The video shows four brands: MUJI, Uniqlo, Apple, and Nordgreen, which influence me on my design work. These four brands are what I personally have and I think there are a lot of similarities between what I wear everyday and what I design.
The four brands have common aesthetics: minimal, functional, and clean, and these are the ideas and aesthetics that I value in my design.
MUJI was founded in 1980 in Japan. The original brand name, “Mujirushi-ryohin” means “No-brand good product,” and the brand has minimalism as its main design philosophy.
The art director of MUJI, Kenya Hara says that he focuses on the essence of the objects instead of trying to make unnecessary decorations. He values “emptiness” in his design philosophy, which derives from traditional Japanese culture. The concept of “wabi-sabi,” which finds beauty in “nothing-ness,” emptiness, has deeply influenced Hara’s design values and how he built up the MUJI brand.
Uniqlo is a Japanese casual wear brand, which provides simple but functional everyday clothes. Uniqlo focuses on essential products in everyday life, and keeps introducing new products that are fit to new and modern lifestyles.
Apple is founded by Steve Jobs in 1976 in Cupertino, California. The brand is famous for its innovation in technology as well as its sophisticated product design. Jobs had his passion of getting rid of the unnecessary since the beginning. Apple has inherited his value in minimalistic design even after his death, and continues to impress us with the beauty in its products.
Finally, Nordgreen is a Danish watch brand, which was launched just three years ago in 2017. The chief product designer, Jakob Wagner, with 25 years of experience in the industry, has designed for international and Danish brands alike. The watches he created have achieved pure simplicity by removing complexity and leaving just the essential.
