Moon Creative Lab Favicon

Moon Creative Lab

This article shares the experience of a participant in the two-day Moon Open Workshops, where they brought a business idea to life. They share their concrete experiences and what they learned about overcoming the challenges of business development.<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:1980/1113;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blog_Yu2_added2d969.jpg" alt="blog Yu2.jpg" width="1980" height="1113"><figcaption>Author: Yu Sun, who is currently with the Retail Infrastructure Business Division at Mitsui &amp; Co. After launching a retail joint venture in China and promoting domestic and international investment projects at various stages, she is now engaged in new business planning and promotion.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<h3>Introduction: What are Moon Open Workshops?</h3>Moon Open Workshops is a two-day workshop program held at the Moon Creative Lab Tokyo studio in Omotesando. It brings together members from the Mitsui &amp; Co. group, partner companies, and individual entrepreneurs to receive feedback from diverse perspectives and refine ideas into highly feasible business concepts.Participants design solutions to their own business challenges using a human-centered approach. Over the two days, they utilize various frameworks and tools to transform their ideas into concrete concepts.&nbsp;<h3>Why I Decided To Participate</h3>Having experienced 0-to-1 business development in an internal project at Mitsui, I had a strong desire to delve deeper into venture-style approaches, techniques, and mentality to expand my own business development toolkit. A personal issue I was facing also aligned with the participation criteria, which further encouraged me to join.Until then, my career had primarily focused on business investment and launching ventures in the consumer-related industry. However, most of this involved evaluating business value or replicating and scaling success based on established models.A turning point came during the year and a half I spent on an internal project creating a new business, which concluded in March 2025. It was a daily process of identifying issues, forming hypotheses, and experimenting repeatedly to find a way into the market. In the process of creating a new business where no one had gone before, past success patterns were useless. I keenly felt the importance of forging my own path. Rather than spending time perfecting a plan, it was crucial to first identify the ultimate goal—the problem to be solved—then formulate hypotheses and take numerous actions toward it, quickly discerning which paths were promising and which were not.This experience was a valuable opportunity for me to touch upon the venture-style approach—the "Fail fast, fail cheap" spirit—and to master the method of shaping a business through trial and error.In today's world, the ability to define a problem yourself and combine technology and resources to build a business to solve it is becoming increasingly essential. I feel that for large corporations rich in technology and management resources, this venture-style approach is truly adding strength to strength.I expected the Moon workshop to be a perfect opportunity for me to systematically organize the framework and mentality of this venture-style thinking and to re-examine my own experiences and understanding.&nbsp;<h3>Unforgettable Moments</h3><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blog_Yu3_fcb8e3258f.jpg" alt="blog Yu3.jpg">There were countless stimulating moments over the two days. What left a particularly strong impression was a role-playing exercise where I presented my idea to various people of different nationalities, professions, and backgrounds. In response, I heard:&nbsp;"I can really relate to that!""I would definitely want this service! If possible, maybe you could add this feature...""There's a similar service in the U.S. You should check this out."&nbsp;The empathetic feedback from participants, the words affirming the need for the service, and the concrete reference information—all of it was incredibly encouraging, making me feel that my idea might be more than just a whim and could be worth bringing to life.Of course, in the process of refining my ideas within a limited time, the mountain of things to research piled up, and I sometimes felt lost, not knowing where to start. But at those times, the Moon facilitators were there to consult with, asking great questions that served as shortcuts to refining my thoughts.Seeing the other participants, who were just as dedicated and immersed in their own challenges, also gave me the courage to push forward. A strange, strong sense of camaraderie bloomed with these peers who were struggling through the same process and approach but remained positive and determined.I've heard that the venture world has strong horizontal connections and a culture of mutual help. Through this workshop, I feel like I got a taste of that. It truly was two days of feeling that "There's a mountain of things to do, and my thoughts are still jumbled... but I'm definitely not alone. There's always someone watching over me, encouraging me, and supporting me."&nbsp;<h3>A New Step</h3><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blog_Yu4_e5b5162cec.jpg" alt="blog Yu4.jpg">My biggest takeaway is the attitude of "not fearing uncertainty and boldly challenging the problem in front of you."Even in this modern era where science and technology like medicine and AI are advancing daily, many people around us still live with frustrations and inconveniences. Many of these issues exist in an invisible form, neither visualized nor quantified. However, there are certainly earnest needs that can only be noticed by those who are directly affected or have deeply experienced these problems.People can suddenly face serious life challenges like a severe illness or caring for a parent. It's their first time, they don't know what to do, and they have to spend an enormous amount of time and effort gathering information through trial and error.I want to launch a service that organizes reliable information (explicit knowledge) and the voices of those with experience (tacit knowledge) and provides it in a way that anyone can easily access and compare, allowing them to quickly find the necessary solutions. By doing so, I aim for a future where people can recover no matter what life challenges they face. I hope to create a sort of shelter that accepts us when we are feeling down and helps us prepare to start over with renewed energy.From now on, using the small hints gained from my own experience, I want to contribute to social progress by visualizing and quantifying these often-overlooked issues and developing universal solutions. I now feel this strongly.&nbsp;<h3>To You Who Are Hesitating</h3>New challenges are always accompanied by uncertainty and anxiety. It's only natural to hesitate before taking the first step. If you are currently hesitating to try something new, try asking yourself this:"What do I lose by not taking a step?" versus "What do I lose if I take a step and fail?" Which is greater?By asking myself this, my vague anxieties often transform into concrete images, and the path forward becomes clear. If you feel that you would lose more new experiences and possibilities by not taking that step, your heart should naturally lean towards taking the step.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blog_Yu5_a9c2fb7b24.jpg" alt="blog Yu5.jpg">If you can't ignore the "I want to try this" feeling welling up from the bottom of your heart, then muster your courage and take that first step. You might find that a greater reward than you imagined awaits you. And as for what comes after that first step, leave it to your future self.I believe that the me of tomorrow will not betray the me of today. I trust that she will see it through. &nbsp;<hr>Join the Moon Open Workshops! &nbsp;Learn more about the <a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/openworkshops?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=post0617&amp;utm_id=blog-yu-sun-202506">program here</a>. &nbsp;2025 Schedule:<ul><li>Summer: 8/21 (Thu) – 22 (Fri)</li><li>Fall: 11/13 (Thu) – 14 (Fri)</li><li>Winter: 2/19 (Thu) – 20 (Fri)</li></ul><figure class="media"><oembed url="https://vimeo.com/1089982366"></oembed></figure>

