Good Design Corner was a design retail and exhibition space established in 1955 at the Matsuya Ginza department store in Tokyo, created in cooperation with the Japan Design Committee to promote modern design in everyday life.[1] The corner showcased curated products and hosted design exhibitions organized almost annually, serving as a cultural program of the store.[2]
Design and History
The Good Design Corner symbol was designed by Japanese graphic designer Takashi Kono in 1960.[3] Kono (1906-1999) was a pioneering figure in Japanese commercial design, known for combining Western modernism with Japanese elegance.[4] He also designed logos for the World Design Conference Tokyo in 1960 and the Daiichi Kangyo Bank, among other corporate marks.[5]
The retail space itself was designed by furniture designer Katsuo Matsumura, who was commissioned by Matsuya Ginza in 1955 to design the sales floor of the Good Design Corner.[6] The corner was part of the broader Good Design Movement in postwar Japan, with the Japan Design Committee selecting products for display and sale.[7]
The space later evolved into the Design Collection, a select shop at Matsuya Ginza that continues to offer products chosen by Japan Design Committee members.[8]
Meaning and Symbolism
Kono’s mark for Good Design Corner is described as a circle-based symbol with ring and reflection elements.[3] The design reflects Kono’s broader approach to graphic design, which conveyed insights and messages within simplicity.[4] No official documentation of specific symbolic meaning for this particular mark has been located.
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