A telescope looking into the future of Loftwork. General Meeting of Shareholders 2017 Report

In the past year, we have invited the shareholders Joichi Ito (Director of MIT Media Lab) and Hiroaki Kitano (President of Sony CSL) to hold it. It is an important place for us to reflect on the future while looking back on the year.

In 2017, as a new challenge, we welcomed three outside guests as a reviewer.

Mr. Takaaki Umezawa, Chairman of AT Kearney Japan Corporation, Mr. Akie Iriyama of Associate Professor at Waseda University Business School , Mr. Shin Kikuchi of CEO of Planet · Table Co., Ltd. to support the production and distribution of agriculture and livestock products by IT.

We introduce the present and future of loftwork which activities spread to various fields from year to year, with practical and learned comments from guests.

Suwa: “Is not it not just Loftwork but a methodology of global development in the creative and UX fields is not established?”

Kikuchi: “Somewhat system-oriented, but I think that it is AWS (Amazon Web Services) as an example of a global UX, rather than deciding exactly, increasing the number of choices, allowing users to freely Being able to use it will be a basic philosophy to create a global UX. “

Iriyama: “In business administration there is a concept of IR framework, I refers to integration, global integration.Direction to pursue efficiency, considering the world as a single market.R is Responsiveness.Local It is a direction to adapt to the environment of each country.There is a trade-off between these two, many global companies are swinging to I or repeating to R. Currently many A global company aims for is a “transnational strategy.” It is to take both good points. ”

Umezawa: “UX, UI is a wide range even if it goes to a bite.If you want to create a global brand image, it is better to unify UX and UI’s tone and manner to some extent, but the usability part is It may be better to tune according to the cultural area of ​​the country.I think that it is more efficient to decide where to unify and decide where to localize and fight. “

Finally from Suwa, from the style to create one by one custom-made, from now on to develop a highly versatile service stylized like MTRL (material), and loftwork has been open innovation The award (competition) that we have been doing as a method to create a web service as a “AWRD (award)” was announced in March 2018.

Meanwhile, building a website that has been engaged for many years is still the strength of Loftwork. Recently, the approach to designing the whole communication including offline, planning and implementing the role played by the website has become the focus.

For example, on the website of Rikkyo University , we first conduct research on “what should be the future of university sites” and redefine the mission of the site as “support for better selection” rather than “propagation of the university”. We repeated verification by prototyping.

Tanahashi (executive officer and innovation maker) : “I would like to focus on UX design based on design research in 2018. Also, we will actively incorporate product prototype development into the project To go”

Iriyama: “Is it okay for creators to stay in Kyoto for about half a year?”

Terai (Kyoto branch project manager) : “Actually it can be used in artist · in · residence (stay production).” Kyoto development of art project born in Tokyo and international contemporary art festival ” Ny · blanche KYOTO “We are doing exhibition projects that collaborated with”

In addition, we have been developing open innovation support with local companies, such as an idea contest with long-established parts manufacturers / ROHM Corporation. There are also product projects involved from prototypes and sold on the market.

We will continue to focus on cultivating pitch events and other events by material manufacturers to connect with traditional industries in Kyoto and local communities, encounter with unknown materials and fostering business communities that are interested in creativity.

Also, at the ” 100 BANCH ” which was established through joint planning and management of Panasonic, Loftwork, Cafe Company in 2017, young people of U35 gather and fellowship as a place to create “100 projects enriching the next 100 years” , I am engaged in community development and management.

Also at the Shibuya Hack Project project with Tokyu Electric Railway, set in a public space in Shibuya, we challenge the bottom-up city making creativity and civic pride of each citizen individually. While coming back and forth between “space” and “city”, we are working on inventions of “places” that are necessary for our future living and working style, which we have never seen before.

Iriyama: “It is also interesting to focus on the river because Japan is not good at using rivers worldwide, so consider development along the Tama River, development of the Nikko Tamagawa and development of Akihabara where Chinese startups gather How about that? “

FabCafe is not only a “digital manufacturing cafe” but also a “tool” that activates open innovation.

For example, in the fourth year as a global creative award, ” YouFab ” which grew until the application came from MIT Media Lab or Pier 9 artists, and Fab Mini 4/4 Cup Refining Technology and Comprehensive Monodzukuri Event ” Wonfab Fes (WONFAB FES) “and so on. In 2018, we are planning to collaborate with the new service “AWRD” and promote the MTRL project space.