large_blog Yu1.jpg

medium_blog Yu1.jpg

small_blog Yu1.jpg

thumbnail_blog Yu1.jpg

blog Yu1.jpg

<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:25%;"><img style="aspect-ratio:646/644;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image1_a5c8b7adce.png" alt="image1.png" width="646" height="644"></figure>Author: Takuya Yamagishi, Senior Design Researcher at Moon.&nbsp;Takuya brings extensive experience in advertising strategy, brand concept development, and user research from his time at various advertising agencies. To deepen his understanding of human-centered thinking, he studied design research and service design at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Hyper Island design school. He leads projects ranging from user understanding, needs assessment to hypothesis validation, prototype development and testing.<hr>At Moon, we host "Future Visioning" workshops to uncover emerging trends and potential business opportunities in specific industries. Earlier this year, from January to February, the workshop series focused on "Future Work Styles and Upskilling."<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img style="aspect-ratio:1999/1579;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image5_37dc33cbef.jpg" alt="image5.jpg" width="1999" height="1579"><figcaption>Workshop Scene</figcaption></figure>With the rapid evolution of AI services, like ChatGPT, we pondered a critical question: what will be the purpose and nature of human work in the new AI-driven world? The workshop revealed a future where work styles may become more fluid with greater value placed on individual uniqueness.&nbsp;Here’s a closer look at some of the ideas and predictions that emerged from our sessions.&nbsp;Table of Contents<ul><li>The Dragon Quest-Style Work Style Brought by the Spread of AI</li><li>Featured News and Related Startups</li></ul>&nbsp;<h3>The Dragon Quest-Style Work Style Brought by the Surge of AI</h3>Are you familiar with Dragon Quest? It's a role-playing game (RPG) series where players take on the roles of heroes and adventurers, collaborating with companions to face powerful enemies like demon kings and explore vast worlds.Our workshop suggested that as AI becomes more integrated into work, Dragon Quest-style work styles may become more prevalent. So, what is a "Dragon Quest-Style Work Style"? Based on the workshop results, we've identified five key elements.🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉<h3>Characteristics of the Dragon Quest-Style Work Style</h3><h4>1. Mission-Driven</h4><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img style="aspect-ratio:2000/2000;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image3_d5eb50b3a8.png" alt="image3.png" width="2000" height="2000"></figure>In many RPGs, including Dragon Quest, the story starts with a clear "mission"—whether it is defeating a demon king or pacifying a war-torn world. This mission serves as the driving force that motivates players to spend countless hours on the game.Our workshop suggested that as AI reshapes the workplace, people will become more "vision-driven" and will be motivated by a sense of "purpose." Freed from mundane and repetitive tasks being handled by AI, people will place increased value on the "why" behind their work.&nbsp;This shift will increase the desire to work for companies whose missions, visions, and values resonate with them. It will also lead to the growth of mission-driven communities, connecting individuals, businesses, and even local governments around shared goals and values.<h4>2. Project-Based Teams With Necessary Members</h4><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img style="aspect-ratio:2000/2000;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image8_aab73d890f.png" alt="image8.png" width="2000" height="2000"></figure>In Dragon Quest, there’s a "party" system that allows players to form teams with specialized characters like wizards and warriors, selected based on the type of challenge or enemy.&nbsp; Similarly, with increased AI integration, work will be more "project-based" and "team-oriented." It will be structured around project units with the necessary skills, personnel, and budgets set for attaining the specified goals. Teams will be assembled from both internal and external talent, combining the right expertise to meet project demands. After project completion, teams will dissolve and reorganize for new projects.&nbsp;This fluidity will create opportunities for knowledge-sharing and unexpected collaborations—key ingredients for successful innovation and new project successes.Professional history will also adapt to this new model. Resumes will shift from listing job titles to highlighting&nbsp;project-based achievements, detailing the projects you contributed to, the team members you worked with, and the outcomes you helped deliver. This evolution will reflect a more dynamic and skills-focused career narrative.