The secret to great ideas lies in natural sciences - Interview with NOSIGNER's Tachikawa on how to hone the "creativity" required of business people

In this era of rapid social change, business people are required to have the ability to think outside the box.

Representative of NOSIGNEREisuke Tachikawais a design strategist who has won over 100 design awards both in Japan and overseas, using his ability to come up with ideas that transcend fields such as product, graphic, architectural and spatial design.

How does Mr. Tachikawa come up with so many ideas? What is the difference between a good idea and a bad one? We asked him how to hone the "creativity" required of business people.

Eisuke Tachikawa

https://nosigner.com/

Designer (product designer, graphic designer, architect)
Design Strategist
Creativity educator (advocate of evolutionary thinking)
Father of two children

Representative of NOSIGNER
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Japan Industrial Design Association (JIDA)
2025 Osaka Kansai Expo Japan Pavilion Basic Concept Creator
Visiting Professor, Kanazawa College of Art
Specially Appointed Professor, Anan National College of Technology
Kirirom Institute of Technology (Cambodia)
CDO and Director of Machi Mirai Seisakusho Co., Ltd.
CDO of Naorai Corporation
Director of 47PLANNING Co., Ltd.
CDO and Director of ZENLOOP Inc.

A design strategist who only works on projects that bring hope to the future. He draws up designs and comprehensive strategies for numerous projects such as SDGs, renewable energy, and regional revitalization, and is responsible for managing social startups as CDO of multiple companies.
As a designer, he has demonstrated a high level of expressiveness in industrial design, graphics, architecture, and more. He has received over 100 design awards both in Japan and overseas, including the Good Design Gold Award, the Design for Asia Award Grand Prize, and the German Design Award Gold Award. He has served as a judge for the Good Design Award, ACC Award, DFAA (Design for Asia Awards), WAF (World Architecture Festival), and more. He is the youngest person to ever serve as chairman of JIDA (Japan Industrial Design Association), Japan's oldest national design organization.
In order to foster innovators in various sectors of industry, academia, and government, he advocates a new educational method called "evolutionary thinking," which learns the essence of creativity from the natural phenomenon of biological evolution. This evolutionary thinking has won the Yamamoto Shichihei Award, Japan's leading academic award selected by biologists and economists, and he is the chair of the "Thinking about the Future of Higher Education" committee sponsored by Benesse, aiming to update education to be essentially creative.
The main projects include:OLIVES,Tokyo disaster prevention,PANDAID,Yamamotoyama,Yokohama DeNA Baystars,YOXO, and the basic concept for the Japan Pavilion at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo. His books include "Evolutionary Thinking" (Ama no Kaze, 2021) and "Design and Innovation" (Pie International, 2016).

Designing invisible "relationships"

-- What is something you keep in mind when designing?

I think design is not just about creating visible shapes and expressions, but also about what lies behind the shapes,"The act of creating a concrete form out of an intangible relationship"I believe that is the case.

What made me start thinking this way was when I was a student majoring in architectural design. There were times when I saw a building in a magazine that I thought looked cool, but when I went to see it, it didn't feel loved, and I thought it was different from what I thought. On the other hand, when I feel like a building is "nice," for example, in a library, I might find a nice book, or the atmosphere of the event at the entrance was good, or I might have a good experience when I went there on a date.

When I first started designing, I thought that design was about expressing things and creating things. But it seems that it's the "relationship" between the library and the visitors that makes the library better, and that's exactly what physical design can be used for. That's what I realized.

in that case,What should be designed is the "relationship" that the "shape" promotesIn order to create good design, we must continue to pursue invisible relationships. With this in mind, we named our group "NOSIGNER (no, sign, -er person)."

-- To create great design, you need to understand relationships. Is this the same in the business world?.

It's exactly the same. For example, marketing creates relationships between companies and customers. A company's vision also connects the company with its employees and society.

A relationship occurs between something and something else."flow"It's like when you drink water, the water flows from the cup towards you. What design and marketing have in common is that they are activities that create a flow that spreads.

In any project, imagine the direction in which things or the organization want to flow. If you can share that with the organization and the people around you, then everyone can aim in that direction, guided by that flow.For both business owners and creators, it is more important to think about the direction you want to create a trend in and establish an expression that will help you achieve that, rather than thinking about what kind of unique expression you want to use.This fixation actually requires high skill in designing the shape. It is difficult to create a shape that matches the relationships. And the shape that is created according to the relationships will likely be surprisingly beautiful.

-- Is there anything we should keep in mind when creating a flow?.

