OUR TEAM
Yoshinori Yamada
President and CEO
He joined Sony Corporation in 1991, working as an industrial designer responsible for visual equipment, audio devices, and personal computers. In 2006, he was assigned to an overseas office of Sony Mobile Communications in Sweden, where he participated in the launch of XPERIA as an Art Director. After returning to Japan, he served as Chief Art Director and later as Creative Director for imaging products such as Cyber-shot and α. In 2021, he was appointed Senior Creative Director, overseeing the design division responsible for Sony Corporation’s products and services. On April 1, 2023, he assumed the position of President and Representative Director of Sony Design Consulting Inc.
Hiroshige Fukuhara
Chief Design Consultant / Creative Director
He joined Sony Corporation in 1997. In addition to designing logos for products such as Walkman and BRAVIA, he was involved in launching various business ventures, including Sony Ericsson and Sony Real Estate (now SRE Holdings). In collaboration with Monotype, he developed the SST® font family, supporting 93 languages. After serving as Chief Art Director at the Sony Creative Center, he is currently engaged in launching a design consulting business as a Creative Director. He is also affiliated with Sony Computer Science Laboratories, where he is involved in business development related to blockchain technology. He has received numerous awards including the iF Design Award, Red Dot Design Award, Pentawards, Good Design Award, and the SDA Award. In 2018, he completed the Executive Program at Singularity University.
Takuo Ikeda
Chief Design Consultant / Deputy General Manager
After working as a designer in stage design, advertising, and 3DCG animation, he joined Sony Corporation in 2002. Focusing on interaction design, he was primarily involved in R&D activities. In 2008, he was assigned to the United States, where he explored UX-driven development approaches and contributed to the launch of Google TV. He returned to Japan in 2011, and in the research and development division, he led the creative direction of development projects as a Senior Manager and Senior UX Director. Since 2017, he has been engaged in solution design primarily for external clients, working with companies across a wide range of industries. His achievements include having a paper accepted by ACM SIGCHI and receiving the iF Design Award.
Shusuke Eshita
Chief Design Consultant / Deputy General Manager
He joined Sony Corporation in 2003, engaging in design development with a focus on interaction design, as well as serving as a strategic producer. In this role, he contributed to initiatives that leveraged in-house design capabilities, formulated design strategies, and led new business proposal projects. After working as an associate professor at an art university and managing the design division of a healthcare product company, he rejoined Sony in 2017. Currently, he is involved in organizational culture development, design intellectual property management, and the creation of design education programs, all based on the theoretical value of design. He has received numerous awards including the iF Design Award, Red Dot Design Award, and Good Design Award.
He completed the Graduate Communications & Package Design Program at Pratt Institute in 2002 (Master of Science in Communications Design), and completed coursework in the doctoral program at Musashino Art University in 2007. He is currently a Research Fellow at the Data Design Research Center, Hitotsubashi University, a Research Fellow at RIETI (Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry) from 2022 to 2025, a certified Intellectual Property Management Specialist (Level 3) as of 2023, and since 2024, serves as an Innovation Coordinator invited by NICT (National Institute of Information and Communications Technology).
Tatsuya Yagihashi
Senior Design Consultant /
Senior Manager
Joined Sony Corporation in 2002. As an Industrial Designer, he worked on the design of a broad range of audio products, including Walkman, boomboxes, mini component systems, and car audio systems. In 2010, he relocated to the Sony China Shanghai Creative Center, where he led design development for products tailored to global markets. After returning to Japan, he was responsible for high-end audio products, including home theater systems and turntables.
Since 2017, he has overseen design management across the mobile and telecommunications services domain, including Xperia, Smart Products, NURO, and So-net. His work has expanded from product design to UI, UX, branding, and business design initiatives, alongside driving R&D projects focused on smart materials and interactive experiences. He has held his current position since 2026.
Awards include the iF DESIGN AWARD Gold and Good Design Award Best 100.
Takayuki Kitahara
Chief Design Consultant /
Chief Art Director
After working at a design production company and as a freelance designer, Takayuki Kitahara joined Sony Corporation (now Sony Group Corporation) in 2003. In 2013, he was assigned to San Diego, California, where he contributed to product development and design initiatives for the U.S. market.
Following his return to Japan, he led a wide range of communication design projects spanning products, services, corporate R&D organizations, and corporate branding initiatives, including CI (Corporate Identity) and VI (Visual Identity) development for Sony Group companies.
