An element of surprise

JAPANESE architect/designer Oki Sato believes there are similarities between a pet shop owner and a designer. His childhood ambition was to own a pet shop. "I like animals, but then I realised I would need to sell them, so I didn't want be a pet shop owner any more," says Mr Sato, 35.

Being a designer he says, is much like running a pet shop. "My ideas are my pets, and I need to nurture and care for them, before clients will buy these ideas."

It is a rather unconventional analogy, but it is no surprise coming from Mr Sato, who founded his design studio nendo in 2002. The firm is known for creating quirky yet functional products, following Mr Sato's philosophy of "giving people a small '!' moment".