Hello👋 I’m Kyoko, a Visual Designer
and Design Researcher.
I am a visual designer and design researcher passionate about conveying complex ideas and offering new perspectives. I navigate between abstract thinking and concrete creation. After studying product design in university and graduate school, I worked at Takram as a design researcher in new business development, UI/UX, and branding. I am currently studying Graphic Design at ArtCenter College of Design, with a particular passion for book design. I focus on researching, curating, and shaping content into book form. In addition to taking courses in branding and storytelling across various media, I am also expanding my range of expression by studying illustration and sculpture.
EDUCATION
09. 2022 – Anticipated 08. 2026
ArtCenter College of Design | Pasadena, CA
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design
09. 2013 – 03. 2016
Keio University | Kanagawa, Japan
Master of Media and Governance
04. 2009 – 03. 2013
Keio University | Kanagawa, Japan
Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Information
WORK EXPERIENCE
01. 2023 – Present
ArtCenter College of Design | Pasadena, CA
Teaching Assistant
09. 2022 – Present
Freelance
Graphic Designer, Illustrator
02. 2016 – 07. 2022
Takram | Tokyo, Japan
Design Researcher
RECOGNITION
KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD 2015
Grand Prix | wordblock (Stationary)
Good Design Award
2019 | AEON Bank, Ltd. Digital channel User Interface
2020 | J-WAVE Corporate Rebranding
New Talent Awards 2024
Silver | Scratching the Surface: The Hidden Beauty of Japanese Bodysuit Tattooing (Book Design)
Core77 Design Awards 2025
Student Winner, Visual Communication Category | Incomplete Encyclopedia of Memory (Book Design)
ArtCenter Student Gallery
- Grains of Eraser (3D object, Woodworking)
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9 Sequences (Photography)
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Music Album, Valtari (Poster)
- TIPO 2023 (Brand Identity, Poster)
- Scratching the Surface (Book, Poster)
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Slow Flow (Typography Design, Poster)
- Incomplete Encyclopedia of Memory (Book, Poster)
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Quantum Entanglement (Illustration, Sculpture)
- Japanese American National History Museum Rebranding (VI System, Poster)
Scholarship
- ArtCenter Entrance Scholarships
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Patricia Howell Endowed Scholarship
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Honda Endowed Scholarship
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Julian & Joanna Ryder Endowed Scholarship
- Fletcher Jones Scholarship
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Siras Greiner Memorial Endowed Scholarship
- Kanter Memorial Scholarship for Excellence in Typography and Book Design
- Clive Piercy Endowed Scholarship
ArtCenter College of Design Provost’s List 2022 – Present
SKILLS
SoftwareInDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Procreate, Figma, Keynote, Slack, Miro, Final Cut Pro, AfterEffects, Glyphs, p5.js, Google Workspace
Design & Presentation
Collaboration with people in other professions, Visualization of research results and process, Time management, Critical thinking
Languages
Japanese, English
Research
User Interview, Focus Group Interview, Ethnographic Research, Surveys, Concept Make, Concept Testing, Journey Map, User Targeting, Desk Research