designing of this work?

CK : Some people are interested in unique designs, while others prefer minimalism and simplicity. It was difficult to keep the sense of uniqueness with simplicity.