Takumi Shimamura — Caring for the entire journey of a product
Takumi Shimamura is the Japanese creator of the Monacca wooden bag and a number of other organic designs. His superpower is turning any product into an organic one.
BACKGROUND
Takumi worked for 14 years in a design for a car company. His interest and the challenge was the design of all different elements and also how they come together. This is how Takumi learned a holistic approach. Also, his legacy was making organic things. His family business was kimono and wooden shoes Geta. He had watched many times his grandfather and his father making shoes. Organic concept in the wooden shoes is this — if one part is taken, it can’t be without it. His grandmother used to make kimono. Organic in a kimono means that there is one long textile, if there is a small mistake, it can’t be used and has to be made again. Now, combining the experience from the car industry with his roots, Takumi brings organic concept into products.
“I left car industry because it is the same process, no innovations. The system is fixed.”
ORGANIC
Organic concept can be applied to everything for Takumi. For example, organic system is when you take something away and the original item can not exist without it. It is also the entire cycle from planning the design to the sales. It is eco materials. A question that Takumi always asks factories before producing anything — is it easy to trash it? It is the long life of any product he creates. And, It is about perfect details in his products, because every corner has to feel like nature.
“A designer also has to be responsible for sales. It’s the same world. It’s organic system.”
“The future is not shiny, etc., The future is organic.”
CREATING THE WOODEN BAG
“Knowing the suppliers from the car company, I went to ask them to try using their techniques used for cars to create elements for organic products.”
CRAFTSMANSHIP
Each craftsmanship in Japan is a miracle. It’s like a fantasy. I find rare techniques, add them into products and open a new market for them. This is how I mix old and new.
INSPIRATION
—What inspires you?
—Nature. But nature is not greens. A city is also nature. Everywhere we can feel nature. For example, stone steps. They have corners. People step on them for hundreds of years and the corners change. This is organics.
“Design is a business with art.”
—What is most productive state for your ideas to come?
—Everywhere. All the time. Hints can come from anywhere.
CONTINUITY
—When do you know when the product is ready and it’s time to stop?
—My production doesn’t stop. Every time little by little I change something. People don’t understand that. But I can’t stop. For example, this wooden bag. It’s been almost 10 years ago, and I am still changing something even if the product sells well.
My products are made for long, long life. And, they should sell in 10 years.
POWER OF DETAILS
Well-done item is all about the details. 0,01 millimeters and the car breaks.
LIKE-MINDED
— How do you choose your clients?
—I don’t work with those who just want to create something. They need to have motivation. They have to be enthusiastic about something. To start the project, I am asking the company, “Are you really sure you want to start this long project wit me? You need to have this and also patience for 3-4 years to develop the product.”
— You put your soul and heart into this creation and what if someone doesn’t like it?
—Of course. There are so many types of people. Of course someone doesn’t care. I am just focusing on the people who love organics. They really exist and it’s not just a few.
POWER OF IMAGINATION
I don’t sketch. I do sketchings in my head. Maybe I do 1-2 sketches at the end.