Tomohiro Okazaki was born in Japan. In 2003, he graduated from the Department of Design of Tokyo Zokei University, where he majored in Visual Communication. After initially working at an advertising agency and then a design office, in September 2011, Okazaki established the design studio SWIMMING. While keeping his focus on graphic design, he flexibly intertwines fields centered on visual communication: printed materials, video, exhibitions, etc. With assignments of any scale, large or small, he designs with emphasis on both cultural and economic merit. In performing his design work, Okazaki is powerfully attracted to the possibilities presented by opportunities to engage in previously unknown realms and events, to perform acts that connect people or the world at large, and to discover new worldviews and structures.

Thank you for joining us, Okazaki-san! How are you today? What’s life like in your city?

Hello! I’m Tomohiro Okazaki, a graphic designer based in Tokyo, Japan. My work isn’t confined to just the graphic design field - I like to stay flexible and explore related areas as well. I take on a variety of projects, from branding and promotional materials to logos, print design, video work, and exhibition design. Every day is quite busy! At the same time, I also dedicate time to design research and experimentation. Tokyo is a compact yet incredibly dense city. There’s always something new and inspiring, which makes daily life exciting. Balancing my work in design with the energy of the city, I truly enjoy every day.

The illusions in your videos feel almost like magic to the viewer. What motivates you to create these works?

The project I’m currently working on, Matches, started in 2020. It’s a way for me to observe things I create with my own hands. There’s no concept of completion in this project—it’s always in progress. Every morning, I make and document a new experimental video, and the curiosity of seeing what comes next keeps me going.That said, I see this project as something like a morning walk - it’s not driven by a strong determination to accomplish a specific goal. It’s pure curiosity that fuels it. I work on it alone, quietly, enjoying the process every morning.

What does your ideation process look like? Do you start with sketches or do you create an inspiration board?

IIn the early days, I used to sketch out my ideas, but recently, I mostly jot them down in words. Words capture the essence of a concept, allowing me to define the framework of an idea without getting lost in unnecessary details. After all, ideas are just different combinations or perspectives of existing elements in the world. Every night before bed, I pick an idea from my list for the next day. When I wake up, I refine the concept further, rethinking its execution and making small adjustments to the design. Once the idea feels clear in my mind, I get out of bed, head to my studio, and start creating. And each new piece I make naturally leads to the next idea, continuing the cycle.

Your work feels both nostalgic, like childhood games, and surprising, as if we’re seeing something completely new. What kind of emotions do you hope to evoke in people through your work?

Each video I create isn’t meant to be a finished artwork. It’s an experiment for my own observation. I don’t have a specific message to convey or an intended experience for others. It’s similar to finding an insect in nature, placing it in a case, and watching how it moves. The only difference is that this "case" happens to exist on social media, where anyone in the world can access it. When creating movement, I don’t try to control it exactly as I imagine. Instead, I embrace the natural changes and phenomena that emerge from the material’s properties, gravity, and environment. When the movement takes on a unique texture of its own, that moment of discovery brings me joy.

You’ve worked at advertising agencies and design studios in the past. What was that experience like?

I had the chance to work on a variety of design projects, but more than technical skills, I think what I truly learned was the value of the work itself and the mindset needed to approach it.

Now, I run my own design studio, where I take on projects every day. My work ranges from cultural projects like design exhibitions to collaborations with fashion brands, covering both large and small-scale projects. Every project I take on is exciting and fulfilling in its own way.

From the outside, it might seem like I spend all day creating Matches experiment videos, but in reality, I dedicate just 2–3 hours to that in the morning. After 10 AM, I shift my focus to various client and collaborator projects. I’m especially interested in exploring the intersection of graphic design and stop motion through a design-driven perspective. In fact, my Matches experiments constantly help me discover new ways of thinking about design.

Shikou Shiten, 2022. A collaborative project where three designers explore new ways of working with paper. For the 2022 exhibition, Tomohiro created a series of stop-motion videos. The project reimagines paper’s physical properties as a medium for conveying information, with each video designed as a unique visual experience.

Your work has a very distinctive style that is instantly recognizable. How long did it take to develop this unique approach? And what advice would you give to young artists or designers trying to find their own style?