In 2009, he became involved with Sony Design Consulting Inc., further expanding his expertise in branding and design strategy. In 2022, he played a key role in the establishment of Sony Honda Mobility Inc., the joint venture between Sony Group Corporation and Honda Motor Co., Ltd., and led the brand communication activities for the launch of the EV brand AFEELA.
Recipient of the iF Design Award and Good Design Award.
Makoto Imamura
Design Consultant / Design Producer
He joined Sony Corporation in 1996 as a UI/UX designer, working on the design of digital cameras, camcorders, and personal computers, and received the Good Design Award for his work. In 2000, he studied at the Department of Computer Science at Stanford University in the United States. Upon returning, he took charge of UI/UX design for mobile devices such as CLIE. In 2010, he was assigned to Sweden as an Art Director for smartphones. He has also served as a jury member for the iF Design Award. After returning to Japan in 2013, he became the Head of UI/UX Design. Since 2019, he has been responsible for solution business development, and in April 2021, he assumed his current position. He is currently engaged in management operations for a newly established company focused on design consulting.
Ryo Miyake
Design Consultant / Art Director
He joined Sony Corporation in 2012 as an industrial designer, working on the design of cameras, audio equipment, and other products. After gaining experience in design for new business initiatives, he is currently engaged in design consulting at Sony Design Consulting Inc. His work spans branding, product, communication, and solution design. He has received prestigious accolades including the Red Dot Design Award: Best of the Best and the Good Design Gold Award.
Hiromi Inukai
Design Consultant / Design Producer
She joined Sony Corporation in 2008 as an industrial designer, working on a wide range of design projects including headphones, digital camera accessories, and medical monitors. She has also been involved in CMF (Color, Material, Finish) design, contributing to initiatives such as the XPERIA smartphone and CMF framework development. Her work has been recognized with prestigious accolades including the iF Design Award and the Good Design Award.
Ryu Shibata
Design Consultant / Designer
He Joined Sony Corporation in 2018, specializing in communication design. He was responsible for company and service design, event graphics, and executive presentation support. From 2021, he has been in charge of the imaging (camera and supporting the creation of spatial content and 3DCG.) area, where he has been responsible for service platform branding, product marketing asset creation, web and package design, etc.
Takuya Kawagoi
Design Consultant / Design Producer
He joined Sony Corporation as a graphic designer, initially working on product packaging and recording media design. He later served as an Art Director, contributing to the design of major products such as BRAVIA televisions and α (Alpha) digital interchangeable-lens cameras, as well as the brand launch during the establishment of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Inc. He has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Red Dot Design Award, iF Design Award, Pentawards, Good Design Award (G Mark), Japan Package Design Award, Japan Typography Award, and the SDA Award.
He also served as Director of overseas design organizations in the United Kingdom and Singapore, overseeing local design teams. Upon returning to Japan, he took on leadership roles as Creative Director in the field of communication design for the Sony Group and as Head of Organizational Development for the design division. He currently holds his present position.
Wataru Nomura
Design Consultant / Designer
He joined Sony Corporation in 2018 as a communication designer, working on the spatial and web design of various events organized or exhibited by Sony. He has been widely involved in corporate communication across multiple media platforms. Since October 2022, he has held his current position. He earned his Master’s degree in Architecture from the Graduate School of Creative Science and Engineering at Waseda University in 2018. In 2024, he completed the Master of Advanced Studies in Architecture and Digital Fabrication at ETH Zürich.
Hirotaka Kobori
Design Consultant / Design Producer
He joined a Sony Group subsidiary in 1994. After gaining experience in event planning, showroom planning, and advertising planning and production, has spent more than 30 years in the fields of brand communication and marketing communication.
Led marketing communication strategy development, execution, and project management for consumer electronics businesses. Since 2017, has driven global brand communication initiatives aimed at enhancing corporate brand value within Sony Group’s brand strategy organization.
In 2022, took charge of brand communication for the Ginza Sony Park Project. In the same year, joined Sony Honda Mobility Inc. during its founding stage, where responsible for planning and driving brand communication strategies for both the corporate brand and the mobility brand, AFEELA, leading to the current position.
