Naoto Fukasawa
Personality of the Year 2026
Naoto Fukasawa has received the German Design Award as Personality of the Year 2026. The award honours individuals who open new perspectives with clarity, foresight, and creative excellence, leaving a lasting impact on design and society. With his consistent focus on restraint, intuitive use, and durability, Fukasawa has shaped a design philosophy that continues to influence everyday life across cultures.
For decades, Naoto Fukasawa has stood for a design approach that places human behaviour at its core. His concept of “Without Thought” describes objects that merge seamlessly with the way people act, move, and interact. By carefully observing intuitive gestures, he creates products that feel natural from the very first moment of use.
“For his exceptional ability to resolve complex design questions with radical simplicity and to redefine contemporary design through clarity and restraint, the jury of the German Design Awards honours Naoto Fukasawa as Personality of the Year 2026.”
– Jury Statement, German Design Awards 2026
Fukasawa’s work is often described as “super normal”. His designs do not seek attention through form or novelty. Instead, they rely on clarity of materials, precise functionality, and longevity. In an era characterised by sensory overload, rapid technological change, and short product lifecycles, his work highlights the enduring value of simplicity and thoughtful resource use.
When Design Disappears
His influence extends globally through collaborations with brands such as Muji, Alessi, B&B Italia, and Herman Miller. The wall-mounted Muji CD player has become an emblem of his approach: functional, familiar, and quietly expressive. It is widely regarded as one of the most influential product designs of recent decades.
“When people use an object without even noticing it has been designed, it is truly fulfilling its function.”
– Naoto Fukasawa
Rooted in traditional Japanese sensibilities and translated into contemporary industrial design, Fukasawa’s work resonates both culturally and universally. Together with Jasper Morrison, he articulated this perspective through the exhibition “Super Normal”, sharing a design attitude based on observation, restraint, and everyday relevance with the international design community.
Fukasawa’s contribution reaches beyond form. His work demonstrates how design can guide behaviour, enrich daily experience, and contribute to societal transformation by encouraging a deeper understanding of our relationship with objects and the environments we inhabit.
With the distinction Personality of the Year 2026, the German Design Awards recognise Naoto Fukasawa’s clarity, sensitivity, and design integrity. His influence is quiet yet profound, shaping everyday life and offering a compelling vision of design that creates meaning through restraint rather than attention.