an unique (yes, I really mean it) creator / Hironori Nakahara
by Hiroki Yanagisawa on December 22, 2009 11:53 PM
Hironori Nakahara／中原 寛法
Have you met an unique web designer? What it means in here is not only the creator's products are unique -- the creator him/herself is unique. Among thousands of web designer in Japan, Hironori Nakahara is the one that perfectly fits the answer to this question.
Have you met an unique web designer? What it means in here is not only the creator's products are unique -- the creator him/herself is unique. Among thousands of web designer in Japan, Hironori Nakahara is the one that perfectly fits the answer to this question.
"I think many web designers are passive -- there is a client, and a client requests a designer to create digital contents. In another words, a creator's job or creation is totally depended on a client. As a creator, I think this is not a healthy situation to be "productive and creative" in an authentic term."
While Hironori was studying at Chiba University, he was into creating music. He cites an analogy from this past experience to express his thought in depth. "When I was into music, I used to create music with my whole intension -- no one had asked me to create something and it was me, who was creating actively. If you call yourself a creator, this is a kind of attitude that he/she should have."
To be faithful to his "creator's belief", he initiated a monthly gathering among peer creators to present "expressions that can only be achieved by using particular media" each other. Hironori utilizes web programming and design to push the envelope of his expressions. Here are some examples.
1. Othello War (Reversi War)
"No matter what nationality you are, everyone pretty much knows how to play othello (reversi). In othello, an acquisition of the corners is crucial to winning a game. In Othello War, the othello board expands with time. It is not only interesting with the game itself -- It provides a different perspectives to the game -- the corners are not necessary corners anymore."
Othello War
2. Fancy Search
"The idea of fancy search came up while I was riding a taxi. When I was having a conversation with this particular driver, we got into the stuff I do for my work. The driver asked me, "What kind of design aren't you good at?" After giving a thought on it, I responded to him, "A fancy one." After I got back to my home, the whole idea of "Fancy Search" has come up. A search engine, which its interface is so fancy that even a high school girl will say "cool" or "kawaii". The search generates a random emo-ji ,lexigram, and some spaces are replaced by random "fancy" characters.
Fancy Search
3. 1129 Naito Vs. Kameda in twitter
On November 29, 2009, there was a big boxing match in Japan -- Daisuke Naito, WBC flyweight champion, Vs. Kohki Kameda, the contender and who is known as a "big mouth". Since it was a revenge match for Kameda, many people were talking about the outcome of the match on the web, including twitter, "So, I've created a website, 1129.in, which streams Kameda-Naito related twits on one screen. The left column is dedicated to Naito, or the tweets with #naito, and Kamedo-related, #kameda, on the right.
1129 Naito Vs. Kameda in twitter
4. PIXEL RUNNER
"One time, I was really into jogging at the wee hours, and I ended up creating PIXEL RUNNER, a system very similar to NIKEPLUS. The running path is traced on Google Map."
PIXEL RUNNER
Other than the projects mentioned above, his creative library has many more stocks, and some of them actually led to a work. "When I showed PIXELRUNNER to one of the clients, the client liked it and presented the idea to AU, one of the major cellular network carriers in Japan. AU was producing a phone, which utilizes its GPS function to provide jogging information to the user. (Again, similar to NIKEPLUS) The logo and the the basic concept was brought into this new AU system.
Want more uniqueness from Hironori? Here's more. He has incorporated his own web design firm, nD inc., in July 2009. Its headquarter is located in Okayama, which is about 600km away from Chiba, where he works and resides.
"The registered headquarter is my home-home, and that's where my parents still live. I've always had this affinity with my home country, and to show my love of it, I've incorporated my company in my hometown, so that my company's tax will be paid and used by the locals. Not many people quite understood the idea initially, but it totally makes sense to me."
When asked his future vision, he enthusiastically says, "I'm not only creating or wanting to create websites. My interest is beyond that -- its more to do with observing this new type of communication, emerging from the utilization of websites."
