Creepy or Cute?

The design of public mascots is crucial in setting the tone and engaging the global audience.

The design of public mascots, particularly for significant events like world expos, is crucial in setting the tone and engaging the global audience. These mascots serve as cultural ambassadors, encapsulating the event’s themes and values.

This discussion gains depth when examining the mascots for the Osaka Expos of 1970 and 2025 — each reflecting distinct themes and design philosophies, and highlighting the critical importance of adhering to universal design principles.

Expo Themes and Mascot Symbolism

The 1970 Osaka Expo, themed “Progress and Harmony for Mankind,” featured Taro Okamoto’s Tower of Sun, which became a beloved symbol of innovation blending with cultural depth. This “mascot” used archetypal imagery similar to totem poles, resonating with universal themes of human progress and unity. It stood as a testament to Japan’s post-war cultural renaissance and technological optimism.

The Tower of Sun exemplifies adherence to fundamental design principles. Its anthropomorphic features — a face with distinct eyes and mouth — immediately create a connection with viewers. The structure’s three faces (the Golden Mask, the Face of the Sun, and the Black Sun) represent the past, present, and future, providing a depth of meaning that engages the intellect while maintaining visual appeal. This multi-layered symbolism, combined with its monumental presence, elevates the Tower of Sun from a mere mascot to a complete work of art, resonating with viewers on both emotional and intellectual levels.

In stark contrast, the 2025 Osaka Expo, themed “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” introduces Myaku-Myaku, a mascot that diverges significantly in style and symbolism. This character, designed to embody the connectivity and fluidity of future societal designs, uses multiple eyes and an abstract form to challenge traditional design norms. However, in its pursuit of futuristic representation, Myaku-Myaku violates several crucial design principles.

The abundance of eyes in Myaku-Myaku’s design, while intended to represent interconnectivity, creates a disconcerting, alien-like appearance that fails to evoke empathy or connection. The amorphous, intestine-like substance forming its body elicits discomfort rather than affection, straying far from the “cute” aesthetic typically associated with successful mascots.

Perhaps the most critical error in Myaku-Myaku’s design is the lack of an identifiable face. Humans have an instinctual tendency to seek out and identify faces, often seeing them in simple arrangements of dots or shapes. By eschewing this fundamental aspect of character design, Myaku-Myaku fails to trigger the innate human response that fosters connection and empathy.

Furthermore, while aiming to represent the future, Myaku-Myaku’s design veers too far into the realm of the extraterrestrial, lacking any grounding in familiar, comforting forms. Unlike the Tower of Sun, which drew upon archetypal imagery, Myaku-Myaku appears disconnected from any mythical or cultural context. This absence of cultural resonance further alienates it from viewers and deprives it of the depth that made its predecessor so compelling.

While aiming to symbolize the future’s interconnected and transformative nature, Myaku-Myaku’s design has not universally resonated, reflecting the complexity of interpreting and accepting futuristic concepts. More importantly, it demonstrates the risks of prioritizing novelty over the fundamental principles of character design and human psychology.

Design Fundamentals

While both expos aim to capture the essence of human advancement and societal evolution, the drastically different approaches in mascot design highlight an essential consideration: the need to align creative expressions with public expectations and psychological norms.

The design of Myaku-Myaku, although aligned with the 2025 theme of a dynamic, transformative future, may have overlooked the fundamental need for mascots to also be instantly relatable and emotionally engaging.

This oversight shows that even when event themes change and aim for bold, new directions, the design strategies should still adhere to some universal principles — like those encapsulated in the “baby schema” — to ensure broad appeal and affection.

The Myaku-myaku Controversy

The design of Myaku-Myaku for the 2025 Osaka Expo reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of universal design principles for mascots. While the intention was to create a futuristic and innovative character, the committee made a critical error by applying design elements more suited to alien or horror genres to a mascot intended to be welcoming and appealing.

This misstep goes beyond mere aesthetic preference. In mascot design, especially for global events like world expos, the primary goal should be to create a character that is approachable, endearing, and capable of fostering positive emotional connections.

By incorporating “creepy” design elements, Myaku-Myaku not only fails to achieve this goal but potentially creates discomfort and alienation among its audience.

The severity of this design flaw cannot be overstated. In the context of mascot creation, such a misapplication of design principles could be considered a significant lapse in judgment.

It undermines the expo’s objectives of promoting unity, progress, and positive engagement with future concepts. Instead of inspiring excitement about the future, it risks evoking unease or even fear — emotions antithetical to the expo’s themes of “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.”

Public Reactions

The public’s mixed reactions to Myaku-Myaku underline the critical role of a mascot in fostering a positive connection with an event. A mascot’s design should not only resonate with the thematic underpinnings of the event but also appeal to innate human tendencies to find comfort and joy in familiar forms.

This challenge is particularly poignant in designs intended for an international audience, where diverse cultural perceptions must be considered.

The controversy surrounding Myaku-Myaku serves as a cautionary tale for future design committees. It emphasizes the critical importance of understanding and respecting universal design principles, especially when creating characters meant to represent major international events.

The lesson here is clear: while innovation in design is valuable, it must be balanced with an understanding of human psychology and the fundamental purpose of mascots as friendly, approachable ambassadors.

Lessons in Design Versatility

The contrasting reception of the Tower of Sun and Myaku-Myaku serves as a potent lesson for future expos and similar large-scale events. Design committees are tasked not just with pushing the envelope on creativity but also ensuring that their creations can be cherished and embraced across different cultures and psychological landscapes.

As expos continue to evolve, the hope is that mascot design will find a harmonious balance between innovation and tradition, embodying themes that are not only thoughtful but also widely adored.

This reflection on the design philosophy behind public mascots reveals a fundamental truth: while themes and intentions may evolve, the need for emotional resonance remains constant, guiding the hand of creativity towards designs that are not just novel but also nurturing.

The Myaku-Myaku controversy emphasizes the importance of this balance, reminding us that in the pursuit of representing the future, we must not lose sight of the timeless principles that make mascots effective and beloved. The success of the Tower of Sun and the shortcomings of Myaku-Myaku illustrate that even as we envision the future, our designs must remain anchored in the fundamental aspects of human perception and emotion. A truly successful mascot, regardless of its futuristic aspirations, must first and foremost speak to the human heart.