TAKRAM
Since its establishment in 2006, takram has provided works of new social values in various forms of products and installations through their activities as design engineers. Active in wide-ranging, interdisciplinary field that straddles hardware and software, design and engineering, analogue and digital, mechanics and electronics, while developing unique methods, such as the Creative Concept Development method, prototyping, and Storyweaving. As Japan's foremost proponent in the newfound field of design engineering, takram constantly conducts research on design that investigates novel forms of social engagement and philosophical approaches, which reevaluate our existence and conventionality.
Kinya Tagawa, design engineer from takram
1999, Graduated with BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechano-Informatics. 2001, received MA in Industrial Design Engineering from the Royal College of Art in UK. Returned to Japan and joined the LEADING EDGE DESIGN corp. In 2006, established Takram Design Engineering with Motohide Hatanaka. Featuring a multilateral development approach that capitalizes on both design and engineering perspectives, he is active in wide range of products from interactive art works to software and hardware. Major works include a thumbnail Japanese syllabary input device “tagtype,” laser drawing tool “Afterglow,” “i-Concier” and “i-Widget” user-interfaces developed for NTT Docomo (in collaboration with WOW inc.) "taptype" was selected into the permanent collection in MoMA New York. Received numerous awards such as the Microsoft Innovation Award 2007 Grand Prize and red dot award: product design 2009 to name a few.
Kotaro Watanabe, design engineer from takram
BA in Environmental Information, Keio University SFC, Japan. While studying there, he co-founded Surroundings Co., Ltd., a company that proposes lifestyles of the near future through items such as furniture and stationery. He joined takram in 2007. While conducting lectures and workshops under the dual theme (synchronicity of ideological structure and development process) of Monozukuri and Monogatari introduced in this booklet, he participates in diverse designs of state-of-the-art digital user interfaces, interactive installations exhibited in galleries and museums internationally and domestically. In 2006, Watanabe was a Vulcanus in Europe government-funded scholarship recipient, and worked with Cisco Systems, Belgium. In 2009, he was delegated as a design engineer in residence at Iaspis in Stockholm for TWS Exchange Residency Program. 2010, "furumai," one of representative works, was exhibited at National Design Museum Triennale in Manhattan. Received numerous awards such as the German red dot award: product design 2009 to name a few.
Motohide Hatanaka, Ph.D.
until October 2011, ex-takram
Kaz T. Yoneda, architectural designer
2007, graduated with Bachelor in Architecture from the Cornell University, College of Architecture, Art, and Planning with three concentrations in theory, history and technology. 2007-2009, worked for Sou Fujimoto Architects as the project manager for the book "Primitive Future" (INAX Publishing), "Amorphous House" Ordos 100, Casa Brutus Pavilion for Design Miami/Basel to name a few. 2011, received Master in Architecture II with Distinction from Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Returned to Japan and began collaboration with takram design engineering on various projects. In 2011, appointed the Coordinator and Teaching Associate for Harvard GSD abroad studio taught in Tokyo by Toyo Ito. While investigating new architectural theory and design process that fuses research, design and praxis, he is also active in wide range of activities from education to product design.
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METHODOLOGIES IN DESIGN ENGINEERING
타크람
타크람은 디자인과 엔지니어링의 융합을 목표로 2006년 타가와 킨야와 하타나카 모토히데가 설립한 디자인 그룹이다. 이들은 외주 개발뿐 아니라 자체 아이템 개발까지 겸임하며 하드웨어와 소프트웨어를 넘나드는 폭넓는 디자인 개발에 중점을 두고 있다. 가장 이목을 끌고 있는 분야는 첨단 기술과 유저 인터페이스를 응용한 제품들이며 설치예술 작업에도 꾸준히 참여하고 있다.
Kaz T. Yoneda
Kinya Tagawa
Kotaro Watanabe