Born 1952 in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, Hitoshi Suyama is the general manager of Nikon’s Industrial Design Department.
After graduating from Tokyo University of Art and Design, Suyama joined Nikon Corporation (Japan Optical Industry Co.) in 1974. He is credited for designing an endless array of products and graphics in categories such as SLR cameras, compact cameras, binoculars and microscopes.
During the 1990's he became the company’s design manager, overseeing the Product and Graphic design operations of the Nikon Design department.
Suyama’s design mission is to make a serious object both advanced and fun for the user, aiming for "exciting communication" through different approaches to design. He believes strongly in people’s relationship with their environment, and that through being mindful of the connection between man and machine and how it influences culture, we can create harmony through challenging design.
As products will inevitably be discarded, Suyama believes that good design serves to create long lasting products which the user will not tire of or consider useless after a short time. It is this balancing act which the Nikon design department strives to perfect and improve daily, an attitude that is part of the core value driving Nikon into the future.
Founded in 1917, Nikon Corporation is a global leader that contributes to the advancement of society through exposure in diverse businesses focused primarily on precision equipment, imaging products and instruments. These business endeavors span many fields – from manufacturing to imaging in sectors as diverse as products for consumers to bioscience research and aerospace development – where the Japanese company’s products and services stimulate the human imagination. Despite this seeming diversity, however, Nikon’s business initiatives share a common interest towards the advancement of society and the enhancement of culture.
Guided by a longstanding philosophy of “trustworthiness and creativity”, Nikon’s business remains unchanged in a pursuit to harness cutting-edge technology, competitive products and effective marketing as a conduit for exceeding the expectations of its customers.
