What is design?
Not a thing.
Not a style.
A decision.
Design is the deliberate shaping of experience: —yet we often chase speed, novelty, and abundance. Instead, we focus on cultivating enduring value: design that reflects, connects and grows with us over time.
Design is a journey without a map: —rather than rely on rigid structure, we stay grounded by paying close attention to each step; letting curiosity guide us, and staying attuned to what matters, drawing on the wealth of knowledge and experiences from the past—guiding us forward with purpose.
Design is relational at its core: It ties people to one another, to places that hold memory, and to materials that respond—changing with time and use. When we design in isolation, fragmentation follows. When we design relationally, resilience emerges.
Each project begins as a moment of inspiration:—a fleeting pause before it vanishes—so we can see what lives inside the idea and follow it to unfold.
Founded in 2003 by Ayako Sakurai and Todd Matthes, this design collective began as a platform for exploring creative ideas outside the constraints of our day-to-day professional work. Today, we unite thinkers, designers, and craftsmen worldwide — challenging spatial and cultural boundaries to shape a better future. Free from a physical office or permanent staff, we form bespoke, global teams for each project, harnessing fresh expertise and perspectives to drive real difference.
Who we are
We embrace diverse projects spanning scales and disciplines—from objects, graphics, and fashion to interiors, architecture, urban strategies, experiential narratives, educational content, and research explorations. We tackle any challenges that design can resolve or enrich: exploring emerging ideas, questioning assumptions, and crafting thoughtful responses that challenge conventional thinking, respond deeply to context and culture, and generate lasting value.
How we work
Every project begins with open, attentive conversation—listening deeply to your aspirations, constraints, and intuitions until the essential direction emerges. We then form a focused, transdisciplinary group to explore ideas iteratively through dialogue, sketching, prototyping, and precise realization—creating thoughtful, contextual responses that enrich place and experience. Some projects ignite and resolve as quick, intense burns; others unfold as multi-year journeys of refinement and discovery. The pace adapts fluidly to what the idea and context demand.
What we do
01
Design is ______
A visual, open-ended exploration for elementary-school-age kids—revealing why everyday items are made the way they are: why a handle curves, why a milk container has a fold design at top. No lectures—just gentle, wordless prompts that invite them to notice, question, and play. Inspired by “Design あ”（Ah - first letter in Japanese Alphabet) and “Pythagoras Switch”—NHK gems from Japan that were very impactful for me as a kid—now we’re bringing that same “aha!” moment, with our own stories and styles.
We’ll start with illustrated pages or animated loops for classrooms, then grow into books, workshops, or a mini-app.
Team -Currently gathering.
Idea emerging… contact us if you want to join the conversation.
02
Materials of Earth
This is a research project focusing on raw materials from Earth—stone, clay, wood, metal, fiber, sand—inspired by Kengo Kuma’s 2019 exhibit a LAB for materials. We start from examining original form, how humans shaped them through patience and craft, revealing adaptability and ingenuity. The deeper we understand these materials and the processes it took to alter their characters, the more value they hold—not just as finishes for our built environment, and become part of the conversation within spaces. They evoke emotion, foster connection, and remind us we live with finite resources. The research database and samples will become available for subscribed members (targeted for architecture and interior design firms), become must-have ongoing resources which will publish quarterly updates. Once established, we will continue to spread research to wider audiences with cloud-database, participate conferences, publish book, collect data of real-world use case focusing on post-occupancy data, which is typically missing from architectural practice today. We are here to arm designers with true value —to tell stories and hold meanings in everything we touch.”
Team -Currently gathering.
Idea emerging… contact us if you want to join the conversation.
1 / 99 (one of 99)
03
A limited-edition project. One hundred copies. One stays with the artist or craftsman—for authentication. The other ninety-nine? One of them's yours.
This dives straight into scarcity psychology—how fear of missing out makes us act. We take that instinct and turn it toward something real: a handmade object, quality, unique. While we support artists and craftsmen working, doing what they love.
Two parts. First—you join in, however you want. Could be just getting updates. Or you could come along—research, visit workshops, walk the full path from idea to finished piece. That's where value lives: not in the thing, but in how it's made.
Then—you receive it. One of ninety-nine. Yours.
Owning one isn't about the object. It's about being part of something. We focus on why we buy—not what we buy.
Team -Currently gathering.
Idea emerging… contact us if you want to join the conversation.