&nbsp;<h4>3. Visible Skills and Level-Ups Through Work</h4><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img style="aspect-ratio:2000/2000;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image2_aba16b83d3.png" alt="image2.png" width="2000" height="2000"></figure>In many games, character skills like strength, agility, and intelligence are scored and displayed to players. Experience points earned through battles with monsters allow characters to increase their abilities.Similarly, we can envision a future where individual skills&nbsp;are tracked and visualized in real-time, with personalized training programs tailored to each person’s strengths and development areas.&nbsp;In the U.S., "Skills Tech," a technology area focused on managing and improving employee skills, has been gaining traction. Instead of traditional classroom learning, "simulated practical styles," where skills are learned naturally through simulated work, will become more common.This applies not only to technical skills but also to soft skills such as communication, leadership, and emotional intelligence. Our workshop emphasized the importance of these human-centric skills, which are essential for successful teamwork and relationship-building. Visualizing a range of skills will simplify team formation and make training more effective, creating more agile and capable teams.&nbsp;<h4>4. Freedom To Change Jobs</h4><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img style="aspect-ratio:2000/2000;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image4_6034b88ec1.png" alt="image4.png" width="2000" height="2000"></figure>In Dragon Quest III, the “job change” system allows characters to switch roles once they reach a certain level. For example, a wizard who transitions to a warrior becomes a warrior who can use magic—combining the strengths of both roles.&nbsp;In the real world, switching to a completely different occupation through job changes or transfers is uncommon. However, with the surge of AI and the increased access to diverse skill sets, we will move closer to a world where we can freely choose jobs and design careers based on what we want to do rather than what we have done in our past careers.This shift will enable more flexible and creative career paths where individuals can design their professional journeys based on their interests and evolving skills. Eventually, we can expect to see the emergence of unique hybrid roles created by combining diverse skill sets—blurring the lines between traditional job categories and opening up new career possibilities.&nbsp;<h4>5. AI Tools for Enhancing Abilities and Skills, and Autonomous AI Agents</h4><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img style="aspect-ratio:2000/2000;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image6_aa8363d702.png" alt="image6.png" width="2000" height="2000"></figure>In Dragon Quest, weapons and armor are used to enhance a character’s attack and defense abilities. These tools are critical for advancing in the game. Some items possess special skills, while legendary weapons offer exceptional performance. Similarly, AI will serve as a powerful tool for enhancing individual capabilities and improving work efficiency through specialized skills..In the later Dragon Quest series, a system was introduced where players could recruit monsters to fight alongside them. These monsters can be seen as a today's AI agents. How well you command and utilize these AI agents will determine your success.As AI becomes more widespread, mastering AI tools and strategies will become a fundamental aspect of business literacy. Furthermore, high-performance AI and agents may become premium assets—accessible only to a select few at high costs. We may even see the rise of legendary AI tools, akin to the coveted “Erdrick’s Sword,” becoming rare and highly sought-after advantages in the business world.🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️We have now explored the five characteristics of the Dragon Quest-style work style. While news about AI replacing jobs can make the future of work seem uncertain, it's worth reflecting on how we felt while playing games. Weren’t we excited and fully absorbed, losing track of time?&nbsp;The Dragon Quest-style of work envisions a future where people work with that same sense of joy and purpose.Just as using computers became second nature over the past few decades, mastering AI will become indispensable in the near future. However, there is something more important than skills: the question of "Who do I want to have adventures with, and what kind of adventures do I want to have?"Even if your answer to that question is unclear, AI will be able to serve as a powerful tool to help support and realize your vision.For further reading, explore startups and news related to the Dragon Quest-style work style:&nbsp;<h3>Featured News and Related Startups</h3>1. Launch of "In-House BizReach by HRMOS," a New Service to Prevent Talent Outflow Through Internal ScoutingUsing generative AI, this service creates "internal resumes" by summarizing several years of employee achievements and experiences