Design Magazine "AXIS" Latest Issue Launches April 1st! Cover Features Satoru Yoshiizumi (TAKT PROJECT), Special Feature on "PRODUCT DESIGN 2026"

COVER STORY Satoru Yoshiizumi (TAKT PROJECT) Questioning assumptions and exploring the possibilities of every way of perceiving the world. Isn't that the essence of design? TAKT PROJECT is a design studio that has quietly re-examined societal assumptions, starting from independent research, by questioning fixed "values" and returning to the point before meaning is given. Satoru Yoshiizumi, who began by studying engineering, has practiced design as an "attitude" for engaging with the world, oscillating between the design philosophy that derives optimal solutions and unquantifiable values such as aesthetics and philosophy. This stance has been consistent in his direction of the 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT "Material, or" exhibition (2023) and in collaborative projects with companies. He first poses questions, unravels existing meanings, and allows forms to emerge from relationships. Yoshiizumi's thinking and activities are quietly, yet surely, expanding the possibilities of design in an era of saturation.

FEATURE PRODUCT DESIGN 2026: The Changing Society and the Current State of Product Design The evolution of technology, growing environmental awareness, and a focus on human experience and emotion. As societal values fluctuate, the role of product design is quietly changing. Mobility, medical devices, AI devices, household goods, play tools—the products introduced here go beyond mere function and form, re-examining the relationship between people and things, and even the nature of life and society. In this special feature, we focus on products that seek to reweave the very context of life through their form, materials, presence, and usage.

TOYOTA: walk me Towards mobility that transcends everyday barriers and emotional barriers In December 2019, then-President Akio Toyoda (now Chairman) announced a message titled "Towards a full model change to a mobility company." This was Toyota Motor Corporation's declaration of its determination to play a role in transporting people and goods everywhere. This includes even lunar rovers, but they are also focusing on the practical application of personal mobility closely integrated with daily life. "walk me," introduced here, is an example of personal mobility developed by Toyota Motor Corporation.

Flos: Maap Lighting that inspires intuition and instinct, infinitely changing form "Maap" is a large wall-mounted lighting fixture co-created by designer Erwan Bouroullec and Italian modern lighting brand Flos. It is characterized by its use of thin, lightweight, and durable Tyvek material, allowing users to freely shape it by hand. It is a product that reflects contemporary values of user participation, rather than unilaterally presenting a finished form.

Karimoku Furniture: UP A cane that lifts body and spirit In modern society with an aging population, canes are becoming increasingly necessary tools to assist walking. However, many people have negative perceptions of aging or using a cane. What kind of cane allows one to live more authentically and positively? This article looks back at the 6-year development process of the "UP" cane by designer Keiji Takeuchi.

Beyond the Correctness of Product Design —The "Romance" Challenged by In-house Designers Corporate designers created prototypes beyond the scope of their daily work and exhibited them in the "Industrial Romanticism" exhibition (featured in AXIS vol.235) in autumn 2025. This issue introduces 12 products, each filled with the romance of 7 companies and 15 individuals.

Google: Gboard Dial Version Embracing "uselessness" with full effort: The philosophy of the Gboard DIY project Google's "Gboard DIY project" announces a new keyboard every October 1st. Its origins trace back to 2010, and many fans eagerly await its surprising ideas each time. The latest version, released in '25, is the "Dial Version," inspired by rotary phones. We asked team members about the philosophy of this project, which pushes the boundaries of "uselessness."

ITOKI: CONNEXA(NII) Resonance of poetic sensibility and engineering As the nature of the workplace is being redefined globally, office furniture is required to offer a "reason to gather" beyond mere functionality. ITOKI's new brand "NII" announced "CONNEXA" as its first product, a table system that embodies the poetic forms envisioned by architect and designer Rodolfo Agrella with precise Japanese engineering. This article delves into the design story behind this system, which brings a new landscape to future offices.

Contents COVER STORY Satoru Yoshiizumi (TAKT PROJECT) FEATURE PRODUCT DESIGN 2026 The Changing Society and the Current State of Product Design ■walk me Towards mobility that transcends everyday barriers and emotional barriers ■Maap Lighting that inspires intuition and instinct, infinitely changing form ■UP A cane that lifts body and spirit ■Sigma BF A "box" that returns to the origin of the act of photography ■AFEELA 1 The ultimate future mobility that implements "sensibility" ■Looki L1 Wearable AI with "eyes" and "ears" for daily life ■Kibu Circular Headphones Children's headphones that offer a circular design experience ■Beyond the Correctness of Product Design—The "Romance" Challenged by In-house Designers ■instax mini Evo Cinema Bringing memorable images into everyday life ■LEGO SMART Play Breathing life into LEGO blocks and expanding play possibilities ■Nike Mind Nike's new footwear that brings awareness back to the "here and now" ■Aquilion Rise Innovation in multi-position CT, refined from a patient's perspective ■Gboard Dial Version Embracing "uselessness" with full effort: The philosophy of the Gboard DIY project ■ZZZN SLEEP APPAREL SYSTEM Product design for switching between sleep and wakefulness through wearing and removing ■bathtope Updating the value of the bathroom's existence ■Sodium-ion Power Bank Design philosophy of next-generation mobile batteries ■Sailing Lantern An unprecedented lantern born from "overly meticulous" design ■CONNEXA Resonance of poetic sensibility and engineering

Series Ambience Akio Tomari's Atelier Masahiro Sanbu LEADERS Carsten Nicolai (Artist) Sci-Tech File Coral's diverse forms and ecology, surviving hundreds of millions of years at the bottom of the sea Keiichiro Fujisaki From a Single Piece Segway HT i167 (2001) Sakura Nomiyama African Practitioners Nifemi Marcus-Bello (Industrial Designer) Maki Nakata Design of Decision Making What is "narrative" needed in an era where everyone communicates / Building an environment where users want to tell stories Shunsuke Ishikawa (KESIKI) Ancient Creativity Stories of the Northern Sea Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples Chihiro Minato Designer's Eye Perspective of Relationships Satoru Yoshiizumi (TAKT PROJECT) Poetic Engineering Exercise Like ants building a nest Shohei Takei (nomena) Monologue on Perspective Damage Naoki Ono The Beginning of Beginnings Accidental Products Haruka Misawa Creators' Navi Tetsuro Shirosaki, Tanya Bradaric & Taro Omae, Tim Theven, MARU.architecture, Yuma Nishida, Alexandra Gerber