Over 30 years of interdisciplinary design work has made Matthew Waldman an authority on branding, interactive, digital, and product design. His philosophy of techno-progressivism promotes the synthesis of culture, nature, and technology into an holistic language for universal communication.

Designer, Inventor, and Educator, Matthew Waldman is best known as the founder of NOOKA – the lifestyle design brand brought the revolution of interface design to physical products and created unique timepieces that reinterpreted how time was told.

Before NOOKA, Matthew gained recognition as a pioneer in digital interactive and UX design, founding New York Zoom in 1997, building an award winning global team at Reuters in 2002, and with his interactive design studio, Berrymatch which focuses of created narrative driven design for brands.

Contact me at: matthew@myuta.design

Shin Tanaka is a Japanese artist, graffiti writer, paper toy creator, the designer who has worked with some of the biggest names in street fashion and designer toys. Born in Fukuoka, Japan in 1980, Tanaka’s claim to fame is a vast range of elaborate paper constructions ranging from adorably hip and colourful toy monsters to spot-on replicas of cutting edge footwear.   His work has led to collaborations with Nike, Adidas and Reebok, for specially commissioned shoes, and scores of gallery showcase throughout the world. Many of his original creations are posted on his Instagram and made available for viewers to download and cut out into their very own paper toys.  Shin Tanaka’s playful and fun designs are appealing for creative youngsters as much as they are for the most hardened and cynical hipster.

Contact me at: shin@myuta.design

Ichiba Yuma joined KMD in 2018 as a visiting researcher. While leading research project at SAMCARA, he is working for Recruit, where he engaged in strategic planning and new business development leveraging new technologies for diverse clients and industries. Prior to Recruit he worked for an internet company, where he was responsible for business development and sourcing new investment deals, research on domestic and overseas startups and supporting growth of portfolio companies.

Contact me at: yuma@myuta.design

Xavier has 12+ years of experience as a Designer and Creative Director spanning all disciplines of visual design, branding, and product development including 3D modelling, renderings, production processes, advertising campaigns, e-commerce photography, POS, packaging, websites, logo creation, and social media campaigns.

In Hong Kong, Xavier was the Design and Product Development Manager at 113 Solution (a division of Seven Friday in Switzerland), in charge of creating and developing complete annual eyewear collections. Before that, he was a Lead Designer at RPS leading a team of designers creating products for Vodafone, Belkin, HAMA and other clients from the consumer electronics and service provider industry. In parallel to his work at RPS, he was also directing design, marketing, social media and eyewear projects for Eyestyle, MYKITA Asia and DesignLink.

His early experience in the Philippines as a Designer at Le Coin Des Enfants (French toys made out of wood) allowed him to start his career in Asia. This position encompassed defining creative strategy, designing various products, packaging and ensuring the smooth delivery of high-quality prototypes for these processes.

Clients include Vodafone, MYKITA, Belkin, Energizer, Shanghai Tang, Seven Friday and other fortune-500 corporations. Not limited to consumer electronics and fashion, he has also worked on branding projects across different sectors, including hospitality and toys.

Currently, Xavier is living in Tokyo, Japan, where he has founded “X. Design Studio” and continues his work for an international and Japan-based clientele. He is also a researcher at the prestigious Keio University Graduate School of Media Design [KMD] as part of Professor Matthew Waldman’s Samcara design lab. The Samcara design lab focuses on circular design and innovation as well as the linguistics of design.

Contact me at: xavier@myuta.design

Nate is the Founder and Creative Director of Babyface, a design and content studio building experiences for URL and IRL. He’s worked with brands including Nike, Warner Music Group, Sweetgreen, Hello Mr., Away, and the National Geographic Channel, but mostly he’s just hell-bent on improving queer representation in the creative industries.

Contact me at: nate@myuta.design