What kind of "career combination" is required for web designers today? -- Interview with Yoneko Kimura just before "Web
Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2025 8:57 am
On Thursday, March 25th, Mynavi Creator will be holding an online seminar, Web Industry Evolution Practical Course #04, "What is the multiplication of numbers and design that will advance the careers of web designers?"
The fourth installment of the "Web Industry Evolution Practical Course" is aimed at web designers who want to grow even further. We will have Yoneko Kimura of AIS Co., Ltd. , a director and web designer at the forefront of the industry, as our guest, and she will be talking about career planning and growth points for web designers .
In this interview just before the event, we asked Mr. Kimura about his career so far, the reasons behind his choices, and how he is developing his career during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Profile Introduction
Yoneko Kimura,
Director of Development Division, AIS Co., Ltd. / Member of the Japan Direction Association
Born in Ibaraki Prefecture. After graduating from Tsukuba Institute of industry email list Technology's Graphic Design Department, he got a job as a production designer in the restaurant industry. He creates and designs PR and promotional materials such as menus, posters, and newsletters for his own restaurants. In 2007, he moved to Tokyo with the aim of becoming a web designer. He has worked as a web designer and creative director for many companies, providing web production and web consulting support. Since 2010, he has worked as a coder and web designer in the SEO division and director of the advertising division at GMOTECH Inc. In 2015, he participated as a founding member of the company that would become AIS
Inc., and is involved in launching new services and media, creating websites, and directing them. He currently serves as the general manager of the development division at AIS Inc., where he is responsible for system direction and internal direction in addition to production work. He is a member of the Japan Direction Association, and also provides operational support for director networking events and meetups.
From self-taught graphic design to evidence-based web design
-- First, I'd like to ask you about your career so far. How did you start your career as a designer?
Kimura: After graduating from a vocational school, I started my career by joining a local restaurant chain as a production designer. I worked for about four years on the production and design of store menus, POPs, banners, promotional materials, etc.
After that, I thought "I might have a lot of potential in web design," so I went to school to study web design while still working at a company. After graduating from school six months later, I changed jobs and got involved in the web industry for the first time as a web designer at a web consulting company.
- What difficulties did you face when making the transition from graphic designer to web designer?
Kimura: At my first company, I was the only designer and there were no seniors. So I designed as I liked. What surprised me when I changed jobs was that I was asked for the reason for the design, such as "Why did you choose this color?" and "Why is the navigation here?"
Since I had been doing everything by myself up until then, I had to study art and design again to keep up. Graphic design and web design have different ranges of expression, such as UI design and user experience (UX) design. I was trained quite a bit, from basic knowledge of the web industry to technical elements.
-- After that, you gained experience at several companies, worked for your previous employer, a major internet customer acquisition company, and then moved to your current employer, AIS Co., Ltd., a venture company that became the predecessor of your current company. Did you have any doubts or reservations about moving from a major company to a venture company?
The fourth installment of the "Web Industry Evolution Practical Course" is aimed at web designers who want to grow even further. We will have Yoneko Kimura of AIS Co., Ltd. , a director and web designer at the forefront of the industry, as our guest, and she will be talking about career planning and growth points for web designers .
In this interview just before the event, we asked Mr. Kimura about his career so far, the reasons behind his choices, and how he is developing his career during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Profile Introduction
Yoneko Kimura,
Director of Development Division, AIS Co., Ltd. / Member of the Japan Direction Association
Born in Ibaraki Prefecture. After graduating from Tsukuba Institute of industry email list Technology's Graphic Design Department, he got a job as a production designer in the restaurant industry. He creates and designs PR and promotional materials such as menus, posters, and newsletters for his own restaurants. In 2007, he moved to Tokyo with the aim of becoming a web designer. He has worked as a web designer and creative director for many companies, providing web production and web consulting support. Since 2010, he has worked as a coder and web designer in the SEO division and director of the advertising division at GMOTECH Inc. In 2015, he participated as a founding member of the company that would become AIS
Inc., and is involved in launching new services and media, creating websites, and directing them. He currently serves as the general manager of the development division at AIS Inc., where he is responsible for system direction and internal direction in addition to production work. He is a member of the Japan Direction Association, and also provides operational support for director networking events and meetups.
From self-taught graphic design to evidence-based web design
-- First, I'd like to ask you about your career so far. How did you start your career as a designer?
Kimura: After graduating from a vocational school, I started my career by joining a local restaurant chain as a production designer. I worked for about four years on the production and design of store menus, POPs, banners, promotional materials, etc.
After that, I thought "I might have a lot of potential in web design," so I went to school to study web design while still working at a company. After graduating from school six months later, I changed jobs and got involved in the web industry for the first time as a web designer at a web consulting company.
- What difficulties did you face when making the transition from graphic designer to web designer?
Kimura: At my first company, I was the only designer and there were no seniors. So I designed as I liked. What surprised me when I changed jobs was that I was asked for the reason for the design, such as "Why did you choose this color?" and "Why is the navigation here?"
Since I had been doing everything by myself up until then, I had to study art and design again to keep up. Graphic design and web design have different ranges of expression, such as UI design and user experience (UX) design. I was trained quite a bit, from basic knowledge of the web industry to technical elements.
-- After that, you gained experience at several companies, worked for your previous employer, a major internet customer acquisition company, and then moved to your current employer, AIS Co., Ltd., a venture company that became the predecessor of your current company. Did you have any doubts or reservations about moving from a major company to a venture company?