There There’s Designtide Tokyo 2024 wins Gold A' Design Award

There There - Kazune Watanabe won a Gold A' Design Award for Designtide Tokyo 2024, a revived Tokyo brand identity built around scanimation and physical interaction. The win spotlights a screen-free design system that blends craft, sustainability and audience engagement.

Why it matters: - The award puts a physically interactive brand identity in the spotlight at a time when many visual systems depend on screens and digital motion. - Designtide Tokyo 2024 shows how analog techniques can still create memorable audience engagement. - The recognition also underscores growing interest in sustainability, material reuse and human-centered design in graphics and visual communication.

What happened: - The A' Design Award named There There - Kazune Watanabe a Gold A' Design Award winner in Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design for Designtide Tokyo 2024. - The project was created for the revived Designtide Tokyo event in November 2024 in Tokyo. - The event drew more than 6,000 visitors.

The details: - Designtide Tokyo 2024 uses scanimation, also called slit animation. - The visual effect changes when viewers shift position, move closer or farther away, or slide across the surface. - The design ties that motion to the idea of tides and a larger movement in design. - There There - Kazune Watanabe refined slit pitch and base imagery to turn the technique into a responsive visual system. - Materials included wood, acrylic, fabric and paper. - Acrylic used at the venue was later reused. - The A' Design Award evaluates entries against criteria that include innovative concept, visual impact, effective communication, technical excellence, aesthetic appeal, originality, strategic approach, consistency in theme, cultural relevance, sustainability consideration, user experience enhancement, typography mastery, color scheme effectiveness and attention to detail. - The Gold A' Design Award is intended for designs that show a high level of innovation and a notable impact on their audience.

Between the lines: - The win suggests that interactive identity design can compete on the same stage as more conventional brand systems. - The project also reflects a broader shift toward designs that ask people to participate physically, not just look. - For the field, the award signals that reuse, material choice and analog craft can be part of a high-profile visual identity, not just a side consideration.

What's next: - The award may help There There - Kazune Watanabe pursue more interactive, material-conscious brand projects. - The A' Design Award says interested parties can review the winning design and its creators on the dedicated project page. - The broader award platform also invites entrants to future competitions through the A' Design Award site.

The bottom line: - Designtide Tokyo 2024 turned a classic motion technique into a modern brand identity, and the Gold A' Design Award says that approach stands out at an international level.