DESIGNAM, Japan's only alternative school DESIGNAM conducts design classes at "Shonan Hokulea Gakuen", the only alternative school in Japan

2024.08.02 11:15

DESIGNAM Inc.

DESIGNAM Inc. (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Akira Mizota), a branding design company for small and medium-sized companies, held a class at Shonan Hokulea Gakuen (Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture; Chairman: Kazuhiro Kohari) in July 2024, where students were able to create an original logo by designing the origin of their own names. The class was designed to teach students about the role of design and how fun it can be.

This class is one of DESIGNAM's regular social activities for children to learn and experience the role and fun of design, and to develop an interest in design-related jobs.

DESIGNAM staff giving a class

What is Shonan Hokulea Gakuen?

Shonan Hokulea Gakuen is an international school where English is the official language, and an alternative school that provides a unique education that differs from public education. Shonan Hokulea Gakuen opened in April 2022 as an "alternative school" that combines the characteristics of both.

The school is housed in an 85-year-old old house close to Enoshima Station on the Enoshima Electric Railway, and the school is home to the Hokulea Crew from ages 6 to 14.

Based on the "Jenaplan Education," which originated in Germany and developed in the Netherlands, the school has devised a unique curriculum that incorporates the Japanese curriculum guidelines. The concept of the school is "to raise children who can survive in any world! Shonan Hokulea is the only school in Japan that provides bilingual education (Japanese and English) and exploratory learning to develop communication skills, entrepreneurial skills, and outdoor skills.

Shonan Hokulea Gakuen: https://shonan-hokulea.org/

Shonan Hokulea Gakuen is the only school in Japan that provides children with the opportunity to actively communicate their "why? Children actively expressing their "Why?

At Shonan Hokulea Gakuen, which is housed in an old private house, every place where children are is a "classroom. While we prepare for class, there are children studying English, and next door, they are having a great time playing a soccer game of their own making. They are respecting their own "I want to do it! The children were playing a soccer game of their own making.

The children were seated on chairs lined up in front of the projector, and the design class began. In this class, after learning about the role and meaning of a logo, the children designed an original logo based on the origin of their own names and their favorite things, and made it into a badge as their actual work.

In the first half of the class, participants learned about the origins and meanings of logos of products and companies that everyone has seen at least once, and Akira Mizota, president of DESIGNAM, talked to the children about his thoughts when he started his company and what he put into his company's logo.

He asked, "How did you feel when the company was formed?"

Why is the bottom of the logo straight?

What is the difference between (R) and (TM)?

Why did you choose the (TM) for the Design-A-M logo?

The children asked questions one after another as they listened intently to the designers and Mizota. Some of the questions were as sharp as those of adults, making the class a very meaningful one.

Aggressive children

Mizota talking about his company's logo

Hokulea designers with free ideas. A scene unique to cross-age learning

Finally, the second half of the class was time for the children to actually design. Children of different ages formed groups of four or five and went to the desks with a piece of paper with the origin of their names and their wishes written on it.

I want to put a strong Japanese dragon in my name because my name has the character for "wa" in it," said one of the children.

I want my name to express my wish that my child will lead a bright and shining life, so I'll draw a sparkling sea and a star.

Some students began to write easily and created many different designs, others carefully created one design at a time, and still others used AI tools to research before drawing their designs.

When they were having trouble getting their pens to move forward, the children actively asked questions and consulted with their older brothers and sisters and the DESIGNAM staff, giving shape to their own ideas.

Since the group work was done by different age groups, it was very impressive to see the older children naturally looking out for and giving advice to the younger children.

In this way, each child's own design was completed. The badges were one-of-a-kind, personalized logos.

After each group presented their designs to each other, all the participants gathered for a circle time at the end of the session, where several children selected by the designers presented their own designs.

Thanks to the spontaneous attitude of the children, the class was full of energy from start to finish.

I want to do the same class again soon! I wish I could have made another one!

With these happy words, the children hurried off to a nearby community center for the next dance class.

Smiling children with their completed badges

Comments from Shonan Hokulea Gakuen

After the class, we received the following happy comments from Yuri, the head of the school.

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Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity.

My name was given to me with love by my parents.

I am sure that the children are proud of their names after learning their origins, and feel that the experience of designing and making the badges is a treasure for them.

The badges that the children made were not only worn on their bags with great care, but also shared with their parents on the Hokulea group chat that night.

It was a great experience and we really appreciate it.

This class was a wonderful time for the children and for all of us, the captains, parents, and the Hokulea family.

We would definitely ask for your help again.

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This was DESIGNAM's first time to teach at an alternative school, and we were very impressed by the warm, family-like atmosphere between the children and the captain, and by the children's spontaneous attitude.

DESIGNAM will continue to provide not only corporate branding design and web design, but also to promote this kind of design education.