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As the importance of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion has increased in recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on accessibility. Designing products and services that are easy for everyone to use is not only socially responsible, but essential to a company’s sustainability.   In UX research, directly incorporating the voices of people with disabilities is […]

Japan has a long history of taking ideas from other cultures and refining them into something uniquely Japanese. Toilets are no exception. They’ve been transformed into high-tech marvels, complete with heated seats, bidets, dryers, self-cleaning functions, sound masking, all integrated into a compact Washlet.   But here’s the twist. For something so advanced, there are countless […]

Did you know that Rock, Paper, Scissors (yes, that universal game we all played as kids), actually comes from Japan?  In Japanese, it’s called jan-ken, and while the basic rules are the same, its role in everyday life is far more embedded in the culture than in most Western countries. In Japan, jan-ken isn’t just […]

When global teams talk about innovation, the spotlight often falls on tech giants or visionary designers. But in Japan, some of the most thoughtful, compelling lessons in design come from places no bigger than a walk-in closet.  Urban apartments in cities like Tokyo or Osaka are famously compact. A single resident might live comfortably in […]

For researchers aiming to understand users in their natural environment, home visits are often considered the gold standard. They promise a window into daily routines, spatial habits, and unspoken needs that remote interviews or surveys might miss. However in Japan, this method presents a fascinating paradox: the closer you get to the user, the more […]

Empty space, leaving things out, can speak more strongly than putting them in, and I think that’s very Japanese. — Hiroe Swen (Ceramic Artist) Ma (間), meaning gap, pause, or space, is a spiritual concept of emptiness deeply rooted in Japanese art and culture. It represents the beauty found in the space between things and […]

As the importance of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion has increased in recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on accessibility. Designing products and services that are easy for everyone to use is not only socially responsible, but essential to a company’s sustainability.   In UX research, directly incorporating the voices of people with disabilities is […]

“Don’t make me think.”  For years, this phrase—the title of Steve Krug’s seminal book—has been the golden rule in UI/UX design. Reducing user effort, eliminating confusion, and guiding users to their goals as efficiently as possible. This is what we have always believed to be “good UX.” However, with generative AI beginning to take over parts of human work, we ask: Is offering effortless and easy experiences really beneficial for humans?  Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche stated “God is […]

What can a 17th-century philosopher teach us about UX? Surprisingly, quite a lot. One of the most famous phrases in philosophy comes from René Descartes:  “I think, therefore I am.”  For him, this wasn’t just proof of existence. It was the starting point of an intellectual journey to find absolute certainty through radical skepticism. Centuries later, this […]

Studying abroad, I stumbled upon an app that quickly became a daily essential: Too Good To Go. This wildly popular European platform transforms leftover food from cafes and restaurants into “magic bags”, at a wallet-friendly price. Every time I placed an order, I’d find myself eagerly heading to the venue, wondering what goodies awaited me […]