Ikigai Journal

Editorial Design | Art Direction | Photography | Personal Project

A quarterly lifestyle journal inspired by Japanese aesthetics and dedicated to celebrating the imperfect, impermanent and the incomplete. 

THINKING

Ikigai means "reason for being," and relates to the motivating forces in our lives that give us a sense of purpose. This journal explores how this inner harmony manifests, tapping into a nostalgic, sentimental mindset.

The publication is designed on a shifting grid. This lends a gentle, honest, and organic sensitivity to the journal. Coupled with subtle playfulness in callouts and quotes, ikigai speaks volumes in a modest way that reflects the identity and mindset of the Japanese aesthetics that inspired it. Designed with fresh air, quiet spaces and the kind of intangible warmth that comes from loving and being loved in mind, Ikigai is designed to represent a moment of quietude and repose for those who dwell within its pages.