Kenya Hara (born June 11, 1958) is a Japanese graphic designer, representative of the Japan Design Center, professor of the Department of Basic Design at the Faculty of Graphics, Musashino Art University, chairman of the Japan Design Committee, and vice president of the Japan Society of Graphic Designers.
Born in Okayama Prefecture, Japan, Kenya graduated from the Faculty of Design at Musashino Art University in 1977 under the tutelage of Shutaro Mukai. After graduating from university, Kenya Hara worked at a design center in Japan, and in 1982 he established his own design company, Kenya Hara Design Institute.
Kenya Hara's designs are known for their simplicity, elegance, and poetry. He has designed logos, packaging, and promotional for many well-known brands, including Muji, Japan Airlines, Sony, Toyota, and more. Hara has also published a number of books on design theory, including "Design for Design", "The Future of Design", and "The Power of Yubai".
Kenya Hara is one of the most influential figures in the Japanese design industry, and he has won many international design awards, including the D&AD Design Gold Award in the UK, the AIGA Design Award in the United States, and the Red Dot Design Award in Germany.
Hara's design philosophy is mainly reflected in the following aspects:
Simplicity: Kenya Hara believes that simplicity is the highest level of design. A clean design can not only make the information easier to understand, but also give a more advanced aesthetic experience.
Elegance: According to Kenya Hara, elegance is another important feature of design. Elegant design can create a pleasant feeling and enhance the taste of the user.
Poetic: Kenya Hara believes that design should be poetic. Poetic design can make people yearn for beautiful things and stimulate people's creativity.
Kenya Hara's design work has had a wide influence in Japan and around the world. His work not only provides people with excellent design examples, but also provides people with thinking about design.