The simplicity and toughness embodied in the Kicks have roots in Kusunoki's time in the United States, where he worked on the design of large vehicles.

During his assignment in California, Kusunoki saw how intense sunlight could wash out the fine details of a vehicle's design. Therefore, vehicles there tended to emphasize a sense of size and toughness. He absorbed those visual cues and began incorporating them into his own work.

A vehicle's body is assembled from multiple steel panels, including doors and fenders, and the precision with which they meet has a major impact on perceived quality. Because the Kicks has such clean, simple surfaces, even the slightest misalignment between the panels would be noticeable.

Forming the sheet metal presented a series of challenges, particularly what is called a "springback" — the tendency of pressed metal to return toward its original shape, much like a rolled sheet of paper gradually unfurling. Working closely with the production team, they predicted this movement to within 0.5 mm and adjusted the dies accordingly, repeating prototype trials to ensure seamless alignment between panels. Kusunoki visited the prototype workshop — and at times even the parts plant — repeatedly to achieve the ideal sense of seamlessness.

For Kusunoki, the essence of Nissan design is a willingness to break convention. He remains driven by a passion for creating vehicles that resonate with people through ideas that defy convention.

"People sometimes say the Kicks feels a little different from previous Nissan models," he explains. "Every vehicle can have its own unique personality. They do not all need the same face to be recognizable as Nissan. That is what makes Nissan, Nissan."