Across cultures, industries, and disciplines. I help teams make sense of ideas... and move forward.
Introduction
01- Interaction Designer
What's an interaction designer, anyway?
"UX designer", “Service designer" — these are the labels most people know. But when I think about what I actually do, it exceeds what those title say. That's something I've felt for a long time.
We take in information every day, through words, through visuals, through every sense we have. We're constantly in “inter-action” with the world around us. Digital products and online services are, at their core, information technology. Designing that information so both sides, the people sending it and the people receiving it, can truly understand it: that's the foundation of any good user experience.
To build such experience, we take interaction at every stage; within the team, in user research, in workshops, and between the user and the product itself. I design all of those interactions. That's why "interaction designer" is the title that fits.
02 — Focus Area
Four pillars of what I do
01/04Sense-making
I work across interaction design, information design, prototyping, research, and workshops — the thread running through all of it is “sense-making”. Between collaborators. Toward users we've never met. And increasingly, between humans and AI. I help create, clarify, and constructively challenge meaning.
In action
Facilitating alignment workshops
Mapping relationships between concepts
Translating complex ideas into accessible structures
Bridging communication gaps between teams, humans, and AI systems.
Keywords
Alignment
Clarity
Facilitation
Translation
Communication design
Meaning-making
Cross-cultural
Human-AI interaction
02/04Information modelling
Most UX tools are, at their core, produced to align understanding and spark conversation within a team to make better decisions, by modelling information. Of course, we humans don't fit neatly into perfect models. The key is to move between ambiguity and structure constantly depending on the context; I choose the right tool for the moment, to support better decision-making inside organisations.
In action
Building journey maps
Service blueprints and system diagrams
Structuring ambiguous problem spaces
Creating artefacts that spark team conversations and support decision-making
Keywords
UX artefacts
Systems thinking
Ambiguity
Structure
Decision-making
Blueprinting
Mental models
Information architecture
03/04Design as a facilitation
The point of making something tangible through design isn't always “to define”. Prototypes and visualisations can be invitations to think together; meaning that they are tools for conversation, not just conclusions. They are the designs to be scrapped; I improve the quality of products and services by facilitating constructive discussions, which are powered by quick prototypes and visualisation.
In action
Running co-design sessions
Creating quick prototypes to provoke discussion
Producing visualisations as conversation starters rather than final answers
Scrapping early to build better later
Keywords
Co-design
Prototyping
Visualisation
Conversation
Iteration
Low-fidelity
Participatory design
Design thinking
04/04Outcome driven design for sustainabile future
How do you track the outcomes of Digital Transformation, Sustainable Transformation, or new business development projects? With tightly scheduled project, or initiatives where results take long time to surface, defining ideal outcomes within a limited timeframe isn't easy. Yet, having some basis for decision-making matters; I connect design activity to the vision you're working toward, and help establish a clear way to track progress.
In action
Defining measurable success criteria for transformation projects
Connecting design activities to business vision
Clarifying assumptions to evaluate
Establishing progress-tracking approach in time-constrained or long-horizon initiatives
Keywords
Outcomes
ROI
Digital transformation, Sustainability transformation
Impact measurement
Design strategy
Vision alignment
03 - Building blocks
Mix and match for your project
Components
Exploratory Research
Conduct desk research, field research and user interviews in the field to have a deeper understanding in user's mental model, needs and context including environment.
2-6weeks
Conduct desk research, field research and user interviews in the field to have a deeper understanding in user's mental model, needs and context including environment.
Work on this when...
The team doesn't have a strong confidence in the value proposition of new product/service idea. Or they don't have enough understanding to design the user experience that delivers the intended value proposition.
2-6weeks
Context Architecture
Use UX tools such as personas and journey maps to visualise shared knowledge in the organisation and hypotheses behind it, to facilitate discussion. Those architecture could be then fed into AI models.
2-4 weeks
Use UX tools such as personas and journey maps to visualise shared knowledge in the organisation and hypotheses behind it, to facilitate discussion. Those architecture could be then fed into AI models.
Work on this when...
Knowledge within the team is not consistent, making it difficult to make meaningful decisions. Also, when a concept involves AI models that requires context architecture.
2-4 weeks
Concept development
Explore ideas, accelerate team discussion, and translate abstract value proposition into concrete design concept. Create something tangible we can show to users for validation.
