Tokyo Explorer started as an idea for a website that could give the best insights and knowledge about anything in Tokyo. From events to the most traditional and historic places to know about.
This idea actually came from UI/UX designer Isa Pinheiro's own personal experience while living here in Japan.
It’s true that we can find a lot of websites on this subject but very few have all the information in one place. Most of them are dedicated to events or curated places to explore. Not much in-deep information shared about the actual places. I wanted the design to be simple and clean. Very much like the Japanese way. It should target, not only the ones looking for the best things to do in the big city, but also those who want to know more about this amazing culture.
-Isa Pinheiro
The inspiration came from my new daily life here in Japan. I get to work and collaborate on projects with Tokyo-based designers and I couldn’t feel more inspired by their work. It’s a completely different culture with different views on life. It sure gives me more than enough inspiration everyday :)
-Isa Pinheiro
In this particular case, I don’t think I’ve seen many design projects with this concept behind. We do stumble across many websites that provide information and events on a certain city. But for the real explores, it can be hard to find the perfect place to know more about Tokyo.
-Isa Pinheiro
Maybe I’m repeating myself on this one a bit but life here in Japan inspires me in every possible way. It can be easy to fall into the comfort zone. In order to escape the temptation, I always try to approach each project with a different mindset and if possible, experiment with a different style. So many great things come from silly experiments that later one can become amazing projects.
-Isa Pinheiro
Be curious and never stop challenging yourself. Remember that life is too short not to do what you’re truly passionate about :)
-Isa Pinheiro
About Isa Pinheiro
Isa Pinheiro is a Portuguese designer and illustrator currently living and working in Tokyo. Since she can remember, Isa has always been a fan of anything art related and quickly made up her mind about what she wanted to pursue in life. She started her professional career as an illustrator and gradually started moving to the digital field. She now balance my work between web design and illustration. See more of her works on Behance or her website.