DFA Lifetime Achievement Award signifies the design community’s respect for individuals who have made lifelong contributions to the design profession, education and society, especially in Asia.
Katsumi ASABA, the awardee of 2022, is a Japanese designer and a master calligrapher based in Tokyo. He has a particular interest in the rich cultural heritage of writing in Asia and in exploring the relationships between written and visual expressions.
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Katsumi ASABA
Founder, Katsumi ASABA Design StudioBorn in 1940, Katsumi ASABA is a Japanese art director and a master calligrapher based in Tokyo. He has a particular interest in the rich cultural heritage of writing in Asia and in exploring the relationships between written and visual expression.
After graduating from Kuwasawa Design School and working for Light Publicity Inc., he founded Katsumi Asaba Design Studio in 1975. Since then he has taken an active role at the forefront of Japanese design industry. As an art director, he has many creations which have made a lasting mark in the history of Japanese advertising design. Representative works include landmark ads for Seibu department store, Suntory, and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, and Logo design for HOMME PLISSÉ ISSEY MIYAKE. He has received numerous awards including Tokyo Type Directors Club Award, Yusaku Kamekura Award, Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, Medal with Purple Ribbon, Tokyo Art Directors Club Grand Prix, and Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.
He is the chairman of the Tokyo Type Directors Club, Committee Member of the Tokyo Art Directors Club and JAGDA (Japan Graphic Designers Association), Japan’s representative in the Alliance Graphique Internationale, 10th successive director of Kuwasawa Design School, and visiting professor at Tokyo Zokei University and Kyoto Seika University. He also holds the title of sixth degree master in table tennis.
“Design work is a continuous process.” — Katsumi ASABA
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DFA Design Leadership Award 2022
28 November 2022Muneaki Masuda President and CEO of Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd -
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DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer 2022
28 November 2022Guo Pei Founder of Rose Studio -
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Communication Design 2022
28 November 2022Good communication design projects make use of different memorable visual elements to enhance brand identity or convey effective messages, help businesses to stand out and shine. -
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Digital & Motion Design 2022
28 November 2022Keeping in step with the diversified trends of digital design, DFA Design for Asia Awards 2022 introduced a new design discipline – Digital & Motion Design, to recognise Asian design excellence in a broader context. -
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Fashion & Accessory Design 2022
28 November 2022Outstanding apparels can demonstrate designer’s creativity and show wearer’s own style. To create fashionable and functional clothing, the requirement on cutting and garment quality are even higher. -
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Product & Industrial Design 2022
28 November 2022A good product design should balance functionality and aesthetics. Ranging from small homeware to large professional equipment, product designers should identify the needs of consumers comprehensively to enhance users’ experience. -
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Service & Experience Design 2022
28 November 2022Design can be intangible, like a service enhances effectiveness in operation or an activity focuses on people’s experience. Immersive events become popular in recent years shows experience-centred design is the trend of the industry. -
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Spatial Design 2022
28 November 2022Large-scale projects such as urban planning and architecture, must take surrounding environment into consideration when fulfilling the needs of users; while interior design projects have to be more focused on details to bring out the exclusive taste of enterprises or owners. -
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DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award 2022
28 November 2022The 16 awardees from different design disciplines have shown great potential and are the new force to be reckoned with in local design industry. -
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DFA Lifetime Achievement Award 2021
25 November 2021Patrick Whitney Professor in Residence, Harvard T.H.Chan School of Public Health -
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DFA Design Leadership Award 2021
25 November 2021Min-Liang Tan CEO & Co-founder, Razer Inc. -
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DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer 2021
25 November 2021Freeman Lau Founder, KL&L Creative Strategics -
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Grand Awards 2021
25 November 2021This year’s 18 winning projects from Grand Awards of DFA Design for Asia Awards stand out from numerous design projects as a result of their overall design excellence, and were favoured by the judges. -
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Apparel & Accessory Design 2021
25 November 2021Let's take a look at the 10 winning projects from Apparel and Accessory Design of DFA Design for Asia Awards 2021 and learn more about the messages and creativity behind the designs. -
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Communication Design 2021
25 November 2021The 49 winning projects from Communication Design of DFA Design for Asia Awards 2021 successfully translate delicate ideas into action. -
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Environmental Design 2021
25 November 2021The 67 winning projects from Environmental Design of DFA Design for Asia Awards this year showcase a variety of environmental design solutions, exploring the infinite possibilities of spatial arrangement. -
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Product & Industrial Design 2021
25 November 2021This year, the 36 winning projects from Product and Industrial Design of DFA Design for Asia Awards, ranging from small sundries to large professional equipment, illustrate the forward-looking creativity and aesthetic sense of the designers. -
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DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award 2021
25 November 2021The 16 awardees from different design disciplines have shown great potential and are the new force to be reckoned with in local design industry. -
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DFA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020
19 November 2020 - 23 November 2021Tim Brown Executive Chair, IDEO -
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DFA Design Leadership Award 2020
18 November 2020 - 23 November 2021Frank Wang CEO & Founder, DJI -
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DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer 2020
18 November 2020 - 23 November 2021Stanley Wong (anothermountainman) Founder & Creative Director, 84000 Communications -
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DFA Design for Asia Awards 2020 Grand Awards
17 November 2020 - 23 November 2021This year’s 20 winning projects stand out from numerous design projects, entirely embody Asian aesthetics and culture, enhance the quality of life in Asia, and stimulate the design trends in Asia and for Asia. -
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Apparel & Accessory Design 2020
16 November 2020 - 23 November 2021You may discover the concepts and messages behind the 7 award-winning projects. -
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Communication Design 2020
15 November 2020 - 23 November 2021The 60 winning projects successfully translate creative ideas into action. -
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Environmental Design 2020
14 November 2020 - 23 November 2021The 72 unique winning projects reflect designers’ ingenious design of places. -
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Product & Industrial Design 2020
13 November 2020 - 23 November 2021The 38 award-winning projects, ranging from small lifestyle items, innovative home appliances to medical equipment, illustrate the creativity and aesthetic sense of the designers. -
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DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award 2020
12 November 2020 - 23 November 2021Sixteen awardees for 2020 have made refreshing contributions to the creative industries across a range of disciplines. -
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Apparel & Accessory Design 2019
22 June - 22 November 2020A collection of Apparel & Accessory Design includes fashion apparel, functional apparel and fashion accessories -
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Communication Design 2019 (I)
21 June - 22 November 2020A collection of Communication Design includes identity & branding as well as marketing campaigns -
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Communication Design 2019 (II)
20 June - 22 November 2020A collection of Communication Design includes new media, packaging, publications, posters and typography -
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Environmental Design 2019 (I)
19 June - 22 November 2020A collection of Environmental Design includes home & residential spaces as well as culture, public & exhibition spaces -
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Environmental Design 2019 (II)
18 June - 22 November 2020A collection of Environmental Design includes hospitality & leisure spaces, retail & showroom spaces, workspaces, green & sustainable spaces as well as event & stage design -
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Product & Industrial Design 2019 (I)
17 June - 22 November 2020A collection of Product & Industrial Design includes professional & commercial products, information & communications technology products and leisure & entertainment products -
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Product & Industrial Design 2019 (II)
16 June - 22 November 2020A collection of Product & Industrial Design includes household appliances as well as homeware -
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DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award 2019
15 June - 22 November 2020A collection introduces 16 awardees of DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award 2019 with their design projects
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