Make a Happier Society with Design – Ryo Onishi (Nomura Co., Ltd.)
WORK MILL offers inspiration to create your “WORK GOOD,” your own unique style of work. We carried out a survey with people who have been featured in past issues of the WORK MILL web magazine to find out what “WORK GOOD” means to each of them.
- What does “WORK GOOD” mean to you?
- What do you keep in mind every day to realize your “WORK GOOD”?
- What do you feel your purpose is in work?
Through these three questions, we will learn more about “WORK GOOD” .
Make a Happier Society with Design
What does “WORK GOOD” mean to you?
Since my work includes both exhibition design (information design) and interior design, I’m delivering outputs every day. But WORK GOOD, for me, is a situation where I can balance that with the input I receive. In the lifestyle sector, the ideal situation is a natural repetition of input and output, in a balanced mix, leading to some satisfying results.
What do you keep in mind everyday to realize your “WORK GOOD”?
The main point is how efficiently I can obtain high-quality inputs. So, I value daily information gathering and communication with various experts.
Recently, more opportunities to gain knowledge have come through webinars and the like that make efficient use of time. But I think it is necessary to consume information only to the extent that I am not overwhelmed by it and to “mill” from that what is truly necessary. The easiest way to do that is to meet people directly and have them talk to me, so the real challenge is how to make time for that. [laughs]
What do you feel your purpose is in work?
In short, I feel that it is “Using the output I create to make society even a little bit happier.” Of course, depending on the type of project, there may be jobs where I need to convey sadness, but happiness is definitely hiding somewhere around there.
Happiness is more than just smiling, and I think design should provide opportunities to vividly express a wide range of emotions. And when I experience that result, even a little, in that moment I am happy.
―Ryo Onishi
Creative Director and Head of Design Department 3 at Nomura Co., Ltd. After starting his career in museum design, he gained experience through projects in multiple fields including design for corporate showrooms and stores, hotels, and workplaces. He develops creations through a comprehensive design process based on space design and experience value creation that combines information design and interior design.
*Profile at the time of the interview in the following article (Japanese).
Updated: April 28, 2022
Photos: Kensuke Oki
Editing: press labo,inc.