Erika Okude
Japan
CAREER Enrolled in April 2011; Completed master’s degree in March 2013
Before entering KMD, I majored in interactive design at the Keio University Faculty of Environment and Information Studies. For my graduation project, I created an installation artwork that projected ripples by sensing where raindrops fell on the surface of water. My motivation for progressing to KMD was wanting, based on this experience, to learn skills for tackling everyday problems from a broader perspective and for launching my ideas in the real world. My research project at KMD was themed on taking pictures and creating a visual experience of parenting in the digital age. I feel I gained the ability to design concepts aligned with my project subjects based on in-depth ethnographies.
After graduating, I started a design company with a friend from an art university, launching the character brand “Tetra Style” and holding workshops as part of an activity called “otomedengei-bu” (girl’s electronic accessory club). We also have a smart crime-prevention buzzer for women called “shippo kōru” (tail call) for a project we started recently. We engage in product development while following the “design thinking” process to develop original and attractive products which leverage digital technology to ensure safety.
(This article was written in March 2018.)