In House Reinvention That Inspires
Kanaisasaki, the duo of Aki Kanai and Taku Sasaki, have spent years shaping Kokuyo’s visual identity. Their redesign balances utility and delight, turning office staples into thoughtful systems with playful colour. They translated deep institutional knowledge into a flexible toolkit that adapts across products, signage and packaging. The work reads as modest craft, yet it quietly repositions a legacy brand as contemporary and human. Images of striped wordmarks, mint bags and modular caps show how repeatable rules generate joyful variation. Their collaborative workflow, constant handovers and curiosity fuel designs that feel earned and inevitable.
This profile reveals how in house practice can innovate without abandoning craft, authorship or institutional needs. Discover the stone experiments for Aki Project, the systemised Kokuyo toolkit, and candid thoughts on career paths. Every image and anecdote illustrates a rare empathy between maker and product, design and daily life. For brand curious designers, this piece offers a practical blueprint and a generous reminder to stay observant. Read on to learn how two in house directors turned steady attention into a resilient, living identity. The interview is concise, the visuals are meticulous and deeply human and warm.
Source: www.creativeboom.com
