Hodo-Hodo

Let's start with the meaning of hodo-hodo in Japanese culture and history. As stated in ​Just Enough Design​, the phrase dates back to the eleventh century, when it was used in ​The Tale of Genji​, a novel by Lady Murasaki, a Japanese poet, novelist, and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial Court. But these days, according to Satoh, it can mean "leave well enough alone" or "so-so," depending on the context.

When Taku Satoh, a modern designer, talks about "hodo-hodo" design, he means doing "just enough." This approach involves holding back intentionally, allowing people to interact with objects based on their own preferences. It's like a project I did in university where I recorded a dancer's movements and overlaid natural plant patterns onto them. By playing back the dance in slow motion and showing each movement step by step, I discovered that the path of the dancer's movements formed beautiful natural patterns resembling flora.