[No. 29] Takashi Asanuma

After graduating from graduate school, I joined a manufacturer and have been designing consumer electronics. Currently, I am mainly in charge of product design for LCD TVs for overseas markets. While I was a student, I became interested in product design. After advancing to the master's program, I majored in design engineering, conducted research on design theory and methodology, and learned about the theoretical aspects of product design. At the same time, I also attended lectures at a design school outside the university and studied the practical aspects of product design on my own. In parallel with my academic papers and master's thesis, I was also compiling a portfolio of my design work. Looking back, I think I was an unusual student for the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

I feel that what I learned during my six years as a student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, while not directly applicable, is definitely being put to use in my current work. The logical thinking skills I developed through assignments and research activities form the foundation for examining my own design process and making presentations both internally and externally. Furthermore, the environment that allowed me to study other fields such as cognitive engineering, cognitive psychology, modeling theory, and statistics while learning design engineering was very helpful not only in terms of expanding my interests and knowledge but also in developing a broad perspective. In addition, the outstanding research presentation award I received from the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers after graduation has given me great confidence.

Moving forward, I will not be satisfied with the status quo and will leverage my background in moving from mechanical engineering to product design. I want to take on new challenges in new fields with design as my core.