Kikuchi: “I think that you should think firmly about what the community is seeking and why Hidakuma will do it. The autumn festival also makes manifesting that” mountains can be a creative platform “and makes creators gather Would not it be a festival of worldwide woodworking if we could create an environment that made manufacturing soon? “

The theme of such Taiwan and Hong Kong bases in 2018 is “NEW CONTEXT NEW CHALLENGE”. He said that both innovation needs deployment strategy and project management perspective and talked about planning to make MTRL Hong Kong a global business development hub.

These Asian bases will collaborate while supporting design awards and space design, Tokyo, Kyoto, Taipei and Hida each other. For 2018, YouFab exhibition and Hackathon will be held in Hong Kong.

Finally, we got a general comment from three guests.

Umezawa: “Each of us was talked about as an independent profitable project, but if we closely cooperate with each other, it will have a big impact as a whole, for example I would like to connect with traditional industries in Kyoto Whether to utilize creators gathering from the world in the task of supporting innovation for large corporate clients in Tokyo “

Kikuchi: “The area covered by each employee is wide, on the other hand, if there is no design of data even if there is system design as a whole company, what kind of information should be taken and where to make good use. It is wasteful not to be shared between each division, although experiences and good knowledge are born, it is wasteful not to make use of it, I think that it is precisely the role of design to connect it. ”

Iriyama: “Everyone who was presenting was really fun, I found some parts that I could collaborate with Waseda’s business school, but on the other hand, I could open more to the outside There was also a part that I felt that if anyone could demonstrate creativity, not only creators, elderly people in urban areas could be considered loftwork customers. “

Loftwork, which was founded in 2000 with the aim of “creative distribution”, and has tackled creators and companies to create innovation. Beyond the distance, going to unknown areas, meeting with diverse people, we have been asking about “What creativity is coming from?” “What is it all about creative?” It was. Although it is a bit faster, in 2020, we will have the 20th anniversary (!) Of our founding.

To a world where everyone can become more creative. Thank you for your continued loft work which will continue your journey of adventure.

(Coverage / writing: Miho Sakya , edited by Natsuki Ishigami )

Takaaki Umezawa | AT Kearney Japan Corporation Chairman
Graduated from the University of Tokyo Law, Master of Business Administration. For 20 years in Japan and the United States, we support companies with strategies, innovation and marketing related themes. TV Tokyo “World Business Satellite” Commentator. He is a member of the government committee on topics such as cool Japan, design policy, intellectual property strategy, taxation system. We presided the “NEXTOKYO Project”, and proposed the future vision of Tokyo and the special zones concept to the industry and the government. “The Strongest Scenario Planning” (2013, Toyo Keizai Inc.) “Major book” NEXTOKYO “Post 2020” Tokyo to change to the brightest city in the world “(2017, co-authored by Nikkei BP)

Akie Iriyama | Associate Professor, Waseda University Business School
1996 Graduated from Keio University School of Economics. In 1998, he completed a master’s course at the Graduate School of Economics, the same university. After engaging in investigation and consulting work mainly for automobile manufacturers and domestic and overseas government agencies at Mitsubishi Research Institute, he left the company in 2003 and entered the doctoral course at the University of Pittsburgh School of Management. He received his doctorate (Ph.D.) from the graduate school in 2008. Since that same year, he was appointed Assistant Professor (Associate Professor) of New York State University Buffalo School Business School. Current position from 2013. Specialty is management strategy theory and international management theory. Major books “What are global business scholars doing now?” (2012, published by Eiji) “The world’s most advanced business school that can not be learned at business schools” (2015, Nikkei BP)

Shin Kikuchi | Planet Table CEO Representative Director
After graduating from university, after independence finance institution, consulting company, investment fund etc, after independence. He is involved in numerous projects such as new business development, growth support and financing in the agriculture, livestock and fisheries and food and beverage industry. In 2013, as a founding member of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Department Fund “Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Growth Industry Assistance Organization” as a founding member, he will also set up the “Sixth Industrialization Central Support Center”. I felt the need for a flexible and international innovation promotion platform of the private sector to solve problems in agriculture, livestock and fishery / food fields, established the Food Innovation Initiative. Editorial staff who edits “The Round Table” farming web media. Planet · table representative director.