Everything around us has been designed to be convenient. But some are now approaching design with the opposite approach. Professor Kawakami Hiroshi is promoting what he calls the "benefits of inconvenience," and questioning our overly convenient lifestyles. So what does "inconvenient" design really mean? Explore this contrary approach and the new potential for design it reveals.

The constant and conflicting information surrounding the pandemic has led to stress and anxiety for many. More than ever, people are seeking wellness and calm. Product designer Sumikawa Shinichi explores physical and spiritual positive designs which promote well-being.

As the pandemic leads us to avoid physical interaction as a health risk, social divides are widening everywhere. So how can architecture, art and design connect people from different backgrounds and positions? Architect Konno Chie removes the physical and mental barriers that separate people and spaces, creating designs that bring a new vitality to everyday life.