Dore Gustavo
Brazil
CAREER Enrolled in September 2009; Completed master’s degree in September 2011
Before I enrolled, I was involved in marketing in Brazil. At KMD, I worked under Professor Masa Inakage and Professor Naohisa Ohta in the “Event Production” project. When Professor Naohito Okude launched a project on “Media Furniture”, I joined it too.
In the “Event Production” project, we researched new methods for events that use technology to increase the satisfaction and enjoyment of participants. There were many people from outside KMD involved as well, which gave me a valuable opportunity to interact with the Japanese business community. From my 2nd year onward, I concentrated on the “Media Furniture” project, where we used design thinking as the starting point for the creation of “furniture that can be used as media.” I studied both design and programming, but the most valuable part was learning to think like a designer. Among my best experiences after completion has been the realization that, when confronted with obstacles in my work, I can provide solutions from the perspective of a designer. KMD attracts interesting people from a wide variety of backgrounds. It expands your ideas and gives you a great network.
I currently work for Sony in product planning for the “VAIO” line. Next year, a new generation will be launched, and they contain some of my ideas. Manufacturers are always looking for new ideas and processes. I hope to use the design thinking process that I learned at KMD to create new methods for innovation in media.
(This article was written in March 2012.)