2-4 weeks
Explore ideas, accelerate team discussion, and translate abstract value proposition into concrete design concept. Create something tangible we can show to users for validation.
Work on this when...
A lot of research has done that provided user insights, however the team is unsure how to translate them into actual products or services.
2-4 weeks
Prototype and evaluation
Turn vague ideas into tangible forms. The form the prototype takes depends on the context. The main thing is to create something we can show to others and test. Gain user insights for improvement.
4-6 weeks
Turn vague ideas into tangible forms. The form the prototype takes depends on the context. The main thing is to create something we can show to others and test. Gain user insights for improvement.
Work on this when...
The team is not entirely sure whether the concept is actually creating any real value. Or, whether the solution and its design delivers intended outcome.
4-6 weeks
Usability Evaluation
Identify usability issues with the current product. This may involve user testing or heuristic evaluation.
2-4 weeks
Identify usability issues with the current product. This may involve user testing or heuristic evaluation.
Work on this when...
The concept is sound and its value proposition is evaluated; however users tends to struggle completing their tasks, therefore it's difficult to earn the value of the service.
2-4 weeks
Other Components
Workshop
Design and deliver workshops tailored to different needs, such as Design Sprint, Systems Thinking workshop, or Value Proposition workshop.
1-2 weeks prep + 2~5 days · One-off
Design and deliver workshops tailored to different needs, such as Design Sprint, Systems Thinking workshop, or Value Proposition workshop.
Work on this when...
Depends!
1-2 weeks prep + 2~5 days · One-off
Design Coaching
Provide coaching for designers. Through regular conversations, I help coachee explore theme to focus on, set a vision, plan actions and track outcome.
2-3months · Part-time
Provide coaching for designers. Through regular conversations, I help coachee explore theme to focus on, set a vision, plan actions and track outcome.
Work on this when...
Depends on the team!
2-3months · Part-time
Strength and collaboration
04 - Strength
What I bring in
Cross-cultural fluency
Having lived and worked across Japanese, English, and European contexts, I bring perspectives that open up creative possibilities that might be difficult to see from different angles..
Design × Engineering × Management
Interaction design is my core; however, working experience as an UI engineer of optical discs and leading a local small studio that requires understanding business dynamics mean I can hold Design, Engineering, and Management in balance.
Long view
Over 20 years in digital, watching the industry shift. While technology comes and goes, I keep learning timeless insights, yet my toolkit keeps evolving — new tools, new methods, new things to unlearn.
Build to think
I make things tangible early — not as final answers, but to move thinking forward. Rough sketches, quick prototypes. There to accelerate conversation, and fine to throw away.
05 - Let's work together
Where I'd love a collaborator
Engineering
Constraints are where the conversation starts. In an age where AI can write code, the human back-and-forth about what to build and why matters more than ever.
Visual design
Behind every considered detail is a human judgment and intention that no tool can replicate. I find that thinking genuinely fascinating to be part of.
Business strategy
Numbers and creativity don't have to pull against each other — they shouldn't. I want to work with people looking for the path where business growth and user value point in the same direction.
Anthropologists / Researchers
There's a depth and breadth of knowledge here that design projects alone can't cover. As sustainability moves to the centre of everything, this feels like one of the most important collaborations ahead.
Networkers
I enjoy my introversion, but I know my limits when it comes to building connections. People who bring energy to that, and draw the best out of a team, make everything else possible.
Industrial / Space designers
The boundary between physical and digital is dissolving. I'd love more of such collabration.
Values
06 - Values
What I believe
Humanity-centered
My design foundation was "User-Centred Design". But that's not enough anymore. We need to account for the environment, for future generations. I aim for work that nudges things forward, even if it's a small one push, a small one step.
Design ethics
Information design can deceive — and I refuse to let mine do that. That means rejecting patterns designed to addict, to trap people in front of screens against their better judgment.
Trust
The most interesting trust question isn't just between user and product — it's between the people making it. I design for users who can rely on what they see, and I build working relationships where the same is true.
Enjoy the work
Is this fun? If the people making something don't enjoy it, that energy doesn't reach the end user. I'm not talking about goofing off — I mean creating conditions where the work itself becomes something you can love.
Curiosity
I try to look at things the way a child sees them for the first time. That's where the "why" lives. And why is where new ideas come from.
Past projects
07 - Past Projects
The list of precious learning.
The portfolio section is password protected. Please contact hello@mayunak.com for access.