It is important to identify the "flow that arises because of our situation".

There are "big trends" in society, aren't there? "Society is naturally going in this direction." However, if you decide on a company's purpose based only on those trends, you will end up with something boring that anyone could say.

Each company and person has not only the overall flow, but also the "special flow in front of them" that occurs only in that place."It's only persuasive because it's the company that says it."This will allow you to convey more essential information that will make readers feel like they understand it.

In order to realize our potential and do things that others cannot do, I think we need the skill to make the most of existing directions and narrow down the flow specifically.

Rebranding of Yamamotoyama. The concept is "returning to the roots of Edo."

-- We create a flow that is unique to us. Can you give us an example that illustrates this?

A long-established tea and seaweed store with over 300 years of history"Yamamotoyama" Rebranding ProjectYamamotoyama has a strong image of nori seaweed due to its TV commercials, but in fact it is the oldest tea merchant in Japan, and was the first to sell sencha tea, and its roots lie in cultural innovation.

However, due to the slump in department stores, which were their main sales channel, they were faced with the need to develop new markets, including global expansion, and that's when we received a request to revamp the brand.

The concept of this project is an innovative approach that only Yamamotoyama can convey."Return to the Edo Origins"English learning is necessary to prepare for life, learning and interaction with the global environment. <br> IT Skills (programming logic) is necessary to prepare for the needs of the future.<br> Financial literacy is necessary to prepare for creating, managing and being smart with time and wealth.<br>

The first thing we did was to revamp our brand logo. We revived it based on the font of "Yamamoto" that was written on the menus of Yamamoto Kahei Shoten, which was opened by Yamamoto Kahei, the first head of the Yamamoto family. We also reproduced the "Yamaka" store crest, which was also used on the menus, in a font that was used in Europe at the same time.

Other designs reflect the atmosphere of the time, such as making the bags the products are put in the shape of a Noren curtain and making the packaging look like an Edo scroll. The packaging for the hit product "Nori no Tsukudani" (simmered seaweed) features a Henohenomoheji-like face in the "nori" (seaweed) part, in an attempt to express the playfulness of Edo merchants.

The Edo period is often thought of as a traditional and classical era,A hip and innovative eraIt is also. The culture of enjoying senryu and kyoka while drinking tea seems to have been similar to what we now call third wave coffee and enjoying rap. The current managers of Yamamotoyama are also open to new initiatives and value innovation.

We rebranded with a theme of returning to the Edo period, recreating the aesthetic sense, atmosphere, innovation, and playfulness that have continued to flow from the Edo period, while also imagining Yamamotoyama tea spreading overseas, where the Japanese tea boom continues.

-- When considering the concept of "returning to our roots in Edo," what "relationships" surrounding Yamamotoyama did you focus on?.

Among the people at YamamotoyamaThe idea of ​​"innovation that respects the origins"What impressed me was the daily kencha (*1) ceremony. The respect for tea has remained unchanged for hundreds of years.

I also felt that there was a clear overlap between the society we want today and the society of the Edo period. Life in the Edo period is exactly one model of the "sustainable society" that the world is striving for. By realizing this relationship, I was able to share with everyone at Yamamotoyama the trend and direction of gradually reducing additives.

The concept of "returning to the Edo era" was born when the "currents in front of us" and the "big trends" of society were combined.Hm.

(*1) A ceremony in which tea is offered to gods, Buddhas, and spirits with a spirit of reverence.

The importance of "observation" to grasp relationships and create flow

-- To generate good concepts like this oneIs there a specific method for.

Observation is necessary to grasp relationships and create flow.

For example, when I am working on packaging or branding for a product, I first take a thorough look at the sales floor. I observe what kind of connections and flows are occurring on the sales floor. What kind of people are interested in the product, and what do they look at when they pick it up? I also observe our competitors and think about how to build a good relationship between the product and the customer.

We don't know much about the product,"A curious amateur"We value the sense of facing things as a single entity. When we face things with this attitude, various obstacles arise that are difficult for clients to notice on their own.Factors that impede flow. Resolving these issues will provide hints for branding.

── So it's precisely because you don't know anything that you can look at things from an unbiased perspective.

Yes, that's right.It is also important to compare products thoroughly.By comparing a large number of products in the same category as the target product, you can get a sense of the standards and market.

Since I accepted the job at Yamamotoyama, I have tried over 100 different types of tea and compared the taste of many different types of seaweed.

If you don't compare them, you won't know the difference, and even if you do know the difference, you won't be able to express it. This is important for all projects. It's important to get into a mode of curiosity and exploration of the subject, and to observe it thoroughly for about 1-2 weeks.

