Connor Kirk - designer, fabricationist
Software I often use ↓
Fusion 360, SketchUp, Blender, Illustrator, Affinity Designer, After Effects, Slic3r, Cura, etc.
Hatena / Mackerel: localization, and design understudy [November 2015 to December 2015]
Hatena is a web application company that develops popular platforms like Hatena Blog (comparable to Blogger) and Hatena Bookmark (comparable to Reddit). I was hired as a translator for the team developing a new B2B server monitoring and data collection SaaS called Mackerel. After a few weeks I had gotten to the point where I would finish all of my work with plenty of hours in the day to spare, so to fill my remaining time, they allowed me to work as a graphic design understudy. These are some of the graphics I made during that time.
These are some of my very first attempts at creating motion graphics in After Effects.
I made this animated logo with three colored lines representing the lines on Mackerel's graphs morphing into the Mackerel logo.
This was the first draft of the animated logo.
As a test I made this animation of the Mackerel agent character that our lead designer made. This guy represents the mackerel-agent program that gets installed on each server and collects metric data.
This is one page from the mockup/storyboard I made for the Mackerel animated overview video I proposed.
Indie Label Showcase [January 2017]
Indie Label Showcase is an event series showcasing small independent labels from both Japan and abroad, the aim being to build interest in the independent music scene, foster relationships between independent labels in America and other countries and record stores and music distributors in Japan, as well as try to elevate the status of Japanese music in the global indie music scene. My role in this project was as director, and I also designed the event flyer below.
Rather than making a typical flyer, we decided to go with something a little more original and eye-catching. I designed a cassette tape insert with all of the basic information for the event and left them at record stores all around Kyoto.
Gojo Palace Short Film Screening [September 2016]
Gojo Palace was an event that featured screenings of four short films made by local filmmakers whom I invited to participate. Each screening was followed by an interview and a Q&A session. The logo was created by a local illustrator, and the event bill was designed by me.
In March 2016 I was asked to participate in a Panasonic internal hackathon that was held over two days. My team came up with a concept for an augmented reality mirror that allows you to design your own clothes and have them "printed" and "un-printed" and recycled instantly. These are a few of the visuals that I came up with during that hackathon.
Paper Radio Tower (2018)
Collaboration with VOU & Frequency Punch Crew. Designed in Fusion 360, made with laser cutter. This is the miniature version of the full-size functioning radio tower I would later build. This mini comes with a solder-it-yourself radio receiver.
A render image of the paper tower with the radio receiver at the base.
VOU FM Radio Tower (2018)
Collaboration with VOU & Frequency Punch Crew. Designed in Fusion 360, made with laser cutter, 3D printer, Arduino, and Raspberry Pi. This is a functioning radio tower that I designed and built in 2018. It has a broadcast range of about 30 meters — small enough so as not to draw the police for broadcasting radio without a permit.
A render image of the tower design.
The joints of the tower were made of laser-cut MDF and 3D printed angle parts.
15 hours of original music was broadcast from this shop, VOU, for two weeks. The event attracted hundreds of visitors.
Misc. unsorted graphics [2015-2018]
Frieze
“Fold-able” shape 1
“Fold-able” shape 2
Sampler version 1 through 3
I designed these simple musical instruments with my friend and sound designer Ally Mobbs. The samplers allow you to record a short sound clip, pitch bend it, loop it, and use it in live performance.
v1 (feb. 2017)
v2 (jul. 2017)
v3 (jan. 2018)
v3 shell
WOODS (2017)
Kohei Yamashita Solo Exhibition 2017 TEZUKAYAMA GALLERY Osaka
For this project I worked with Kohei Yamashita to design and build motorized components for two of his most important works. Tools used include 3D printing, laser cutting, stepper motors, Arduino, and more.
Connor Kirk solo exhibition "Survival Blanket" [October 1 - 10, 2016]
In 2016 I was invited by the French art festival Nui Blanche to hold a solo exhibition of my own work. I accepted, and in three months produced all of the work in the show.
Rather than using a paper handout to display titles and information about the work, I decided to create a bilingual online guide that visitors could refer to as they walk around the gallery. One of my goals with this exhibition was to address accessibility in contemporary art (or a lack thereof). My hope was that the exhibition would be challenging and open ended while also being engaging and enjoyable even for someone who often feels disengaged or isolated by contemporary art.
Iguana Tokyo Prologue (2018)
I worked with Berlin-based Turkish film director Kaan Mujdeci and programmer Zack Aikman to design and build a machine which is meant to represent the homes of humans 3,000 years in the future. Tools used include 3D printing, laser cutting, stepper motors, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, OLED screens, molded glass, woodworking, and more.
Kyoto University 超交流会 Booth for Makers Boot Camp
Designed in Fusion 360, made using laser cutter, acrylic panels, MDF, screws, and wood.
NTT Kumamoto Booth for Makers Boot Camp (2018)
Designed in Fusion 360, made using laser cutter, MDF, screws, and wood.
The booth is made using these MDF modular joints, which take about 60 seconds each to make and cost only a few cents.
KMG Reform Layouts
I designed and created these diagrams for a remodeling project at the makerspace I managed. The diagrams were given to a construction company which completed the work.
HTC Vive Experience with Kyoto VR ＠MTRL KYOTO [May 2016]
I directed a promotional campaign coinciding with the release of the HTC Vive. The campaign was featured in one of Japan’s biggest online media outlets, TABI LABO, and attracted several hundreds of people who came to try this technology for the first time.
Gojo Palace Short Film Screening [September 2016]
Gojo Palace featured screenings of four short films made by local filmmakers whom I invited to participate. Each screening was followed by an interview and a Q&A session.
Laser Cutter Rubber Band Gun Workshop for Kids w/ Sauna no Umeyu [July 2016]
As part of the neighborhood summer festival, I planned a rubber band gun building workshop for kids which we held in front of Sauna no Umeyu, a local public bath house. The rubber band guns were designed by me and all of the parts were cut out of plywood and MDF on the laser cutter.
Kyoto Indie Meetup [April 2016 - April 2017]
Kyoto Indie Meetup is a monthly gathering of independent game developers to show the games they're working on, drink beer, eat pizza, and hang out. I was involved in the organization and promotion of the event.
After the presentations everyone gets a chance to actually play the in-development games that were shown.
Developers from at least ten different countries all drinking and playing games together. Some are freelancers, other work for local indie developers like Q-Games, Vitei, and 17bit. Occasionally we even get some ex-Nintendo employees!
Other things I did, "Honorable Mentions"
There are just a few more things I have done that I want to mention quickly.
In November 2016 a Tokyo based NPO called SafeCast came and held a workshop at my place of work. They also installed a fixed radiation sensor and asked me to design and build a case for the sensor. I love building stuff like this so I happily made the case using plywood and our laser cutter.
Over the course of the 9 years I spent in Japan, I have given instruction on how to use laser cutters, 3D printers, and CNC machines to hundreds of people.
This is some branding design I did in 2014 for a friend who I was working with to start a project to improve the accessibility and cost of ESL education for university students and working adults in Japan.