I started working as a graphic designer in 2003, mostly focusing on print-based design. But in 2010, I bought a DSLR camera with the intention of creating poster graphics. That was my first real encounter with stop motion. While reviewing the photos I had taken, I realized how fascinating it was to see images come to life when played in sequence. That moment sparked the idea of incorporating the concept of time into graphic design through stop motion.

From there, I began exploring the intersection of stop motion and graphic design, pioneering a new approach that I’ve continued to develop through both client work and personal experiments. At the time, this perspective didn’t really exist in Japan’s design world, and even now, through my Matches project on social media, I sometimes feel like I’m uncovering a new design language on a global scale. In an era dominated by AI and digital technologies, stop motion (an inherently hands-on, time-intensive process) has a unique value. I don’t see stop motion as just a film technique; I approach it as a form of visual design, a way to create a distinctive visual experience.

One challenge that many young designers face is the tendency to imitate existing aesthetics. Of course, learning by emulation is a natural part of growth, but simply replicating the surface-level appearance of something results in a design that feels hollow. Instead, I believe young designers should take the time to dig deeper, to unearth their own creative “territory” and develop it with patience.

If we define “style” as something beyond aesthetics, I think it should be about the designer’s mindset - their dedication to continuous exploration, their perspective on the world, and the way they engage with their craft. If a so-called “style” is merely an aesthetic choice without depth, then it’s nothing more than decoration.

Ultimately, it’s not just about how you express something, but how you perceive and interpret the world in the first place. I’ve noticed that many young designers focus too much on seeking immediate validation from others. While external recognition can be motivating, I believe the real question designers should be asking is: What is our role in this era? What should we be creating right now?

It’s incredibly exciting to see collaborations with major brands like Hermès. Could you briefly describe the process behind that collaboration?

Posting my matchstick experiments on social media every day has made me realize that my work is being observed by people from all over the world. It was through this ongoing activity that Hermès in France reached out to me for a collaboration.

I’m very conscious about not directly commercializing my matchstick experiments—I want to keep them free from specific purposes or roles. For the Hermès collaboration, rather than simply applying the matchstick concept as it is, I focused on extracting the design structure of movement that I had discovered through my experiments. Since I was able to clearly communicate the core idea and design framework with the Hermès team from the beginning, the entire process went smoothly.

What excites me the most is how small, seemingly useless ideas born from daily experiments can take on a new function when combined with a major brand. However, for me, my matchstick experiments are like taking a walk—an ongoing, evolving practice. I believe the most important thing as a designer is not just achieving big projects, but cultivating a continuous, meaningful creative process. The real essence of making lies in the act of creating every day, in allowing yourself to change and evolve through that process. That’s where true value lies.

Which of your works do you think most represents yourself? Could you share it with us?

I don’t consider myself an artist but rather a designer, so my creations are not made for self-expression. When working with brands, I design to express and share their essence and message, always with the subject matter outside of myself. Collaborating with new clients is an exciting opportunity for me, as it brings fresh perspectives and values.

With my matchstick experiments, I’m not creating objects of expression but rather designing the way we perceive and interpret the world itself.

Also, I never want to be a designer who becomes satisfied with past work and gets stuck in it. People always have the potential to evolve, and I believe that’s an important perspective and spirit for a designer to have.

What is your workspace like? Do you have a fixed studio or office?

My design studio is very compact. I also keep the team small to maintain a better balance between cultural and economic work, allowing me to deliver quality design while staying true to myself. Even though the studio is small, we are serious about the practice and quality of design.

I would be happy to collaborate on design projects with those of you reading this, even if we haven’t met yet. For me, design work is always an opportunity to face new perspectives and values.

Tomohiro’s studio

Do you have any plans for the future? What are you most excited about?

At least for the matchstick project, I plan to continue for the next ten years. But beyond that, I don’t have any specific plans. I want to walk through each day like a walk, exploring unfamiliar terrain that I never even thought about before. If things go exactly as expected, I don’t think it would feel interesting.

Also, for the past ten years, I’ve been involved in design education at an art university while balancing my work. Moving forward, I want to focus more on teaching at the university level. I hope to share the foundational and applied design knowledge I’ve developed with young students who will shape the world, creating new design perspectives and projects that I never imagined before. I always want to engage with new possibilities moving forward.