Congratulations to Kotaro Furukawa, our newest Hh scholar and lucky No. 21.

Before his portfolio even came into play, this fledgling designer showed he could smartly critique a very famous one. Asked to respond to a piece, he chose David Carson’s Typographic Symposium, questioning the hierarchy of information and thoughtfully distinguishing between making an impact and sending a clear message.

From there, Kotaro impressed with polished minimalism and playful remixing alike. For a billboard project, he dropped a classic figure by Monet into a contemporary photo of a South American lake, connecting disparate times, places, mediums, and emotions through the continuity of blue sky.

In short, he is equal parts technician and artist.

“I love research,” he says of his process, which also includes listening to the kind of ambient music he creates as a DJ. “String-and-bass sound gives me more energy – makes me design faster, and it’s easy to enter the songs. Piano music is more meditative. Depends on the day.”

Whatever he uses to get inspired, Kotaro is the kind of designer we need right now. And helveticka is proud to support his education at Spokane Falls Community College through the Hh scholarship. Since 2016 it has benefitted design students, and you can learn more – and contribute to the fund – by shopping apparel and other cool products at Helveticahaus.