“Gwaaaht!” “Gyut!” “Byuut!” Such are the words that were flying around the workplace when I joined GK Dynamics more than 30 years ago. I found out later that these kinds of words bear the hallmarks of designers who specialize in designing moving objects, aka dynamic design.

This characteristic was typically found in the then president of the company, who gave us instructions mostly in onomatopoeia. Our company’s name GK Dynamics seemed to be an extension of that sensibility. It puts more emphasis on people’s feelings than objective features of products like functions and costs. I remember I was taken aback when I realized how exhilarating it was to feel that way. Before long, I naturally grew accustomed to such an eccentric work environment. But, as I absorbed its unique way of seeing things, I began to realize that our use of words and conversational rhythm was different from that of designers in other fields. That said, there was no reason to feel discouraged at all. Interestingly, our clients often turned out to share a similar sensibility. When they encountered a product’s form or color design that struck a chord with them, the first thing they did was put their emotional responses into words, saying “Sugoi(awesome)!” “Kakkoii(so cool)!” “Saiko(the best)!” If we successfully draw out such reactions, we feel our work is greatly rewarded. That is something universal, no matter the country.

Time has passed and the mood of the era has changed. Even so, whenever I meet people who grasp the essence of things through intuition and feeling, my heart warms for some reason, and I find myself wrapped in a quiet sense of happiness.

Hybrid Design Dept.
Master Designer
Minoru Hobo