Ideas that change how people see.
Ryo Nakagawa creates work that changes how people see a brand, a product, an industry — sometimes themselves. When that shift happens, behavior tends to follow. He works across advertising, technology, and culture, and leads the independent studio Shame Inc.
A perspective shaped by movement.
Ryo Nakagawa grew up between Japan, Egypt, and Germany, and later worked across Tokyo, Sydney, and Singapore — inside advertising, technology, and consulting, and now as an independent practice. His career spans Dentsu, Google, and Droga5 / Accenture Song, and today he leads his own studio, Shame Inc.
That movement across countries, industries, and company cultures shapes how he works today — less interested in what a category has always looked like, more curious about what people stop noticing after enough repetition. Meaning shifts as it crosses a border, a platform, or a generation, and noticing that shift, then using it, is where his work begins.
Meta
Instagram
Google
Nike
Coca-Cola
Hilton
GAP
UK Government
WWF
Heidi
Zespri
UNIQLO
HUMAN MADE
TRUNK(HOTEL)
kolor
Spiber
Honda
Panasonic
Suntory
Mizuho
Hitachi
東急不動産Ideas matter when they change how people see the world.
Not just how something looks or sounds — what someone notices in it for the first time.
Sometimes that's a brand. Sometimes a product, an industry, or society. Sometimes it's how someone sees themselves. When the way people see something changes, behavior tends to follow. That's the kind of work Ryo tries to make.
Where the same thinking shows up beyond client work.
Ryo writes and speaks on creativity, shame, and how ideas change the way people see — through books, keynotes, workshops, and interviews.
Books
Published in Japan and South Korea.
発想の回路
Diamond, Inc.
A book on how new ideas actually form — the small shifts in thinking that lead to work people haven't seen before.
View on Amazon ↗
いくつになっても
恥をかける人になる
Discover 21
Drawing on Ryo's ongoing research into shame, this book makes the case for staying willing to feel embarrassed — at any age — as a source of growth.
View on Amazon ↗Speaking
Drawing on his professional experience as a copywriter and creative director, as well as his books and research on shame, Ryo gives talks and workshops for companies, educational institutions, and other organizations.
His sessions cover ideation, articulation, brand communication, and creative thinking, while also examining the psychology and relationships within teams and organizations.
Topics include building more productive teams, strengthening psychological safety, and rethinking internal communication through the lens of shame. Sessions can be designed for audiences ranging from a few dozen to several thousand people.