#Japan #Tokyo #STUDIO ZERO #RESEARCH Conference #UX Research

The RESEARCH Conference Lightning Talk 2025

On February 19, 2025, the highly anticipated RESEARCH Conference Lightning Talk took place in a hybrid format, blending in-person presentations at the office of Plaid Inc. in GINZA SIX with a live stream on YouTube. This event aimed to share practical knowledge in design research and UX research, emphasizing the value and potential of research, and attracted more than 150 participants from various backgrounds.

Purpose of the RESEARCH Conference

The RESEARCH Conference was founded by authors of influential works like "The Design Research Textbook" and "First Steps in UX Research," with a mission to advance the fields of design and UX research in Japan. The conference aims to cultivate a better environment for service development by sharing practical insights and spreading knowledge about the value and possibilities of research. Different groups including government, large corporations, and startups come together to learn from each other and foster dialogue.

Lightning Talks Format

The conference featured a series of engaging Lightning Talks (LT), where speakers delivered presentations aligned with the event's theme in approximately five minutes each. A total of seven sessions were held, including an opening talk.

Opening Talk by Yoshiko Namba (Plaid Inc., STUDIO ZERO)

Yoshiko Namba began the event by introducing Plaid Inc. and STUDIO ZERO while explaining their support for in-house user research. STUDIO ZERO actively assists both new and existing businesses in facilitating internal user research, aiming to deepen customer understanding and improve services from the customer's perspective. Specific efforts include support from behavioral log analysis to interview research, insight discovery, and deriving action plans, demonstrating the accumulation of knowledge within the company.

LT1: UX Research Practice in Client Work by Hikaru Hirakawa (i-Design)

Hikaru emphasized the importance of a proactive mindset to overcome the "chicken and egg" situation where there are no research opportunities, resulting in stagnant knowledge acquisition. He shared experiences from user interviews in B2C services and field observations in B2B systems, noting the stark contrast in quality between doing research and not doing it. He highlighted that research is merely a means, with the critical focus being on delivering value.

LT2: Research Practices in Platform Products by Fumie Sato (Safee)

Fumie discussed the introduction of research into a decade-long product. She presented challenges such as prioritizing requests from different industries, a lack of perceived contribution from development members, and varying user resolutions. By visualizing and structuring these challenges, she initiated a dialogue with stakeholders, explaining how breaking down research into business strategies helped enhance understanding within the company.

LT3: Design Research Opportunities in Municipal Comprehensive Planning by Atsushi Shimizu (Re-Public)

Atsushi shared a case study from Hiki City, Kagoshima Prefecture, aiming for a comprehensive plan by citizens, for citizens. He set questions that citizens could identify with rather than classifying policy areas, describing how citizens became involved in the planning process through fieldwork and workshops, focusing on dialogue and reverse reckoning.

LT4: Communicating the Value of Research by Sayoko Otsuka (Toyota Connected)

Sayoko introduced the research activities in the Mobility Experience Department, where proactive self-conducted research has been encouraged. This approach has contributed to the enhancement of research value within the company and supported overall group growth. She provided examples of OEM research in Korea and China, stressing the importance of effectively sharing results with project partners and customizing information for stakeholders.

LT5: Accelerating Internal Distribution of Research by Maya Sonoda (Smart Bank)

Maya shared practices from a startup offering a personal finance app to accelerate internal research distribution. She introduced five concrete "small tricks" such as visualizing survey results to align team viewpoints, collaborating on usability tests with engineers, maintaining continuous reflections through research KPT, and enhancing onboarding of new employees in research.

LT6: Creating a Map for Linking Distributed Research Activities to Value by Kenichi Suzuki (Plaid Inc.)

Kenichi addressed challenges with scattered research activities within departments such as redundancy, fragmented data management, and difficulties in utilization. He proposed creating a "map" to better understand these activities in relation to their value, aiming to maximize the overall research value within the organization through mutual complementarity and dialogue.

Networking and Closing Remarks

Following the Lightning Talk sessions, a networking event was held where participants enjoyed refreshments while engaging in lively discussions with speakers and fellow attendees, exchanging further insights on research practices. The closing address reflected on the importance of sharing research practices from diverse perspectives, particularly highlighting participatory research not just as a service provider to users but as engaged citizens.

Upcoming Events

The next main RESEARCH Conference is scheduled for September 7, 2025, under the theme "POTENTIAL." Sponsorship opportunities opened on May 7, with a nearing deadline for interested companies. The call for participants will commence in June, and updates will be shared through the RESEARCH Conference's X account.