JAGDA Design Conference 2026 'Graphic Design Now' to Be Held on July 25 (Sat) & 26 (Sun)

Key Visual: Yuka Shiramoto

The Japan Graphic Designers Association (JAGDA), a public interest incorporated foundation headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo (President: Kazufumi Nagai), will host the 'JAGDA Design Conference' over two days on July 25 (Saturday) and 26 (Sunday), 2026.

In recent years, the scope of design has expanded significantly, reaching into every corner of society. How should graphic design engage with society and assert its presence moving forward? Following last year’s inaugural event, this second conference aims to present the roles, expertise, and professional ethics of designers to society by exploring the functions and values of design from diverse perspectives. Join us for two days of deep discussions with around 20 speakers as we collectively energize the future of the design industry through the 'JAGDA Design Conference' movement.

● Event Overview

JAGDA Design Conference 2026 'Graphic Design Now'

https://www.jagda.or.jp/news/10381

Date & Time | July 25 (Sat) – 26 (Sun), 2026, 10:30–19:00

Format | In-person attendance (Tokyo Midtown Design Hub / capacity: 80)

[5F Midtown Tower, 9-7-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo]

Live streaming (Zoom Webinar / capacity: 500)

Participation Fee (per day) |

General: In-person 4,000 JPY, Streaming 2,500 JPY

Students: In-person 2,500 JPY, Streaming 2,000 JPY

JAGDA Regular & Supporting Members, Friend Members: In-person 3,000 JPY, Streaming 1,000 JPY

Organizer | Japan Graphic Designers Association (JAGDA)

Sponsors | Japan Design Center Inc., Morisawa Inc.

Cooperation | Japan Institute of Design Promotion

● Full 10-Session Themes and Speakers

[Day 1] July 25 (Sat)

'Accessibility' Yuko Kawamura, Shunya Hagiwara

Yuko Kawamura

Editor. Works across various media including print, websites, and video, supporting diverse projects centered on art and welfare. Edited notable publications such as 'Spaceship of Words: How We Make Books' by Takashi Serizawa and Chihiro Minato (ABI+P3 Joint Publishing Project), 'Listening to the Landscape of Tohoku: Field Recording' (Tokyo Arts Council), and 'A Museum’s Summer Vacation' (Chiba City Museum of Art). Founder of 'Noto-bu,' a group supporting the Noto Peninsula from Tokyo.

Photo: Riko Okaniwa

Shunya Hagiwara

Born in southern Kawasaki City. Director, designer, and engineer. After working at Semitransparent Design, he became independent in 2012 and founded Studio Ohtam. Focuses on cultural and artistic fields, engaging in website production, web accessibility, and digital archive development. Notable projects include the online catalog raisonné of Yoshitomo Nara and UI/UX design for Art Platform Japan. Author of 'Website Production for Art Projects.' Recipient of the New Face Award at the Agency for Cultural Affairs Media Arts Festival and other awards. https://stau.jp

'Public and Design' Hiroki Kageyama, Tadashi Tentai

Hiroki Kageyama

Editor and representative of Senjūichi Editing Office, LLC. Graduated from the Second Faculty of Letters at Waseda University and completed the master’s program at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. Holds a Master’s degree in Knowledge Science. Publications include 'How to Create Local Media' (Gakugei Shuppan), edited volume 'A New Way to Create the 'Street'' (DU BOOKS), and co-edited 'Next-Generation Editors File' (BNN). Also operates the web magazine 'EDIT LOCAL' and the online community 'EDIT LOCAL LABORATORY.' Part-time lecturer at Taisho University’s Faculty of Expression.

Tadashi Tentai

Graduated from the Department of Design, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts, and completed graduate studies. After working at DRAFT Inc., founded tentai.design in 2019. Practices comprehensive design, from communication design and strategic planning to expression development, for corporations, government agencies, NPOs, and farming communities. Served as Creative Director for Kobe City (2017–2020), lecturer at Kuwasawa Design School (2017–2022), and lecturer at Hosei University’s Faculty of Design Engineering (2023–). Recipient of the JAGDA New Designer Award and Tokyo ADC Award.

'Asian Design' Yuji Koiso, Tetsuya Goto

Yuji Koiso

Graphic designer. Born in Tokyo in 1966. Based in Beijing, he has led numerous projects across China since the 2000s, including VI and signage system designs. After 36 years at Japan Design Center Inc., he restarted Koiso Design Laboratory in 2026.

Tetsuya Goto

Designer, curator, and editor. Professor at the Faculty of Humanities, Kindai University. Based in Osaka, he actively practices and researches graphic design. Publications include 'The Work and Environment of Korean Graphic Designers: K-GRAPHIC IN-DEPTH,' 'C-GRAPHIC INDEX,' and 'K-GRAPHIC INDEX' (all published by Graphic-sha), and 'YELLOW PAGES' (Seibundo-Shinkosha). Exhibition projects include 'Moji Image Graphic Exhibition' (21_21 DESIGN SIGHT), 'C-GRAPHIC/TAIPEI,' and 'ddd DATABASE 1991–2022' (both at Kyoto ddd Gallery).

'Technology’s Personalization and Expression' Yasufumi Nagahara, Rei Wakita

Yasufumi Nagahara

Graphic designer. Works across media, from print to digital media and exhibition projects. Served as professor at IAMAS (International Academy of Media Arts and Sciences) from 1997 to 2006, and at the Department of Information Design, Tama Art University, from 2006 to 2023. Authored numerous books, including 'Thoughts After Visiting Black Mountain College' (BNN) and 'The Design of the Japanese Language' (Book&Design). Supervised translation of Josef Albers’ 'Interaction of Color' (BNN).

Rei Wakita

Artist and professor at the Faculty of Environmental Information, Keio University. Aims to approach the essence of things through form, pursuing artistic expressions where art and science coexist. Recent works include 'Thunder Forest Diagram / Active Flow Diagram' (entrance of J-POWER Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. headquarters, 2025), 'BLOCK UNIVERSE' (Seishun Art Village, 2025), 'Dragon Rain Diagram' (Kennin-ji Temple, 2024), and 'Over Billions of Years' (Moere-numa Park, Sapporo International Art Festival, 2024). https://akirawakita.com

'The Profession of Design' Kaoru Kashiwa, Kazunari Hattori

Kaoru Kashiwa

Born in Sapporo in 1949. After working at Bun-ka Printing and Otani Design Laboratory, joined Sun-Ad Co., Ltd. in 1973. His diverse activities include advertising and art direction for Suntory, Sony, Seibu Department Stores, United Arrows, Toraya, Mina Perhonen, and Tamiya, as well as CI and signage planning, promotional production for film and theater, and book design. Recipient of the Tokyo ADC Grand Prix, Mainichi Design Award, and Kamekura Yusaku Award. Author of 'Catalog: Kaoru Kashiwa 1968' (published by ADP).

Kazunari Hattori

Graphic designer. Born in 1964. After working at Light Publicity, he became freelance. Notable works include advertising for 'Kewpie Half,' art direction for magazines 'Ryuko Tsushin,' 'here and there,' and 'Mayonaka,' VI planning for Hirosaki Brick Warehouse Museum, Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, and Niigata City Art Museum, and promotional design for the rock band 'Kururi