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Keiko HIRANO|Designer / Visionary
Executive Director, Communication Design Laboratory
Keiko Hirano is the Executive Director of Communication Design Laboratory. She began her career as a visual artist in 1980s, and established HIRANO STUDIO Inc. in 1997. She co-founded Communication Design Laboratory (CDL) with Mr. Aoshi Kudo in 2005.

Ms. Hirano’s body of work includes the logomark, logotype, and visual identity planning for The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; image direction for the beauty brand “IPSA”; and design of the corporate calendar, original mirror, elevator, and book “Kajima's Architecture” for Kajima Corporation.

She also created the logomark, visual identity planning, and communication design for the Oita Prefectural Art Museum (OPAM); created the logomark and logotype for the Chofu International Music Festival; and orchestrated the planning and stage and video directions of “Music and Space Experience” for pianist Yui Morishita.

Ms. Hirano art directed the U.S. launch of Shiseido brand “qiora”; managed the product design, naming, and art direction of advertising for NTT DoCoMo’s “F702iD Shosa”; designed the CD jacket for singer Kenji Ozawa; created the logotype and cover art design for the magazine “Fujingaho”; and created planning and venue designs for the “ICONS OF THE TIMES 1950-2004: 50 Years of Graphic Design in Japan” and “The Principle and Practice of DESIGN” Exhibitions, as well as writing, editing and designing the books of the same titles.

She has been honored with the 2001 Mainichi Design Award, the iF Design Award, the New York ADC Awards Gold Prize, the Yusaku Kamekura Design Award, the New York Festivals Awards Gold Prize, the Japan Package Design Awards Gold Award, the Honorable Mention Prize from the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and the Commercial Information and Policy Bureau Chief Award from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry for the National Calendar Contest.

Some 450 pieces of Ms. Hirano’s work are housed at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. She was a member of the first selection committee for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Emblem. Ms. Hirano is a member of AGI.


Aoshi KUDO|Designer / Creative director
President, Communication Design Laboratory
Aoshi Kudo is the President of Communication Design Laboratory. He graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, and joined Shiseido’s Advertising Division in 1988. Mr. Kudo worked at Shiseido Paris for four years starting in 1992. He co-founded Communication Design Laboratory (CDL) with Ms. Keiko Hirano in 2005.

Mr. Kudo’s body of work includes the creative direction and designs for the beauty brands “IPSA” and “SHISEIDO PROFESSIONAL”; communication design and sign design for the Oita Prefectural Art Museum (OPAM); creative direction for the brand “qiora”; and interior design of the New York shop; and planning and design of the interactive installation “Archival Table” at the Ginza House of Shiseido. He has designed many products including beauty brands “IPSA AQUA”, “IPSA ME”, “SHISEIDO MEN”, “qiora,” and NTT DoCoMo’s “F702iD Shosa.”

He is a recipient of the 2001 Mainichi Design Award, the New York Best Design Award from the American Institute of Architects, the iF Design Award, the ID-Award, the New York Festivals Awards Gold Prize, the Pentawards Gold Prize, the NY ADC Award Silver Prize, the Tokyo ADC Member Prize, the Japan Package Design Awards Grand Prize, the Japan Display Design Award Grand Prize, and the CS Design Award Grand Prize.

Mr. Kudo is a part-time lecturer at the Department of Design at Tokyo University of the Arts.