Also, as you become more knowledgeable in one area, that knowledge can sometimes connect to another area.

For example, while working on the Yamamotoyama project, I learned about sustainability in the Edo period. Currently, research into climate change adaptation is attracting attention, and there is a concept called "Eco-DRR (disaster prevention using nature)," but this was possible in the Edo period.The Edo period's lifestyle holds clues for the sustainable society people today desireI understand.

In this way, new connections and points of contact are discovered. Just as I was able to see the lives of Edo merchants from a different angle,There is an essential good relationship that has not been discussed so farmaybe."Find where the bridge needs to be built and build it."I always think with that feeling in mind.

The observation techniques for good ideas come down to just four

-- Discovering differences through comparison. Surprisingly, you don't use any special observation techniques.

As you say, there is no observation technique that only I can use.

However, it is difficult to know how to observe connections. It seems like there are many methods, and new marketing frameworks are proposed almost every year. However, when we think about the origins of observation, we find that there are actually no universal or essential methods.

── What do you mean?

One time, I tried to count how many types of observation there are. I found that similar observation methods are called by different names in various fields. For example, the observation methods in behavioral economics of marketing are similar to those in ethology, and reverse engineering is similar to dissecting a frog. What's more, most observations used in business originate from natural observation.

In the first place, the only things humans can observe are space and time. In other words, there are four things to observe: the inside and outside of an object, and the past and future. In natural science, if you want to observe the internal structure,"Anatomy"If we look at the relationship with the outside world,"Ecology", the past"Phylogenetics"The future is data-driven."prediction"We will observe with.

I wrote "Evolutionary ThinkingIn the book, "The Four Types of Observations,""Learning about time and space"These are summarized under the keywords:This is an observational technique that has been used for hundreds of years in the field of natural sciences, and it is the origin of observation in various fields.I think.

── In the case of Yamamotoyama, "anatomy," "ecology," and "systematics"" " and "Prediction"?.

Yes, I try to make these observations on every project.

For example, "dissection" is used to find out what is written on the tea packaging, what ingredients are in the tea, or what kind of culture and communication exists within the company. "Ecology" is used to imagine the relationship between the company and external people, companies, and the environment, and between tea and current and future customers. "System" is used to unravel the history of the company or tea, and to explore the changes over time and the events that caused them. "Prediction" is used to forecast the future of the market and the tea industry. I think people unconsciously think about these things.

Not just in the case of Yamamotoyama,In order to come up with good ideas, it is important to observe thoroughly along four axes.

But some observations are particularly difficult: ecology and predictions are difficult.

This is because, unless people are conscious of it, they tend to focus on "dissection" to understand the inside and "lineage" to learn about the past. It is easy to observe things in front of you, and you can research the past if you have documents.

On the other hand, we cannot know the external "ecology" of who we are connected to and how unless we follow closely. Also, we can only interpret future "predictions" as probabilities based on data.Differences in sustainable thinking tend to appear in how we pursue the invisible outside and the future.I think it is.

The shortcut to developing your creativity is to become a "curious amateur"

-- What can we do to hone our observational skills so that we can come up with good ideas?

Become a user of the product and become a "curious amateur"I think that's a good idea.The moment when you first start to get involved in something without having experienced it yet is the time when you can see the flow of the relationship most clearly and learn the most.That's why.

And in terms of the four observation techniques mentioned earlier,Let's start with "anatomy"I think it would be better.

Rather than trying to improve the whole from the start, we break it down into parts and pursue the quality of each.I think this way of thinking can also be useful in coming up with ideas for work.

There are other benefits to starting with dissection. By comparing the details, you will find yourself becoming interested in the history, market situation, and future of the plant. The observations that begin with dissection will naturally lead to its lineage, ecology, and predictions.

── Starting with dissection, the scope of observation will expand to include lineage, ecology, and predictions.

Although literacy may be necessary to come up with good ideas, even an amateur canIt's more important to approach things with interestI think so. Like the tea contest I did, if you're interested even though you weren't asked to, you'll do it on your own. It makes a difference whether you can actively enjoy it or not.

It may or may not be useful in the future,Do it because you are interested, because it seems fun. Create a situation where you end up doing it.I believe that this approach is the shortcut to advancing observation and developing creativity.

▼ Tachikawa's book "Evolutionary Thinking." You can gain a deeper understanding of how to develop your creativity.

[Interview and text] Fumiaki Sato　
[photograph]Daisuke Koike
[Planning and editing] Yuko Kawabata (XICA)