Magazine SWITCH Interview “COCONE CREATORS FILE” FILE.02 Designer Naoko Utsumi
※This article is machine translated.
FILE.02
Naoko Utsumi Designer
After graduating from Tama Art University, Department of Product Design, he joined Cocone Corporation in 2014. After working on the ” Pokecolo series, he joined the “Lively Project” product design team at the CCP Business Division in January 2022. He is currently working as an ace designer.
From visuals to PR A design that encompasses everything
– I understand that you are both creative director and item designer.
Yes. Cocone’s item designers are in charge of the entire process, from creating the concept of the gacha, to the lineup of items, and even how to advertise the gacha when it is delivered to customers. As creative director, I look after the overall balance of the app, including the gacha themes we put out each month.
– What is the secret to creating designs that users want?
What I find interesting, however, is that the communication that takes place between customers at the time of the launch can have a bearing on the item’s popularity later on. We don’t just release a product; we try to take various approaches, such as releasing a product with a point of view, assuming what kind of reaction it will get, or creating a preview to let people’s imaginations run wild. We always talk with our team members about what kind of excitement we can create, and we all go through a trial-and-error process.
– Do you have a favorite motif or image in mind when you are thinking of a design?
I want to create more and more things with different colors within the team, so rather than pursuing my own favorite design, I ask people who notice the appeal of various phenomena and objects to present them to me and share them with the team members as we create our designs. For this, the cooperation of team members is essential.
– Does working as a team give your designs a breadth that you could not achieve alone?
There are many moments when I really feel that way. I think this is an environment where designers have a lot of discretion and each team has the freedom to make proposals, so we can challenge ourselves to do many different things.
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