WCF Mates Vol. 2 Ken (EN)

WCF Mates is a segment where we feature and showcase the lives of those who have collaborated with WOMENCANFLY.CO. (Commonly used by Australians, ‘mate’ refers to a friend or someone you are close to.)

In Volume 2, we meet Sydney-sider Ken who is the designer behind WOMENCANFLY.CO’s logo.

Ken who starts off his days with a surf in the early morning, co-founded Joidea Co. Ltd in 2019 and is the Creative Director there.

We’re jealous of the rule in Ken’s team that if you surf, you don’t have to come to work on time.

We thought we’d be relaxing but when we heard Ken’s story, we felt the passion for his dreams.

We hear about Ken’s process of creating WOMENCANFLY.CO’s logo and his thoughts that have made an impact on us.

Who is Ken?

Ken currently runs a consulting company called Joidea which he co-founded in 2019. While managing the creative department, he also works as a Business Concept Designer.

Ken’s job is to visually communicate ideas. It’s a little difficult but there are many people who have an idea they want to make happen but don’t know how to bring it to life.

At times like that, Ken visually communicates ideas and provides support until they are realised.

This includes thinking about the points of contact involved in the business, money flows and the end results.

By visualising all this, the person with the idea can organise their thoughts and can say, “This is what I want to say!”

In addition to this, Ken raises funds, conducts sales promotion activities and does everything he can to move mountains for the company. He not only gives advice but also provides support that goes above and beyond general business consulting.

Ken leads a healthy lifestyle in Sydney. He sleeps between 9 and 10 pm and wakes up early at 3:30 am. He works while nobody is awake yet and goes straight to the beach afterwards. It’s his morning routine to enjoy a surf and have a coffee at a cafe by the sea.

The surf-loving Ken who leads a creative team has a rule that states if you don’t have to come to work on time if you’re surfing. Recently he added a rule, “If it rains, you can stay at home.”

Australians value their private and work lives. One of the great things about working in Australia is being able to have a work-life balance.

Ken also values his family time and enjoys cooking with his 12-year-old son at home. We hear that his son doesn’t go surfing with him lately though.

Ken’s amazing accomplishments

Ken has made a meaningful and beautiful logo for WOMENCANFLY.CO which all our members love dearly.

This love for the logo is what means the most to Ken.

These days, you can make logos simply, quickly and affordably and especially during the early stages of a business when you don’t have enough funds, you want to be frugal with your costs. However, what’s made within a short time frame is often remade when the organisation grows and in some cases it becomes “logo-less”.

Ken was nice enough to advise us on the details of our logo like angles, sizes and subtle colour adjustments so that we could use it with confidence.

We’re grateful that he was flexible with our abstract requests to, “Make things bolder!” or “Making things pop!” as we don’t know much about design theory.

We really appreciate Ken’s approach to new challenges. When asked if there is anything he wants to do from now on he says he wants to:

• Play a new instrument

• Study particle physics

• Create a lab where he can make whatever he likes

• Create a program that gives children living in poverty educational opportunities

Some of his goals have been accomplished and others have been started like the challenge of creating an internship program for students.

Ken is full of passion and knowledge. Even for those who don’t know much about something, Ken kindly explains things in a way that’s easy to understand that makes you feel like you’re on the same level. If you ever meet Ken, there’s no doubt you’ll feel comfortable around him.

Ken in Sydney with his close friends

The symbol of WCF’s mission created by Ken

WOMENCANFLY.CO’s logo is of a bird spreading its wings and soaring.

We thought about other birds like the stork which is known for symbolising happiness but since the early days of WCF, we wanted it to be a paper crane.

Ken thinks many entrepreneurs and managers have the idea for the kind of logo they want to create but the level of commitment varies from person to person.

Kimiyo from WCF who worked with Ken to create the logo had vague ideas and images she wanted from the beginning and wanted to use neutral colours that would be liked by both men and women. She actually shared the images and designs in advance with Ken but they were based on her own taste intuition.

However, thanks to Ken’s attentiveness, he was able to answer the meaning and reason behind Kimiyo’s ideas and images.

Ken told Kimiyo to make something good together without any compromise so he suggested making the wings bigger to represent more strength and changing the angle for the bird to gain more momentum.

As a result, WCF’s original, powerful bird was completed and Kimiyo’s ideas were represented in a way that everyone loved.

The process until the final logo was made

Origami is a popular, traditional pastime in Japan. Though it’s made from a thin piece of paper, it can be folded into a beautiful crane. We believe everyone has the potential to mould themselves into something extraordinary.

Everyone has the potential to do anything. With WOMENCANFLY.CO, the possibilities are endless through our provision of programs that build confidence and skills. We hope that everyone's efforts become a crease that moulds them into being able to fly.

WCF’s logo encapsulates the message of, “You don't have to be a big, elegant crane as they can come in different sizes and colours. Let your own version of a paper crane fly in the sky you envision for yourself.”

Many colours and patterns can be seen up close or from far away. We can’t praise Ken enough who has been patient with each and every task.

Feeling relieved after completing the original logo

Ken was also in charge of designing business cards.

Kimiyo had the idea of making a business card with the concept of ‘Noshi’ (a thin strip of dried abalone folded in patterned paper attached to a gift) so that the person who receives it will feel a sense of joy which Ken incorporated into the design.

Noshi, which is mainly used as a gift for each celebration in Japan, has a special feeling and perfectly represents the moment when you encounter new people. All the WCF members liked it because receivers of the business cards would feel happy.

The business card design in the works

We hope that anyone who reads this article will receive a WCF business card. (We hope to exchange cards with you soon!)

Once again, thank you Ken!

Ken Mikuny

Ken is the Creative Director and Business Concept Designer of Joidea which he co-founded in 2019. After working in R&D at NTT, he moved to Sydney at 29 and worked as a UX Designer at an advertising agency. He works with startups in AI research and education. He loves to surf and play the piano.

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