Kuninori Hyogo
Design Consultant / Designer
He joined Sony Corporation in 1988 as an industrial designer, working on the design of audio products, VAIO computers, and more. His work has been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the Good Design Award and the iF Design Award. In 1997, he was assigned to Sony Marketing Asia Pacific, followed by a transfer to Sony Electronics Inc. in 2002, where he contributed to the establishment of a new office on the West Coast of the United States.
In 2007, he joined Design Center Asia, and upon returning to Japan in 2012, he assumed leadership of Creative Center Studio 2. He later served as Head of the DBD (Design Business Development) Office and currently holds his present position.
Kazuma Takahashi
Design Consultant / Senior Designer
He joined Sony Corporation in 1999. He has been primarily engaged in upstream design activities, including UI/UX evaluation and research, interaction design, and UX concept development. Throughout his career, he has worked across a broad range of fields, including UI design for Android and Windows applications, web design for Sony support websites, UI/UX design for broadcast equipment support applications and medical devices, UI/UX design in the XR domain, and concept design for entertainment-related experiences. In recent years, he has expanded his activities to include R&D initiatives and accessibility-related projects. In FY2024, he was certified as a Human-Centered Design (HCD) Specialist within Sony.
Issei Yamaki
Design Consultant / Design Producer
He joined Sony Group Corporation in 2023. As a Design Producer specializing in communication design, he is responsible for the planning, production, and direction of brand communications across a wide range of touchpoints, including brand websites, digital experiences, events, and video content. With over 20 years of experience in digital communications, he has worked extensively in website design and development, digital advertising operations and performance analysis, and content marketing.
Rei Kato
Design Consultant / Designer
As a product designer, He worked on audio products and information devices such as smartphones. He then joined Fujitsu Limited as a lead service designer in new business development, supporting co-creation projects with new clients and the design of a division’s mid-term business plan. In 2022, he joined Sony Group Corporation and worked at Sony Honda Mobility Inc. from the early days of the AFEELA brand, handling UI/UX design for in-vehicle infotainment, web design for the brand site, and UX movie production for CES. In 2026, I joined SDC. Independently, he run his own company, where he plans and sells original consumer electronics products.
Hiromu Yumiba
Design Consultant / Designer
He joined Sony Corporation in 2018, specializing in UI/UX design and service design. He has worked across a wide range of domains including R&D, mobility, finance, network services, television, professional audio, and organizational development. He has held his current role since 2026. He is an instructor for the UX design training within Sony Group’s internal core technology training program. He is a Grade 2 Certified Financial Planner (Japan) and completed Sony University, the Sony Group’s next-generation leadership development program.
Fumiko Yamanouchi
Design Consultant / Liaison Manager
She has served as General Manager overseeing the staff organization of Sony’s Creative Center and has held her current position since fiscal year 2020. She is engaged in business planning, as well as collaborations and consulting with government agencies, universities, and clients.
In 2016, she was appointed as an invited member of the Study Group on the Importance of Design and Other Creative Fields in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. She is also a research fellow at the Data Design Research Center, Hitotsubashi University.
Teruyoshi Masuda
Patent Attorney (Japan)
After working at a patent firm, he joined Sony’s intellectual property (IP) subsidiary in 2000. He was seconded to the IP department at Sony Corporation headquarters, where he was responsible for patent filing, training programs, and design registrations. He was also actively involved in lobbying efforts with relevant organizations and the Japan Patent Office to promote the protection of UI design under the Design Act. He qualified as a Japanese Patent Attorney in 2005, and obtained certification as a qualified IP litigation attorney in 2008.
Since 2019, following a secondment to Sony’s Creative Center, he has focused primarily on promoting the protection of design outcomes through intellectual property rights. Since August 2020, he has concurrently served at Sony Design Consulting Inc., where he acts as an exclusive in-house patent attorney, having completed the necessary registration for blanket representation.
He has held various committee positions, including:
Member of the Design Committee, Japan Intellectual Property Association (JIPA), 2007–2008
Member of the Task Force on Legal Protection of Design, Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA), 2008–2020
Member and Vice Chair of the Patent Attorneys and Certified Public Accountants Collaboration Committee, Japan Patent Attorneys Association (JPAA), 2015–2020
Member and Vice Director of the IP Presence Enhancement Committee, JPAA, since 2012
He also served as a part-time lecturer at the Faculty of Engineering, Takushoku University, during the 2020 and 2021 academic years.