Everyone has their own beliefs and worldview, shaped by unique inspirations and experiences. While these might seem like disconnected moments at first, over time they come together to form the foundation of one’s work. It is this personal journey that leads each designer to create something distinctly their own.

・・・

In this feature, we dive into the creative roots of Yasuo Yamaguchi. After designing for Hobonichi (also known as Almost Daily Itoi Newspaper), Yasuo has gone on to become an independent creative director, working across various disciplines, including design, direction, and photography.

Yasuo Yamaguchi

Founder and CEO of MountainDonuts

After graduating from Osaka University of Arts, Yasuo began his career at an advertising production company, followed by work as a contracted designer for Oriental Land and Victor Entertainment. In 2004, he joined Almost Daily Itoi Newspaper as a designer. In 2022, he founded MountainDonuts LLC. With a focus on creativity and humor, he aims to bring exciting and innovative ideas to life.

1. How do you approach work and creating things?

I believe in creating designs that are easy to understand. I call it “pop,” but what I mean by that is something people can immediately grasp just by looking at it—something that clearly communicates its message at first glance.

When I work with my team, I also think it’s important that the design—whether it’s a rough idea or a final version—sparks new ideas and insights for everyone involved. When the design leads to fresh thinking, I feel like I’ve succeeded. To get to that point, it’s crucial to develop the idea thoroughly. And it’s not just the design itself—words are just as important in shaping the message.

I remember once being asked to create concept art for an internal project at a company. The request was for a piece of concept art, but I felt like one image wouldn’t fully capture everything. I started by asking, “Why are we doing this project?” and worked through the bigger picture for its global expansion. I turned that vision into visuals and created a landing page with a call-to-action to encourage people to get involved. That landing page became a starting point for discussions within the company, helping everyone align on the scale and direction of the project. When people get inspired, the project gains momentum, and new ideas begin to emerge. It’s during these moments that I feel most fulfilled. It’s less about designing a page and more like creating concept art for a movie.

My work is about two things: the design itself—turning ideas into something polished and clear—and creating a structure that helps ideas flow and grow. I’m good at shaping that structure. That’s why it’s so important for my work to be instantly understandable and “pop.” I want to spark the feeling, “We can do even more!” The energy that comes from this kind of collaboration should be felt in the final product when it’s shared with the world.

One principle I always stick to is honesty. I never create anything I don’t truly believe in. Half-hearted designs or forced visuals are easily recognizable and lack authenticity. It’s important to build only what feels genuine within the world I’m creating.

When I worked at Hobonichi, designers always accompanied reporters on interviews to take photos. This way, we could ensure that the photos authentically reflected the subjects from the article. Without this, the photos would end up looking like generic “posing” shots, failing to capture the true emotion of the text. I have a lot of respect for the editors at Hobonichi for their ability to capture the real atmosphere of a scene and turn it into compelling writing. For me, photos are a crucial part of maintaining consistency and ensuring that the content remains authentic and true to its message.

2. How do you stay productive at work, and are there any tools or items you rely on?

I rely on my Sony α7 IV camera to stay productive. I used to have two different models, but when one broke, a colleague recommended I get another of the same model as a backup. So, I ended up with two α7 IVs. (I actually wanted a different camera, but for consistency, I decided to stick with the same model.)

What I like about Sony cameras is that they’re almost like machines. It’s fun to learn all the features and technology, beyond just taking photos or shooting videos.

Another thing I’ve done is standardize all my devices, including displays. The main reason for this is to avoid confusion with colors. Displays can show colors differently, and it’s hard to determine what the ‘true’ color is. But since the iPhone is the most widely used device in Japan, using Apple products ensures consistency for at least half of users. I used to use a high-spec display, but I often struggled with color differences between my monitor and the one of the person sitting next to me. When it comes to web design, it’s especially important that everything looks consistent, so I decided to stick with Apple displays to eliminate any concerns about color discrepancies.