in minutes. This helps in building and maintaining in-house talent repositories. By inputting "in-house job postings," the system automatically verbalizes and proposes position requirements. It also helps recruiters&nbsp; It also supports recruiters by enabling them to define and refine position requirements based on an employee's specific career history and skill set.Reference: <a href="https://www.bizreach.co.jp/pressroom/pressrelease/2025/0128.html">https://www.bizreach.co.jp/pressroom/pressrelease/2025/0128.html</a>&nbsp;BizReach, a Japanese company renowned for its recruitment platform that connects high-caliber professionals with businesses seeking immediate talent, has launched a new service, 'In-House BizReach by HRMOS'. While the name has drawn attention, the service's standout feature is its 'internal resume' creation capability.Visualizing skills is a key step toward the "Dragon Quest-style work style," where skills are clearly defined and leveled up through work experience. The system will help in creating internal resumes to visualize skills and accelerate project-based team formation.&nbsp;2. DeNA Tomoko Namba Talks "Company Management and Growth Strategies in the AI Era" (Full Transcription)We will grow our existing business with half the personnel. And with the other half, we will work on new businesses. Not just one new business, but with the image of producing unicorns with groups of 10 people, we will attack crazily.Reference: <a href="https://fullswing.dena.com/archives/100153/">https://fullswing.dena.com/archives/100153/</a>&nbsp;This is an excerpt from a speech by Tomoko Namba, Founder and Chairperson of DeNA, at the opening of "DeNA × AI Day || DeNA TechCon 2025," hosted by DeNA Corporation. In the speech, Namba outlined a bold strategy: rather than relying on the full workforce to grow existing business, DeNA plans to dramatically increase productivity through AI and redirect half of the workforce towards building new businesses. The idea of "mass-producing unicorns with 10 people" reflects the current trend in the United States, where unicorns valued at 300 billion yen are being created with teams as small as just 7 people.This strategy perfectly embodies the "Dragon Quest-style work style" of forming small, focused teams to achieve ambitious goals, with AI serving as a powerful tool. Namba’s phrase “attack aggressively” hints at a future where forming lean, highly skilled teams to drive innovation with AI will become the norm..3. Adventure Your Career with Data, Chart a Map to the Future | Carrium Inc.Carrium Inc.'s "Career Force" service (<a href="https://www.carrium.co.jp/">https://www.carrium.co.jp/</a>) visualizes career paths and explores future possibilities based on real career data from approximately 1 million people. You can quantitatively learn about the career paths of people who have had similar careers to yours in the past.This service reveals a broader range of career options than you might have imagined. Knowing your career possibilities and expanding your options connects to the "Dragon Quest-style work style" world, where you can freely change jobs and roles based on your evolving skills and interests.In the future, the company plans to offer services that propose personalized career paths based on work histories, shaping a new era of career design.&nbsp;4. Audio Education Media for Sharpening Thinking Skills | VOOXVOOX (<a href="https://www.voox.me/">https://www.voox.me/</a>) is an audiobook service where authors deliver knowledge from their books in their voices, with content distributed through apps like "Amazon Audible" and "VOOX."Their newly launched "Future Lab" service offers workshops aimed at enhancing the human ability to "conceptualize and understand the essence" of complex ideas, drawing from liberal arts. The workshop focuses on "themes that create the future," "interdisciplinary discussions," and "social implementation of intelligence."As mentioned, In the&nbsp;Dragon Quest-style work style, missions play a central role. To create compelling missions, it is essential to deeply understand the essence of the business and identify key elements. By enhancing conceptualization abilities, companies can craft meaningful ‘missions’ that resonate with employees, attract top talent, and drive higher engagement.&nbsp;<h3>Would You Like to Think About the Future of Work with Moon?</h3>At Moon, we would like to explore new possibilities through discussions and workshops on future work styles and upskilling/reskilling with HR personnel and companies/startups engaged in this field. If you are interested, please contact<a href="mailto:takuya@mooncreativelab.com"> takuya@mooncreativelab.com</a>.<img class="image_resized" style="aspect-ratio:646/644;width:25%;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image1_a5c8b7adce.png" alt="image1.png" width="646" height="644">Author: Takuya Yamagishi, Senior Design Researcher at Moon.&nbsp;<hr>All Illustration by Freepik Storyset (<a href="https://storyset.com/">https://storyset.com/</a>)