More and more new experiences and expressions to come from Hironori in 2010.
Well now, are you convinced that Hironori is a really unique fella?
Other professional works are available from his company's website.
NAME: Hironori Nakahara (中原 寛法)
EXPERTISE:Web-based creaor
BASED: Chiba / Okayama
If you wish to contact Hironori for project opportunities, please contact via edgyjapan.jp.
While Hironori was studying at Chiba University, he was into creating music. He cites an analogy from this past experience to express his thought in depth. "When I was into music, I used to create music with my whole intension -- no one had asked me to create something and it was me, who was creating actively. If you call yourself a creator, this is a kind of attitude that he/she should have."
To be faithful to his "creator's belief", he initiated a monthly gathering among peer creators to present "expressions that can only be achieved by using particular media" each other. Hironori utilizes web programming and design to push the envelope of his expressions. Here are some examples.
1. Othello War (Reversi War)
"No matter what nationality you are, everyone pretty much knows how to play othello (reversi). In othello, an acquisition of the corners is crucial to winning a game. In Othello War, the othello board expands with time. It is not only interesting with the game itself -- It provides a different perspectives to the game -- the corners are not necessary corners anymore."
Othello War
2. Fancy Search
"The idea of fancy search came up while I was riding a taxi. When I was having a conversation with this particular driver, we got into the stuff I do for my work. The driver asked me, "What kind of design aren't you good at?" After giving a thought on it, I responded to him, "A fancy one." After I got back to my home, the whole idea of "Fancy Search" has come up. A search engine, which its interface is so fancy that even a high school girl will say "cool" or "kawaii". The search generates a random emo-ji ,lexigram, and some spaces are replaced by random "fancy" characters.
Fancy Search
3. 1129 Naito Vs. Kameda in twitter
On November 29, 2009, there was a big boxing match in Japan -- Daisuke Naito, WBC flyweight champion, Vs. Kohki Kameda, the contender and who is known as a "big mouth". Since it was a revenge match for Kameda, many people were talking about the outcome of the match on the web, including twitter, "So, I've created a website, 1129.in, which streams Kameda-Naito related twits on one screen. The left column is dedicated to Naito, or the tweets with #naito, and Kamedo-related, #kameda, on the right.
1129 Naito Vs. Kameda in twitter
4. PIXEL RUNNER
"One time, I was really into jogging at the wee hours, and I ended up creating PIXEL RUNNER, a system very similar to NIKEPLUS. The running path is traced on Google Map."
PIXEL RUNNER
Other than the projects mentioned above, his creative library has many more stocks, and some of them actually led to a work. "When I showed PIXELRUNNER to one of the clients, the client liked it and presented the idea to AU, one of the major cellular network carriers in Japan. AU was producing a phone, which utilizes its GPS function to provide jogging information to the user. (Again, similar to NIKEPLUS) The logo and the the basic concept was brought into this new AU system.
Want more uniqueness from Hironori? Here's more. He has incorporated his own web design firm, nD inc., in July 2009. Its headquarter is located in Okayama, which is about 600km away from Chiba, where he works and resides.
"The registered headquarter is my home-home, and that's where my parents still live. I've always had this affinity with my home country, and to show my love of it, I've incorporated my company in my hometown, so that my company's tax will be paid and used by the locals. Not many people quite understood the idea initially, but it totally makes sense to me."
When asked his future vision, he enthusiastically says, "I'm not only creating or wanting to create websites. My interest is beyond that -- its more to do with observing this new type of communication, emerging from the utilization of websites."
More and more new experiences and expressions to come from Hironori in 2010.
Well now, are you convinced that Hironori is a really unique fella?
Other professional works are available from his company's website.
Hironori, working at his headquarter.
NAME: Hironori Nakahara (中原 寛法)
EXPERTISE:Web-based creaor
BASED: Chiba / Okayama
If you wish to contact Hironori for project opportunities, please contact via edgyjapan.jp.
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