3. Who has influenced you the most?

The person who has influenced me the most is definitely Shigesato Itoi. He’s both intuitive and logical, but above all, he’s a kind person.

The first time I became interested in him was when two friends recommended that I apply for a position at Hobonichi, saying, “You have to apply!” After passing the selection process, I remember the final interview where Shigesato said to me, “It seems like our staff wants to work with you, so good luck!” (laughs). I thought his way of speaking was really unique.

After joining the company, I made all sorts of things on a whim. The things I created, driven by the idea of prioritizing, “it might be crazy, but it’s interesting,” were well received by everyone, and I was really happy about that. Shigesato was very tolerant when it came to creating an environment where we could make things while having fun. He’d often say, “Wow, that’s interesting!” and his enthusiasm would spread to the whole company.

He’s also extremely sincere when it comes to creativity. He would often say, “Creativity should take the lead,” and at first, I didn’t really understand what that meant, but now I completely agree with him.

An especially memorable moment at the company was the “candy table” we had in the office—a table always stocked with snacks where people would naturally gather. We could also place design prototypes there, and it was fascinating to see how the reactions would differ. Some things would only get a “Hmm…” response, while others would spark conversations like, “How cute!” or “How much would you sell this for?” Seeing these raw reactions from the team was faster and more accurate than any marketing test. Creating an environment where people could react honestly was incredibly important, and Hobonichi was a company that constantly maintained that kind of environment.

The words that left the biggest impression on me from Shigesato were, “People don’t live by roles.” Normally, we live our lives thinking about things like, “What should I eat today?” or “That was fun,” but once you enter society, you suddenly become tied to roles. There’s an inherent contradiction in that. He was saying, “You don’t have to do something just because you think it’s your duty,” which, considering his position as the president, was a very bold statement. I’m not sure if he would say the same thing now that the company has grown (laughs).

In a place like a company, where there’s a bit of pressure to conform, hearing something like that really sticks with you. He also said that when you don’t understand something, you can just tuck it away in your mental “I don’t understand” folder. I realized how much easier it becomes when things that haven’t been verbalized inside you finally get expressed in words.

Shigesato is someone who continues to talk to his employees as if having a casual conversation. He’s full of ideas and humor, and I really admire him for that.

By the way, at Hobonichi, I was responsible for multiple pieces of content every day. At the time, the daily user count was around 1 million to 1.2 million. Since social media wasn’t as developed back then, we received a lot of emails daily. In that environment, it became clear from the feedback and user numbers which content was difficult to understand, which had hidden intentions, and which was created just to show off the design. It was through this experience that I realized how important it is for content to be clear and straightforward—and that the content itself is the real star. I think that’s where my concept of “pop” comes from.

4. Have any pieces of content influenced your design or way of thinking?

I have two influences. One of them is the work of Shunji Iwai. When I was in university, I worked part-time at TSUTAYA, where I borrowed various films and watched them. One day, a conversation came up among my coworkers about which films we liked, and when I named my favorites, I realized that all of them were directed by Shunji Iwai. I hadn’t been consciously aware of the director at the time, but films like “Fireworks: Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom?”, “Undo”, “PiCNiC”, and “Love Letter” were all cool, a little mysterious, and made the familiar world around me look completely different. I remember thinking, “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

Incidentally, my interest in photography also started because of my encounter with these films. Working at TSUTAYA, I was constantly surrounded by movie posters, and it made me want to try creating my own. I would have my friends model for me, take photos, and then add text to create original posters. I had a lot of fun doing that.

The other influence is Disney. I’ve always loved pieces that use video and light, especially the live shows at Disneyland. In the past, I have also previously had the opportunity to work on projects with Oriental Land Co.

I think the most interesting part of working with Disney is the people. It’s a job where everyone comes in with the mindset of “Let’s have fun today!” The staff naturally want to match that energy and make people happy. Of course, they’re also very strict about labor and safety standards, but the people creating the experience are genuinely passionate about Disney. The atmosphere is always lively with people squealing with delight. In the end, the goal is to make people happy, and that’s something I believe applies both at Disney and in the world of design. No matter what, you always want to make things fun!