large_image2 3.png

medium_image2 3.png

small_image2 3.png

thumbnail_image2 3.png

image2 3.png

<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Thumbnail_Anna_facilitation_26b76935d9.png" alt="Thumbnail_Anna facilitation.png">The author of this blog: Anna Hiraoka. After joining Mitsui, she was involved in healthcare business investment projects in the Wellness Division, and was seconded to Moon Creative Lab (Moon) for two years from October 2018 to September 2020. After working on a healthcare startup at Moon, Anna returned to the Mitsui Wellness Division, then transferred to HR &amp; General Affairs Division promoting D&amp;I. Anna returned to Moon in 2023 and is currently a Senior L&amp;D specialist. She is a facilitator at many workshops held by Moon as part of their business creation program.<hr>Have you ever facilitated a meeting, seminar or workshop?For me, facilitation is the art of guiding and empowering participants to unleash their creativity.I have facilitated over 30 workshops in the past year and worked with over 500 participants from more than 10 different countries. Through this, I have learned tips for successful workshops and “key facilitation elements” that enhance the participant experience.&nbsp;<h3>1.Be the compass, not the captain</h3><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image3_dd6aa2ab55.jpg" alt="image3.jpg">As a facilitator, your role is not to give solutions every step of the way, but to help participants navigate in the right direction. Think of it as you being the compass—the participant is the captain, making the decisions, while you offer guidance and food for thought. By letting them take the wheel, you empower them to own their journey and build confidence in their ability to embark on the journey without you being there to hold hands.&nbsp;Failure: The instinct to jump in and solve a problem can backfireIn a recent workshop, a participant was stuck figuring out who to interview to validate their problem statement. I gave them a list of potential people to talk to, and off they went. But when they came back, their insights didn’t hit the mark. While I had better candidates in mind, I decided to shift gears.Instead of handing them answers, I asked:&nbsp;“What kind of people do you think would have experience solving similar problems?”“What questions would help them share their stories?”&nbsp;Suddenly, the participant transformed from feeling stuck to leading the charge. They brainstormed personas, crafted thoughtful questions, and fully owned the process.The takeaway? Helping isn’t always about giving the answers. Sometimes, it’s about asking the right questions so participants can take the wheel and steer their own way to meaningful insights.&nbsp;Success: How an empathetic question sparked a transformation&nbsp;Given the importance of these questions, I believe that the key to facilitation lies in empathy and dialogue. In order to connect more deeply with participants, I first value a space where everyone can feel comfortable speaking up. To this end, it is extremely important to create an environment where people feel that there are no fixed answers.If participants feel that they are being listened to and being considered, it will open the door to their hearts and minds, and they will naturally feel the courage to take the next step forward.In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/learn?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=CTA2503&amp;utm_id=storytelling+by+anna">Moon’s educational program</a>, I once asked a participant who was at a loss to define his challenge:&nbsp;“What feelings are you experiencing now that you have participated in the program?”“How do you feel now about the issues you set?”&nbsp;I tried to empathize with him and asked him questions that appealed to his emotions. He was surprised that I asked him questions about his feelings rather than the results, but this seemed to open him up to actively seeking new directions, including setting up a mentoring session with me.Then, when we had finished defining the issues and had progressed about 70% of the way through the workshop, he approached me with this concern:&nbsp;“I am sorry. I just can't get passionate about the issue I'm facing right now, and I want to start over from the beginning.”I answered, “Thank you for your honesty. Please don't apologize. Let's explore together a problem you can be passionate about!”&nbsp;This switch sparked his mind again. He then redid his assignment selection from scratch at great speed, and ran all the way to the end of the program with confidence, eventually achieving results that made him one of the top performers.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image1_becacf70da.jpg" alt="image1.jpg">The fact that people felt they could turn back, even in the second half of the workshop, was the result of sharing a safe space where everyone is encouraged to speak up, knowing that there are no “right” or “wrong” answers.He thanked me for having an emotional dialogue with him. I still keep in touch with him, and each time I am reminded of the power of empathy.I believe that every word spoken in empathy, whether through question or dialog, has the power to light up a participant’s eyes with a kind of magic.