Ryosuke Fukusada: a cross-cultural journey in creativity
At Domus Academy’s latest Connecting the Dots event, the spotlight was on Japanese designer Ryosuke Fukusada, former student of the Master in Interior & Living Design whose professional journey bridges cultures, disciplines, and continents. Keep reading below!
Now an established figure in product and interior design, Ryosuke returned—virtually—to his alma mater to reflect on the evolution of his career, offering students a rare glimpse into the realities of working across Italy and Japan.
The discussion traced his path from the artisanal landscapes of Osaka to the international design stage.
After launching his career at Sharp Corporation, Ryosuke transitioned from corporate engineering to conceptual design, enrolling in Domus Academy to immerse himself in the European creative scene. His studies in Milan proved to be a formative experience, exposing him to icons like Andrea Branzi and Alessandro Mendini and nurturing a design philosophy rooted in cross-cultural collaboration.
During the internship that forms part of Domus Academy’s one-year Master’s programme, Ryosuke was introduced to renowned designer Patricia Urquiola through the school’s dedicated Career Services team. This connection led to an internship at her studio—an opportunity that proved pivotal, ultimately evolving into a four-year professional collaboration. Those four years in Italy marked a period of intense professional growth. Immersed in a studio known for its bold vision, Ryosuke confronted new creative challenges and began integrating traditional Japanese aesthetics with contemporary European design.
His eventual return to Japan marked the start of a new chapter: founding his own studio in Kyoto. Today, his work spans continents and disciplines, with ongoing projects in Portugal and Japan that reflect both artisanal heritage and global vision.
Throughout the session, Ryosuke offered insights into the contrasts between Italian and Japanese design cultures. He described Italian clients as deeply design-literate, with high expectations and an emphasis on originality, particularly in sectors like furniture and lighting. In contrast, Japanese clients, while highly punctual and process-oriented, place greater value on functionality and technical precision—especially in electronics and mechanical design.
Ryosuke also underscored the importance of communication skills in design practice. He credited learning Italian as a key to understanding cultural nuances and fostering more authentic professional relationships. In an environment where many international students rely heavily on English, he noted that embracing the local language can unlock deeper creative exchange and career opportunities.
He shared practical advice for emerging designers navigating a rapidly shifting industry. While digital tools like AI and 3D rendering have become indispensable, he urged young creatives to preserve manual skills such as sketching and physical prototyping—tools that, he said, stimulate unique ideas and maintain the tactile soul of design. He also encouraged students to resist the urge to compare themselves to others and to embrace failure as a vital part of creative growth.
One particularly telling moment came as Ryosuke recalled his first Milan Design Week, where the scale and national visibility of the event revealed to him the cultural prestige of design in Italy—an eye-opening contrast to his earlier experiences in Japan.
Ryosuke’s current practice continues to blend craftsmanship with innovation, storytelling with technical skill. Projects like his collaboration with Italian glassmaker FIAM—featuring a pendant lamp inspired by Japan’s Sankayo flower—demonstrate the strength of this hybrid approach. Exhibited at the 2024 Salone del Mobile, the piece stands as a testament to design’s power to transcend borders.
For students and aspiring designers, the session served as both inspiration and instruction. Ryosuke’s journey reinforced a core message: design is not merely a function or a profession—it’s a way of communicating, connecting, and continuously learning.