Visit to KYOTO Design Lab at Kyoto Institute of Technology

On March 11th and 12th 2019, KIDNEXT Operation team visited KYOTO Design Lab at Kyoto Institute of Technology, who is celebrating its fifth anniversary.

On the first day, Mr Eizo Okada, the head of the lab, spoke to us about the management and the know-how. He explained in detail what it was like since the institute first established. Also, gave examples of how to start and proceed with projects, the organization structure, PR strategy, how to deal with students, and the future outlook. He emphasized the importance of the approach to social issues and the implementation of the solutions for the good of society.

After that, Mr Tomohiro Inoue, the staff at the fabrication workshop gave us a tour of the workshop which was completed in 2017. There was various equipment, such as laser cutters and 3D printers, etc., lined in a comfortable distance. There was also a sewing machine like those seen in Kyoto Institute of Technology and many prototypes developed over these few years. At the corner, there was a photo studio to shoot the works done, which is convenient and safe for fragile works such as the architectural models. He also shared the projects that used the digital fabrication machines, and we discussed the possibility of developing a joint project.

On the next day, Professor Julia Cassim, a specially appointed professor at Kyoto Institute of Technology, shared with us the projects done at KYOTO Design Lab. She shared the video work, ”A woman who starts to walk/The Path She Walks” which received the Best Idea Award at the Copenhagen Fashion Film Festival. Also, the development of home medicine screening kit using fruit flies to test possible drugs to treat CMT patients. For the latter, she explained the process starting from the planning stage on issues such as design questions, forming the team, etc.

The KYOTO Design Lab contributed to the area that they can, and what they lack was complemented by working with other collaborators. We were impressed with such a partnership that can allow the project to progress.

We could feel the passion of the staff from this visit, and this had given us a good opportunity to reflect on our own strength. We will review the characteristic of the Faculty of Design for working on future projects. We will continue with collaborations and exchanges, and we hope that it can lead to the implementation of joint projects, etc.