For the chair exhibition "Isu Is Size" held at KIITO, the design center in Kobe, I was in charge of the conceptualization of the exhibition and the design of the venue.

The theme of the Isu Is Size Exhibition is "A New Perspective on Choosing Things", and the exhibition is designed to promote a new way of choosing things to consumers. This time, BYTHREE was working with furniture makers to create “an exhibition of eight custom-made chairs.” By displaying chairs filled with the attention to detail of their makers and explaining them to visitors, we aimed to convey "the diversity of perspectives from which to choose a chair.”

01_ Concept development
During the discussion for this exhibition with the furniture craftsmen, we discovered that “just as clothes and shoes come in different sizes, so too do chairs come in different sizes for different people.” This idea is widely used in Scandinavia and elsewhere, however, most people living in Japan don't know this fact and live their lives. We decided to focus on this discovery and organized an exhibition of custom-made chairs for 8 personas with different physiques, occupations and ways of life.

For example, a chair for a pianist is easy to play according to his habits, or a chair for a dog lover is with a hook for leash. Like this, this is an exhibition of chairs that fit their personalities.

The title of the exhibition is " Isu Is Size" (ISU = Chair in Japanese). It represents the fact that this is an exhibition with size as a keyword.

 

02_ Exhibition planning and venue design

02_1 Arch

4 arches were arranged to lay out the 8 chairs in the venue. These arches have three roles.

The first of them is as utensil for the layout. If the chairs are arranged in an orderly fashion, it would be difficult to convey the concept of each chair to the visitors. This is the reason why we created a uniform format of utensil to highlight the individuality of each piece of furniture. We also installed carpets, flooring and tatami mats (bamboo mat) underneath each work of art. This was done in order to recreate in the exhibition hall the kind of place where each work would be used.

The second role is to convey the two aspects of “the user's request” and “details that the creator chose”. On the upper part of the work, a panel was set with describing the user's request. On the back side, a panel describes the attention to detail of the creator of the work. The message represents that we can peek into the thoughts and feelings of the creators of these works, which are usually invisible, by changing the perspective.

Lastly, it is a role as a diffuse, photogenic, three-dimensional object. Looking into this arch from the front and adjusting the height of the standing and viewpoint, the design of the arch connects, and a picture is completed. This trick can only be experienced by actually visiting the site, and we also aim to contribute the increase in the number of visitors.

The design of the arch itself is a way for the users to get to know the intentions of the creator and connect with each other through the exhibition. In keeping with the concept, the design is based on perspective drawing that connects the line which are apparat. The colors and tones are kept simple so as not to interfere with the work that is the main focus of the exhibition.

02_2 Experiential content

This is not just an exhibition of furniture, but a conceptual exhibition with a message that we want to convey. We created the hands-on content to make visitors aware of “there are chairs that fits each individual,” “how to order custom-made chair,” and “the detail of the craftsman.”

First of all, several chairs of different heights (25-60 cm) are placed near the entrance of the venue, so that visitors can sit on them themselves and they can measure the height of their perfect chair.

Then, we prepared that the tag you can write down the measured chair height and the features you want to see in your chair. The aim of the exhibition is not only to allow visitors to see the works of art, but also to enjoy a simulated custom-made experience.

In addition, you can actually touch and sit on each piece of furniture to experience the characteristics of each chair.

02_3 Furniture Crafters' Exhibition Zone

After checking and experiencing the 8 chairs of the work, at the end of the visitor's route, the furniture that was produced in the past by the craftsman for this exhibition will be displayed. To chairs, as well as other furniture and items, it provides an opportunity to view the product from a different perspective and to stimulate interest in custom-made products.

03_ Announcement visual design
There are two main types of announcement visuals.

The first one is a specification flyer with paper craft where you can cut out your own flyer and choose the parts you want to assemble. The message is included “Let’s make your own chair with details.”

The second is a graphic design using photographs of the chairs on display at the exhibition. We took advantage of the postponement of the exhibition due to CO-VID19 to plan a new poster design. This poster has a two-tiered layout. The symbolic figure at the top represents "the feeling of anticipation when you can't see the whole picture yet", and the photo at the bottom represents "the feeling of excitement when you see the work in real and see the whole picture.” Before it was shown to the public and when BYTHREE saw this work for the first time, we were surprised and impressed. And it was greater than we expected. Since the desire to transmit this feeling has grown, we've devised a major redesign of the visuals, like this. 
 

04_A pictorial record

I also edited and designed the pictorial record documenting the exhibition. Due to the impact of CO-VID19, there may be many people who can’t visit the event. Considering that, I aimed to create "the thing that you can feel exhibition atmosphere" rather than a mere record booklet.

In addition to photos and explanations of the works on display, I also provided feedback from people who have actually used the chairs, and the reason why they held this exhibition. It includes many photos of the entire venue, and I aimed to make it a visual book as well.

[Cover]
The design is laid out with photos of chairs and blueprints to convey the atmosphere of the venue.

[p.1-2 intro]
A page that tells the concept. A message that hops the size of the chair will bring a new perspective on the selection of things.

[P.3-4 How the exhibition was set up]
This page provides a detailed explanation of the concept and the summary of the planning and production process.

[P.5-6 The relationship between chair and size]
Along with an explanation of the relationship between chairs and size, it includes instructions on how to measure your own chair size at home.

[P.7-23 Introduction page for each work]
Explanation of each work. The structure shows the entire flow of requests from the user, the production process, the finish, and the review of use.

[P.25-26 Questionnaire]
A survey of fellow furniture craftsmen and ordinary consumers.

[P.27-28 Interview Report]
This is a report of a conversation between an underwear designer and a furniture craftsman that took place during the exhibition. The conversation explores the similarities between furniture and underwear, and considers the selection of things.

[P.29-30 Outro]
With the concept of the intro, it provides the closing message to find a new perspective on choosing things.

Visitor reaction

The visitors said, "I didn't even know chairs had sizes," and "I'm trying to look at chairs in a new way.” and "I got interested in custom-made products," etc. I could tell that the concept was well transmitted.

[The exhibition of Isu Is Size]

Venue: Design and Creative Center Kobe
Exhibition period: June 2-21 and July 7-26, 2020
Number of visitors: 687