When I started my UX career in 2006, the term "UX" was still not well known in the UX community, and the term "usability" was mainly used back then. The term "UX" and its approach are not well penetrated in Japan yet, in 2020, except for certain industries or organizations, and it may be replaced by some other terms in the future. Nevertheless, the goal of "providing a pleasant experience for users" in the product/service development processes should never change.
As of April 2020, we are in the midst of the COVID-19 disaster. It will rarely happen that any country in the world tackles exactly the same problem at the same time. What could have caused the infection to spread so fast in one country? Whether it's the health care system, the government's response, or the behavior of the people? What are the reasons and driving forces behind the responses that governments have taken? What kind of media is telling us what to do? How are people reacting to this? These are very important questions for building the society of the future.
After the pandemic is gone, the way society and the economy have been and the values of the people will change drastically. The year 2020 marks a major milestone in our company, which is our 10th anniversary. We would like to take this opportunity to reconsider what our economy and society should be, and explore how UX methods can be applied to realize true happiness for people and a sustainable society in the coming decades.
