One of fibona's activities, "Co-Creation with Consumers," is an activity to develop products and solutions through direct communication between researchers and consumers, utilizing S/PARK's facilities and contents.

This project targets “Generation Z” consumers. The researchers will work closely with the generation that will be responsible for the future of the world in order to explore the "beauty required in the future”. The project is led by Hiroyuki Asahi of Shiseido, the originator of the project. Jutaro Mochizuki, CEO of 、REDD Inc. and Nobuhiko Ohtsuki of “spods project”, who is engaged in business collaborations with companies and individuals in a wide range of industries facilitate the creation of opportunities for communication necessary for the promotion of the project. We spoke with the three of them about this project, which is a completely new endeavor.

What project has been initiated this time?

Ohtsuki:
The first thing that surprised me when I was asked to participate in this project was the fact that the research institute would be involved in the development of the product with consumers from the planning stage. In most cases, workshops and research involving consumers are conducted by the marketing team after the product has been created or before it is launched on the market. So, it is a surprise to many people that a research institute would be involved in such activities from the product ideation stage.

Asahi:
In fact, we often ask the consumer, after the product is almost completed, "How do you like what we have made”? This time, however, we would like to work together with consumers from the planning stage, asking "What should we make in the first place?” This kind of approach is almost unprecedented, and I think it is something that researchers would never understand. When we started this project, there were many doubts within the company as to whether we could really make a good product by doing this, but even so, we proposed many times that we wanted to do this, and we were finally able to start the project.

Ohtsuki:
An example of a typical consumer research and workshop conducted by a company would be to have them taste a roughly finished dish and ask, "Is it good”? You might be able to say something like, "This should be a little more flavorful," or "This should be sweeter," but it is difficult to say, "I didn't want this dish in the first place.” In a world overflowing with things and information, when you say, "This will be delicious," they may be too full to even try it. If that is the case, we need to get people to participate from the very beginning by asking them what they want to eat, in other words, by creating ideas. I really sympathized with the idea of working directly with the researchers who are creating the source of value.

Mochizuki:
When making products for consumers, there are actually very few cases in which the products are made while having a proper conversation with and understanding the consumers. We may understand the people we come in contact with in our daily lives, but it is difficult to grasp the people we do not come in contact with. In particular, when creating products that are used on a daily basis, it may seem strange to conduct research without understanding the consumers. This is what is being said in various places today. Shiseido recognized this at an early stage. What often happens is that a marketing research-based quantitative survey team hands out data that says, "This is what (consumers) are doing," and then creates products while analyzing the data. There are few cases where a researcher shows a consumer directly what he or she is experimenting with and asks, "What do you think of this?” The standard for manufacturing in the future will be to grasp the needs of consumers at a very close distance and create products by asking, "Do you want this or not?” I believe that this is the most fundamental aspect of the fibona project.

Asahi:
I myself used to develop products as a researcher, and product testing was basically in the form of group interviews. In this special environment, where consumers were separated from employees by a single wall, interviews were conducted mechanically without conveying the creator's thoughts and ideas. Although feedback was obtained on whether the product was good or bad, we wondered if we were really making products that meet the needs of the consumers. I think the main point of this project is to create product process with a much closer distance between the consumer and the researcher. I would like to be able to hear "what do you think of this, is it different?" with the researcher and consumer sitting next to each other in the same space, capturing subtle differences in feelings and emotions that cannot be sensed without being there.

Mochizuki:
It is easy to talk about the ideal of having consumers and researchers work together in close proximity, but it is scary to actually do it. This is because we don't usually do that kind of manufacturing, and also because the research institute is a team that handles information that we don't disclose in the first place. In the advertising and public relations departments, there are many opportunities to work with various talents, photographers, and outside partners, but the institute is an environment where such opportunities are rare. However, it is important to swallow such discomfort and see and feel the realities of consumers. For example, if you see a travel show on TV and think, "Oh, I'd like to visit this part of Italy," and then actually go there, you may find beautiful scenery. On the other hand, there are dangerous areas such as slums. How can we make things from a standpoint that is close to reality, where we can directly grasp the gap between the ideal and the reality? I am sure this will become the norm in the next five to ten years, but unless someone takes the first step, there is no way for things to happen.

How did the three of you begin by talking about the unprecedented start of the project?

Mochizuki:
The next thing we talked about was that when we defined the target as Generation Z, we needed a partner who best understood them and could act as an intermediary. Ohtsuki and I directed two partners who would act as catalysts for the mixing of researchers and Gen Z consumers. One company was FURYU Corporation, which has been talking to young people on a daily basis for more than 20 years and incorporating their voices directly into its products, namely print sticker machines. They are well versed in the general values of Generation Z. They bring suitable Generation Z consumers to our workshop, with proposing, "This person would be good for us”. The other partner is TWIN PLANET, a content production company that considers "people, things, and products" as intellectual property and is constantly exploring new possibilities in entertainment. They bring the sharpest and top influencers of Generation Z to the workshop.

Ohtsuki:
In the workshop, we will explore "what can we do now to create resonance in the world, while looking to the future" from the perspective of the general public and top influencers. It is important to know the two perspectives of those who have a large influence through social networking and the general public who live their daily lives despite this influence. It is important to know both perspectives. We ask them to start with an everyday story and share their current values. By mixing in workshop professionals and other experts we have gathered, we will make an effort to improve the workshop time and the output as we go along.

The outline of the project is beginning to emerge. What is planned for the future schedule?

This project is now underway. We will report on the amazing future of beauty on the fibona website, so please look forward to it!