The Kyushu Institute of Design, established in 1968, was Japan’s first national university with a single design department, emphasizing the relationship between technology and humanism. The university’s first president, Shinji Koike, penned the institution’s guiding principles. In the university’s official guide, he explains the purpose of the institute as follows:

Purpose: To establish a higher level of design by integrating science and art in a holistic manner, and to advance academic research and education in this area.

In the mission statement titled “Mission of the Institute,” Koike elaborates on why the synthesis of science and art is essential and what constitutes “higher design.” He observes that while modern science and technology have advanced through the specialization of fields, this has often resulted in technology becoming detached from humanity, leading to alienation. He argues that one of the key challenges of modern civilization, which is driven by technology, is to place technology in its proper context and ensure it serves humanity.

The year 1968 was a time of environmental pollution due to rapid economic growth in Japan, the development of nuclear weapons during the Cold War, and the alienation of workers in industries such as assembly-line labor. Technology, originally intended to benefit humanity, had instead become mechanical and autonomous, hindering the organic development of human society. Koike believes that the solution lies in the “humanization of technology.”

The humanization of technology means, first, that technological development should be based on human criteria and, second, that it should contribute to the welfare and enrichment of human life. In other words, we need to guide technology’s progress and design its functions in a way that synthesizes both “science,” the foundation of technology, and “art,” the freest expression of the human spirit. This synthesis aims to achieve a higher level of design.

The phrase “founded on human criteria” refers to the essential humanism within technology. The mission is to enhance “the welfare of mankind and human life.” The key here is “the arts,” which not only refers to fine and plastic arts in the traditional sense but also encompasses the humanities in a broader sense—a way of inquiry that is not restricted by specific goals. The “synthesis” of the two refers to the dynamic relationship between controlling the mechanistic, automatic nature of science and technology with the organic principles that express the human spirit, while at the same time allowing mechanistic methods to open new perspectives for organic theory. The organic and mechanical are mutually stimulating.

Through this interaction between the organic and mechanical, the human soul—both the user and the creator—can transcend a purely mechanistic, automatic existence. It allows individuals to grow in richer, more fulfilling ways, free from being reduced to tools of mechanized processes. According to Shinji Koike, this is possible through what he calls a “higher level of design.”

Koike critiques a superficial approach to design that merely serves industry and capital by aesthetically decorating products, driving unnecessary consumption, and ultimately making people unhappy. This approach leads to a design process where individuals work solely according to the demands of clients or superiors without thinking critically about what is truly needed for human well-being.

In contrast, Koike’s concept of “higher design” involves intervening in the mechanical nature of modern technology and science from a humanistic perspective. This requires integrating various specialized technologies to focus on what is genuinely good for humanity. In his work “The Aim of Art Engineering: Its Educational Aspects,” Koike refers to such engineers as “missing technicians”—those who are absent because there is a lack of engineers capable of integrating specialized technologies with a humanistic approach.

As modern industrial society has developed increasingly complex technologies, it has become evident that industry requires coordinators who can synthesize society’s various demands into cohesive products—whether it’s for airplanes, automobiles, or even everyday objects like buildings and spoons. Yet, there is no clear understanding of where to find such engineers or what expertise they require. In Europe, these roles have long been referred to as “missing technicians.”

Koike points to figures like Peter Behrens and Walter Gropius as examples of such coordinators. In Europe, where this tradition stretches back to ancient Greece, architects originally played the role of general directors of techne (art and technology). For Koike, the idea of humanistic design, which seeks to control the mechanical logic of industrial society with a humanistic and organic approach, is embodied in the tradition of modern design that began with William Morris and culminated in modern functionalism. Ultimately, this philosophy also contributes to the preservation of the natural environment beyond humanity.

(KOGA Toru)