DENSO has a future vision of creating a happiness-circulating society that responds to diverse values and senses of happiness while continuing social activities. In terms of continuing social activities, DENSO, known for its manufacturing excellence, will continue to deliver high-quality products to society with sincerity.

In the era of mass production and consumption, DENSO excelled at precise manufacturing. However, new societal demands require us to value the differences in individual needs as diversity. How will DENSO face and contribute to diverse values and senses of happiness? As an in-house creative function, what can we do to address this challenge? With a vision-driven approach to realize our vision, we have taken action.

In this transformative period, the design department introduced the concept of Human Experience Design (HX) and is working to instill it among internal designers. We, as designers, have always had a Human Centered approach, designing and developing with a focus on the user even before the term UX was coined. We have prided ourselves on being the department closest to peopleʼs feelings within DENSO. However, in todayʼs world where diversity is emphasized, we need to extend our awareness to various stakeholders and adopt a comprehensive view of the environments surrounding them. We also need to pay attention to often overlooked negative aspects, such as the strains and compromises resulting from societal implementation.

The term "Sanpo Yoshi" (three-way satisfaction) used by Omi merchants reminds us that designers must ensure that not only the creators and users are satisfied, but also consider the society in which the designs are implemented. This is the true value of good design that embraces human-scale experiences.

Many new concepts that constitute diverse values and senses of happiness are created by young people. As a new space to meet these young people, we held an external event called "The Happiness Brought by HX Design: DENSO DESIGN OPEN LAB 2023." The design department members cooperated in preparing various contents for the event.

For example, we prepared an HX picture book that depicts three future scenarios of mobility, food, and housing, which are familiar experiences for consumers. We also created HX manga that illustrate ideas to make people happier, targeting the future in 2040. These stories were produced based on designersʼ future predictions and were intended to help readers derive their own visions of a happy future.

Other contents included an introductory video explaining the concept of HX, an energy management system designed from an HX perspective, and industry-academia collaboration activities with Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and Nagoya Institute of Technology aimed at mastering HX design. These efforts conveyed our thoughts and ideas.

On the first day of the event, we held a cross-talk session with Mai Osada, Director of SHIBUYA109lab., and Kisei Furuta from Loftwork Inc. Osada, who interacts daily with around 200 people aged 15-24, is a leading expert in understanding young people today. Furuta is a creative director involved in vision-driven business creation at Loftwork Inc., collaborating with creator communities worldwide.

The discussion began with defining happiness and led to an active debate on self-realization and related creative fields. Insights into why Gen Z engages in activities like "oshi-katsu" (supporting oneʼs favorite person or thing) and visually oriented communication were particularly engaging for the young audience.

At the end, attendees interacted with the guest speakers and design department members, reflecting on what they could do and discussing various future visions.

Participants in the event also experienced visualizing the abstract concept of diversity. A large board with countless metal pins was set up, and visitors wove colorful strings in their own ways. The materials and routes for the strings varied, with no set rules. The gathering of people of different ages and genders, influencing each other and creating a unified shape, provided a physical sense of what diversity means. The final artwork, a large circle embodying diversity, symbolized the connections among the attendees.

Throughout the event, we had many conversations with young people. We were surprised by their deep perspective on caring for others and their dedication to their own worlds. The direct dialogue allowed us to feel an energy that cannot be experienced within the company. The survey results showing 100% satisfaction from attendees who said they were glad to have come and were satisfied with the event were very gratifying, giving us a sense that our outreach resonated with the young audience. We will continue this challenge, building on this first step, and connecting it to future efforts.