Do you know Cinnamoroll? It’s a white puppy character with a tail resembling a cinnamon roll. This adorable character is the main protagonist of the Cinnamoroll universe, where I.Cinnamoroll, an alternative form of Cinnamoroll, is presented as a new adult-oriented character. A lovable character is rebranded as a mature personality that emotionally supports busy adults in modern society.

This transformation, I believe, has something in common with our career trajectories as designers. At the start of our career, we are focused on honing our drawing skills. But, as we build our careers, our interest and activities are likely to shift toward more practical areas like management, consulting, and the study on AI-based design.

Such transformation seemingly represents a major shift in the nature of designer. At the same time, however, we can realize that our philosophy and passion for creation remain unshaken. It’s almost like Cinnamoroll is transformed into a more practical character, I.Cinnamoroll with the prefix of “I,” that emotionally supports people while maintaining its characteristic innocent nature. As our tasks diversify with the change of the times, we are required to play different roles. But the truth is we take advantage of the changing environments to open a new horizon for the future without losing our original identities. I think this is a flexible transformation that helps us broaden expertise and provides a key to opening a door to the future.

Munehisa Honda
Context Design Dept.
Senior Director