WHO IS BECCA TAKANO AND WHY DOES SHE DO WHAT SHE DOES?
Excellent questions. I am a quirky, passionate graphic designer from the United States. I was born in Florida but mostly grew up in Alabama with just a dash of Japan in between. I grew up in a military family, so part of my childhood was spent on the lovely island of Okinawa where I first found my love of art and Japanese culture. I received my Bachelors in Fine Arts for graphic design and marketing at Auburn University Montgomery in Alabama in 2011 and also studied Fiber Arts at the Savannah College of Art & Design in Georgia for one term in 2012. Currently, I am operating as a freelancer in Tokyo, Japan and a monthly design contributor to GaijinPot.com and An-yal Digital Advertising and Marketing. My studies focused mostly on print design - branding, advertising, publications, packaging, and typography.

DESIGN PHILOSOPHIES + STYLE
I am a strong believer in design that can stand alone. That is to say, design that doesn't need any explanation. Successful design is that which can convey a powerful message through visuals or texture and doesn't always rely on text or narrative to drive that message home. It also evokes emotion, starts conversations, stirs desire, arouses curiosity and has you begging for more. If you fail to react to it, you have not experienced successful design. These responses are what I strive to achieve through my own design, and also serve as the standard for measuring the success of my work. If people are not excited by what they see, I know it's time to restrategize and look at everything from a different angle. I am a perfectionist and am not afraid to set the whole idea aflame and start from ground zero if necessary. I seek to create work that inspires and impacts people in such a way that they never forget it. Without a doubt, my artistic creed is as follows - "The best use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it." - William James

My personal style is very colorful and illustrative. Depending on the subject matter, my overall design themes tend to either be very whimsical or very modern with elements that harken back to the 1950's and 60's. This can be seen through my use of vibrant or contrasting colors, offset strokes with both typography and illustration, my firstchoice typface of Bodoni, and geometric graphics. My strongest assets as a designer would be my color sense, illustration, typography, and print layout skills. Other strengths would involve how I approach a project and my flexibility when working with another member or team.

INFLUENCES + INSPIRATION
My inspiration extends from some very eclectic sources. First and foremost, I am heavily influenced by and drawn to Mid-Century modern art & design and abstract expressionism, especially that from the US, Russia, and the UK. Those periods of time offer some of the greatest examples of dynamic color palettes, line work, photography, and graphic print and illustrations. Specifically, I am greatly influenced by American designers Charles & Ray Eames and Andy Warhol, painters Jackson Pollock, Robert Motherwell and Mark Rothko, American furniture manufacturer Herman Miller, and Russian Constructivism artists Vladmir Tatlin and El Lissitzky.