Yasushi Fujimoto

What is magazine design? What are magazine designers and art directors thinking, and in which directions are they heading? Armed with those simple questions, the author visited ten prominent magazine art directors who have been influential in the world of magazine design: Christophe Brunnquell (Purple), Work In Progress (Self Service), Yorgo Tloupas (Crash and Intersection), Jop Van Bennekom (Re-Magazine and Fantastic Man), M/M (Vogue Paris), David Carson (Ray-Gun), Tadanori Yokoo (Ryuko Tsuushin), Heikichi Harata (Garo And Heaven), Gento Matsumoto (Rits), and B, Kazunari Hattori (Here And There). By presenting each art director’s background, design style, and how they influenced the world of magazine design, Fujimoto tried to find answers to his questions. Along with interviews, the author shows page after page of the magazine designs of each director as well as photographs of their work environments. The art direction of the book is completed by the author himself.

Yasushi Fujimoto, an art director and the head of his own design studio "Cap," has worked for many well-known Japanese magazines including Marie Claire Japan, Vogue Nippon and GQ Japan. He has also directed advertising projects for such clients as Louis Vuitton Japan and several apparel brands. In 1996, Fujimoto opened a gallery "Gallery Rocket" for young designers, photographers and illustrators to exhibit their works.