2025.02.13

“Inclusive Design,” a third-year course offered at the Faculty of Global and Science Studies at Yamaguchi University, is a design workshop-style class in which diverse people are involved in identifying problems and designing proposed solutions. In this class, challenged persons are invited to be design partners, and they discover problems and design solutions through fieldwork.

In 2023, we challenged ourselves to design a sculpture appreciation experience for diverse people, using the UBE Biennale at Tokiwa Museum as a field.

This time, a sculpture appreciation guide tool “How to Enjoy Outdoor Sculptures” was created based on the student works that are the result of the class, and will be exhibited at the “Tokiwa Museum UBE Biennale Library” from March 2024. This is a card-type leaflet that summarizes the common viewing perspectives of each sculpture on display, allowing viewers to choose according to their own way of enjoying it. Each card also features a large photo of the work, making it enjoyable as a collection.

■Based student work: “Pitatto Tankentai” (「ピタッと探検隊」)
When appreciating sculptures with a design partner with a developmentally challenged person and his mother, I noticed that each of us had a different pace at appreciating. So I designed a picture book-style appreciating tool that allows people with different paces to slowly enjoy the characteristics of the sculptures and share the experience by matching their pace. The device allows you to enjoy the material, shape, and color through the silhouettes of the works carved out on each page. There is also a map of the works’ characteristics, so you can search for works according to your own way of enjoying them.

Design partners: Rakuto Horikawa, Kimiko Horikawa

Student group: Afzar Minahel, Miku Onaka, Ayaka Gokyu, Hinata Taniguchi, Hinako Yamagami, Ao Yamasaki

Class instructor: Koichiro Fumoto, Associate Professor, Faculty of Global and Science Studies, Yamaguchi University

Collaboration partners: Tokiwa Museum/UBE Biennale, Rie Miura, Yuna Yamamoto