The design concepts conveyed by this collage are balance and harmony. Each of the hands around the woman reinforces the presence of the others, and the design falls apart if any of the hands are missing or placed out of balance. The woman and the multiple hands around her were conceived as an integrated design. Because each source material differs in size, brightness, and color from the others, each hand was manipulated individually to create a sense of coherence. This work gives form to a design hierarchy based on equality, as its title suggests.
Designed by Masaki Hirokawa
Recognized by A' Design Award.
Born in 1981 in Toyama, Japan, Masaki Hirokawa is a versatile graphic designer and developer. Beginning his career in web design and programming at the age of 16, he moved to Tokyo in 1999 to specialize in web and desktop publishing design. By 2002, his expertise expanded to include system engineering and advanced programming. In 2005, Hirokawa embraced a freelance career, undertaking a variety of projects encompassing web design, graphic design, and interactive media. His exceptional talent earned him the Grand Prize in the Web Screensaver Category at the MTV SO-ZO Competition in 2006. From 2008 onwards, Hirokawa authored several reference books and contributed articles to graphic design magazines, further expanding his professional repertoire. In 2011, he ventured into video game development, utilizing his technical and artistic skills. By 2013, he successfully entered the smartphone app market, with one of his apps achieving over 20 million downloads and maintaining a global user base of over 3 million active users. Rediscovering his passion for graphic design in 2019, Hirokawa began exhibiting his work internationally, from Italy to the United Kingdom and beyond. His artistic prowess was recognized in 2022 when he was named “ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2021” by the ITSLIQUID Group. Currently, he continues to integrate his graphic design expertise with his flourishing app business, constantly innovating and captivating a global audience.
Masaki Hirokawa has A- Rating, valid through 2024. A- stands for Professional Rating. DBI Awards the A- Rating to entities whose designs meet the baseline standards of professional craftsmanship and creative execution. This rating recognizes reliable and competent efforts that are professionally executed. This certificate is awarded following a rigorous evaluation process conducted by an esteemed jury panel, comprising a diverse group of experts from around the world, including journalists, academics, design professionals, and entrepreneurs. The assessment adheres to a blind peer-review methodology, ensuring complete impartiality. Entries are meticulously evaluated based on pre-established criteria, with scores being normalized and standardized to uphold fairness and consistency. This process acknowledges and celebrates professional achievements in innovation, design quality, and creative capacity.
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The Design Business Index (DBI) is a merit-based rating system and professional directory founded to address one of the design industry’s biggest challenges: the difficulty of reliably assessing a designer’s true capabilities before a project begins. Through its partnership with the internationally recognized A’ Design Award, DBI combines a rigorous blind review process with transparent evaluation criteria to transform subjective design quality into objective credentials. By featuring only those who have demonstrated excellence under these stringent standards, DBI ensures a carefully curated pool of top talent, where clients can make confident, data-driven decisions about creative partnerships.
Beyond its directory, DBI offers a comprehensive DBI Credibility Suite™ designed to help designers and studios stand out in an overcrowded market. Each DBI-rated professional receives authoritative certificates, digital assets, and rating logos that validate their skills and attest to their proven creative excellence. These tools seamlessly integrate into websites, social media, and marketing materials—reinforcing trust, credibility, and, ultimately, market value. Notably, DBI ratings remain valid for a two-year period, encouraging ongoing professional development and highlighting those who continuously push the boundaries of innovation.
By systematically reducing guesswork and eliminating reliance on subjective portfolio reviews alone, the Design Business Index creates a more efficient, trustworthy, and merit-based environment for both clients and designers. With DBI, top talent rises above the noise, clients gain peace of mind, and the entire global design community benefits from higher standards of creativity, innovation, and professional excellence.
Design Business Index champions design excellence, valuing official recognition from respected international juries over mere popularity. Our criteria focus on transparent, rigorous evaluations by peers, assessing quality, ethics, and innovation. Notably, the prestigious A' Design Award highlights truly exceptional projects, judged by academics, press members, and professionals using a documented scoring system. We exclusively feature professionals and studios that have earned at least one peer-reviewed award, particularly the A' Design Award, ensuring that our listings represent meritocratic accomplishment, innovation, and credibility.
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