Campaign Brief Asia-ONE Asia “Young Guns Spotlight”: Natsuki Isa

Campaign Brief Asia has entered into an exclusive partnership with ONE Asia Creative Awards, part of The One Club for Creativity, to launch the “Young Guns Spotlight” series, featuring interviews with past winners from Asia in The One Club’s Young Guns competition.

Young Guns is the industry’s only global, cross-disciplinary, portfolio-based awards competition that identifies and celebrates today’s vanguard of young creatives. The program, which regularly attracts entries from upwards of 45 countries, is open now to creatives ages 30 and under, and entrants can submit a combination of professional and personal work.

This “Young Guns Spotlight” series kicks off this month with an interview with Natsuki Isa (YG18), art director and designer at SHA Inc., a Tokyo-based studio she co-founded with her husband.

Studio clients include Shiseido, Zero Halliburton, NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation), and various lifestyle and cultural brands. Working across a variety of disciplines, including branding, advertising, set design, package design, book design, and more, Isa specializes in delicate craftsmanship and fixing to physicality.

Q: How did you first become interested in a creative career?
My parents were both graphic designers and ran a design studio together, so I naturally grew up admiring that world.

They weren’t just creative in their work — their whole lifestyle reflected that mindset. Even in everyday life, they often chose to create things from scratch rather than simply purchase them. That approach might have seemed inefficient or impractical to others, but to me, it made our lives feel full of intention, curiosity, and beauty.

I never imagined I’d follow a similar path, but looking back, I think my upbringing planted the seeds of my creative career.

Q: What are some of the interesting opportunities that have come your way?
One memorable opportunity came when my husband started his second studio. At the time, it was just the two of us and a designer friend, working closely together to push the limits of our own expression and figure out what kind of graphic design truly resonated with us.

It began as a self-initiated project—an experiment to explore our creative instincts without thinking about any particular outcome. But as the work came together and started to feel right, we decided to share it with the world by submitting it to several international awards, including ADC, The One Show, D&AD, and Cannes Lions.

Entering those respected platforms, especially as unknowns from a different cultural background, was both humbling and exciting. It helped us discover and refine our voice as a studio—and being recognized for that work gave us the confidence to keep pursuing ideas that feel true to ourselves.

Q: What are some of the key challenges you’ve faced?
There are challenges every day—truly!

There are always constraints in client work, whether creative or practical. Still, we never want to compromise the final output. Even within the team, each person brings their own personality and strengths, and there’s no fixed formula—we have to keep adjusting and collaborating to bring out the best.

Staying creative and positive is not always easy, but I try to approach everything with a fresh and joyful spirit.

Q: Tell us about one or two projects or campaigns you’ve worked on that were the most interesting or rewarding.
“Uncontrolled Types by Plotter Drawing – self-branding” was a defining project for us. Over the course of more than a year, we collaborated with an artist to create a full A-to-Z typography set. The typefaces appear bold and almost uncontrollable at first glance, but are actually carefully composed down to every detail. This project reflects our graphic design style: bold, simple, yet always with a unique texture or twist.

“Live!YourSelf – Afuri” is one of our most recent projects. Working with typography is one of the most enjoyable parts of design for me. This was a recruitment poster for a ramen chain – seemingly an ordinary project, but what made it exceptional was the client’s passion for doing things differently. They truly respected the role of the graphic designer and gave us the freedom to build a strong visual world.

We created unique kanji typography representing the identity of each of their 18 store locations. If you’re a designer, you can imagine the work that goes into that! Even though we’re a small studio, working side by side with teammates who share the same vision is something I deeply value.

Q: How did winning Young Guns impact your professional development and career path?
I was surprised by how many people in Japan knew about the award—it had more recognition than I expected.

Winning became a kind of positive pressure: a reminder that I need to keep growing and pushing forward. I believe being invited to be a judge for the ADC 103rd Annual Awards might have come as a result of this recognition too.

Q: Any advice for people out there who are considering entering Young Guns 23 this year?
Because Young Guns is limited to creatives under 30, many people may still be figuring out who they are and what they’re capable of. But honestly, that feeling never goes away completely.

The process of selecting six pieces of work and putting together your entry is a valuable opportunity to really face yourself. Unlike awards that judge a single project, Young Guns looks at a body of work, so it challenges you to express your unique character.

Of course, no work is created alone. Winning this award helped me realize how lucky I am to work with people I respect and care about.

An award isn’t the goal – it’s a moment in a longer journey. I hope applicants use this experience to reflect deeply, recognize the people around them, and take their next step with clarity and confidence.

The call for entries is now open for Young Guns 23, with the final entry deadline of September 18, 2025. The ONE Asia Creative Awards is also open for entries, with the final deadline for entry on September 12, 2025.