Designed JCD WALLPAPER 02, an institutional paper published by the Japan Commercial Environment Design Association.

The front page featured Japanese interior designer Naoki Iijima. The theme was “Naoki Iijima’s work that surprised designers” Combining contributions from 23 architects active in Japan about their thoughts on the work with the words of Mr. Iijima himself, the artwork was created in which thoughts reverberate and resonate in multiple layers, forming a conversation between people, and eventually Mr. Iijima’s presence and personality emerges as a silhouette.

The logotype was inspired by architecturally combined building materials such as blocks and windows, square timber and walls, and expressed with a modern and energetic impression.

A beautiful contrast of black and white. By considering the artwork and the header part in a separate hierarchy, it creates a sophisticated impression in the header and navigates the reader as a modern architectural reading.

Initially, we had planned to post photos of Mr. Iijima’s works along with the text of the contributions. However, we felt that posting photos that were visually emphasized and fixed would not convey the passionate feelings of the contributors expressed in words. We felt that the essence of this project was to relive the contributors’ feelings through their words. The works can be viewed online by using the distributed QR codes.

Each article arranged in an orderly manner is partitioned on a block by lines, and a beautiful paper surface is formed by contrasting with photographs, margins and typography.

The words of the contributors are written horizontally in white, and Mr. Iijima’s words are written vertically in grey of different density and size, as if to echo and converse with them. The two-dimensional medium of paper acquires a three-dimensional depth through the layers of letters of different density and size.

The color palette was inspired by something Mr.Iijima said about “SONIA RYKIEL Nagoya”: “White is a color that displays exceptional beauty when combined with the nature of the material.” “The subtle beauty of the powdery white surface used, or chalk powder, feels similar in its presence to what Marcel Duchamp called ‘Inframince’ (extremely thin).” — Naoki Iijima

The multi-layered composition of words creates a vague yet definite representation. Mr. Iijima was inspired by the following experience he had when he was seven years old: “Rather than a solid object, I was conscious of the limit of the misty air surrounded by a cloth as the beginning of space.” “I began to think that this slight ‘limitation of air’ is a spatial understanding unique to interior design.” — Naoki Iijima