DAI SUZUKI
PEOPLEText: Mariko Takei
Released on October 1st, SHIFT 2011 CALENDAR includes one of the 12 visuals, was created by Kanagawa-based graphic designer Dai Suzuki. He created a cover work for this month, SHIFT will deliver how he started his career as a graphic designer, his latest work, and his hope in the future.
Please introduce yourself.
Hello. My name is Dai Suzuki. Born in Fukushima in 1984, I am currently living in Kanagawa Japan. After graduated from the university, I worked at a manufacturer for 3 years. I quite the job in June this year and started to work by myself.
What projects have you worked on so far? And please tell us how you started to work as a graphic designer?
What I have worked on so far was designing CD covers for my friends and flyers. As I was at the 4th year in the university, I started to think about what I really want to do. And that inspired me to become a graphic designer. I got Mac, Illustrator, and Photoshop and have been self-taught with those tools.
Could you introduce some of your past projects and works?
My latest work is a book “HERE TO STAY“. I collected illustrations and graphic designs that have inspired me. Another work is my website which was relaunched after I quit the job. I redesigned the website with a variable grid layout to make it an easy-to-see website.
How did you decide to participated in the SHIFT calendar competition? Also please tell us your idea behind the selected work.
As I quit the job, I visited SHIFT website to see if they were doing the competition this year as well. I knew SHIFT calendar competition since I was in the university. And I submitted my work to test myself.
My intension for the work was “malfunction”. I made the visual to make a good expression of the situation when characters in the battle games such as the Nintendo RPG get damages, where the color of the game status changes or character’s icon changes.
howl
What is “000MHz“? In your profile for the calendar page, you mention that you launched 000MHz.
000MHz is just a name as a graphic designer, since I work independently. I just wanted to have such catchy name to start my graphic design work. Also I thought it’s cool many of the graphic designers have such original name.
optic girls
What is included in your portfolio book HERE TO SAY? Is there any particular reason to make the book?
It is a collection of my works including logos, illustrations, graphic design, parody, photography, fonts, and visuals sampled from inspirational sources I had before.
Making my book, I was inspired by a book called 2027 which I read as I was a student. In the book characters make a book, which is prohibited in the story.
Could you share your idea for the cover work for this month’s SHIFT?
It consists of shifting contents and eyes that are watching them. By reloading, the speed randomly changes, and that indicates each viewer. So please try reloading it. For Flash production, I had a full cooperation from my brother.
save point
What is your inspiration sources?
I think I get inspiration from various things. It could be when I listened a radio program in the afternoon, or when I was taking a walk, or from novels and manga I read before sleep. This could go on forever.
monolith
You like music, manga, and novels. Please tell us your most favorite piece (artist) from each.
I like New Order’s album “Substance” for music, Fujiko F Fujio’s “SF Short Stories” for manga, and a story “Junkyo” included in Shinichi Hoshi’s novel “Youkoso Chikyu-san” for novel. I specially got inspiration from “SF Short Stories” which had two different aspects of dark side and twist.
sad bros
How would you like to explore your activity in the future?
I would like to do works consistently and enjoy it. As I have another idea of a book, I want to make it in the future.
Thank you for reading.
For more information about purchasing HERE TO STAY please inquire to contact@000mhz.org.
Text: Mariko Takei