5. What were some things you loved or were passionate about when you were in your teens?

DIY. Up until junior high school, I used to make all sorts of things from the wood in our backyard.

The reason I became interested in DIY and crafts was because of an NHK program called “Dekiruka na” (Can You Do It?). I would watch it on our home TV and try to recreate everything they introduced, making whatever I could.

The joy of creating things lies in the challenge, “Can I do this?” and then seeing it come together. Of course, it doesn’t always turn out exactly as I imagined, but the excitement comes from connecting the pieces, watching it evolve, and creating a whole new world in the process.

In addition to crafts, I also loved playing with building blocks and Plarail (toy trains). I would use blocks to create missing pieces and supports to build three-dimensional intersections with the Plarail tracks. My parents would watch from the side and simply say, “Hmm”. However, they would sometimes notice small details, and comment, “You made it this way to support that part”. I only realized later how rare it is for people to notice those small engineering details.

Having grown up playing with blocks, I often think that “design is like building blocks.” Everything is a combination of accumulated skills and techniques. You can’t just suddenly create something out of nowhere. There’s a foundation of knowledge and experience, and on top of that, new things are built. When you get a new block, you can connect it with others, right? Having a variety of “types” of blocks and a large “quantity” of blocks is really important.By the way… the wooden objects I made through DIY (not blocks) would, after completion, be destroyed and burned in the incinerator at home (laughs). I loved breaking things down and burning them. Once it was done, I’d think, “Is it finished now?” or “I wonder what would happen if I burned this?” (laughs). Well, bonfires are fun, aren’t they? For me, it was a normal routine, but whenever I tell this story, people seem a little put off.

It’s not about burning things, but I feel the same way about digital creation. Scrapping and rebuilding is fun. For example, I think it’s fine to change logos every year. As long as cost isn’t a problem and doesn’t cause any discomfort for customers, I think things should evolve according to the situation. For instance, my company’s logo is shaped like a donut, and whenever a new employee joins, I let them redesign the chocolate topping (laughs).

When there are multiple options, I don’t think we always need to settle on just one. I’m the type of person who tends to come up with a lot of rough drafts when I get into the zone, and I think it’s perfectly fine to have multiple main visuals. At Hobonichi, we designed pages from scratch without strict rules, and I really enjoyed having that freedom.I guess I’ve always had trouble settling on just one thing. Of course, I deeply admire the culture that values and builds on existing ideas—it’s just not something that comes naturally to me. I think it’s great if both approaches can coexist.

6. Have you recently seen a website or service that made you think “That’s a great design!”? What stood out to you about it?

We recently redesigned our company’s website using a platform called “STUDIO”. It’s amazing how much can be built directly in the browser without any bugs. The user interface is also incredibly easy to understand. We switched from another tool, but I think anyone who sees the site for the first time after the update might not even realize it’s changed. The site now loads much faster, and its responsiveness has improved significantly.

I often use Adobe XD, and I’m not yet accustomed to the way Figma works, but STUDIO gave me the impression of combining the best aspects of both tools, which I really liked. I believe each software has its own approach, but for now, I still prefer XD. Perhaps it’s just that I need to study Figma more. Once I dive into it more, I’ll probably end up thinking, “Figma is the best!” I’ll keep working on collecting new building blocks (tools).

In January 2025, I’ll also be handling the venue design for Hobonichi’s “Seikatsu no Tanoshimi Ten” (translation: The Enjoyment of Life Exhibition), which will be held at my former workplace. Under the concept of “There are endless fun things to do”, many exciting shops will gather. I’ll be responsible for the overall design, including the web, venue layout, and the overall atmosphere. The exhibition will take place after the new year, so if you have time, please stop by!

Official website of “Seikatsu no Tanoshimi Ten”

Related Links
Mountain Donuts LLC, founded by Yasuo Yamaguchi
https://mountaindonuts.jp/