&nbsp;<h3>2.Playful staging and props create an extraordinary experience</h3><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image2_4986fd3e9a.jpg" alt="image2.jpg">So far, we have introduced the role of the facilitator in a workshop and how the power of empathy and questioning can affect the motivation of participants. But of course, the specific content of the workshop also has a significant impact on the outcome.One of the most important things we want to emphasize is the need for a playful twist. We want to include playful elements to relax participants and allow their creativity to flourish.Tactile and creative activities are sure to stimulate a brain that is exhausted from the daily grind. Toy blocks, storyboards with rough drawings, and prototypes made with sticky notes and stickers are just a few effective examples. Playful work is more than just fun; it can be relaxing and create a psychological state in which participants' creativity can flourish. It is all about creating an environment for thinking outside the box.Especially in workshops that require long hours of program work, playful direction and methods are very important as a motivational agent to keep the participants engaged until the end of the workshop.&nbsp;&nbsp;Handmade checks make the final pitchI recently led a workshop designed to build a business pitch, starting with defining a problem, including solutions and market-entry strategies. The workshop involved several days of learning programs to flesh out the ideas, and ended with a pitch on the last day to present the business idea.As the workshop, which had been running for two full days, was nearing its end and the participants were approaching their physical limits, I decided to incorporate a simple activity to liven up the event for the final conclusion.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image4_f95cecf870.png" alt="image4.png">I created a handmade “check” to print out and give to the participants, asking them to play the role of “angel investors.” In this new role, they had to decide which team deserved the investment.From that moment on, the atmosphere brightened dramatically. Participants leaned forward to ask questions of the presenters, and a heated discussion began about which ideas had the most potential. At the end of the event, a mini-awards ceremony was held based on the tally results, and the winner was presented with a giant “check.”The scene-stealing performance with simple props transformed participants’ tired faces into enthusiastic smiles, making the pitch the highlight of the day.&nbsp;The reversal of positions made the workshop an extraordinary experienceThe reason why this performance drastically changed the atmosphere of the event might be because it reversed the participants' positions from “evaluation recipients” to “evaluation givers” by giving them new roles. Perhaps that was the magic factor that made the workshop an extraordinary experience.In any case, it is obvious that there is a huge difference in experience between understanding an idea in your mind and actually being able to see and touch it. Imagine yourself standing at an award presentation with a large check in your hand. Wouldn't you feel uplifted by that?Try to create an extraordinary experience by using props that you can actually touch. If possible, include a reversal of positions. Such small changes may create unexpected results in the participants' workshop experience.For me, facilitation is more than a skill. It is an art, including its mindset. I hope, through learning from my own failures and successes, these facilitation techniques help you provide a memorable, impactful participant experience.<hr>Text・Anna Hiraoka Senior L&amp;D Specialist at Moon&nbsp;Moon Creative Lab offers several programs to support startups. If you are interested in transforming your own business idea and growth, please check out the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=CTA2503&amp;utm_id=storytelling+by+anna">top page</a>.

large_Thumbnail_Anna facilitation.png

medium_Thumbnail_Anna facilitation.png

small_Thumbnail_Anna facilitation.png

thumbnail_Thumbnail_Anna facilitation.png

Thumbnail_Anna facilitation.png

<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Design_x_AI_featured_image_f9a7ab1683.jpg" alt="Design x AI featured image.jpg">In August, Moon held its very first series of Design x AI Workshops at both our Tokyo and Palo Alto studios. These workshops are designed to help understand and utilize emerging AI technologies to build stronger, more creative business ideas.&nbsp;&nbsp;For these first two workshops, participants gathered in person at Moon’s studio in Tokyo or Palo Alto. The day started with our Design x AI team covering the fundamentals of LLMs, including its strengths and weaknesses, and discussing the ethics surrounding the use of generative AI. Participants then learned how to use AI beyond the back-and-forth prompting of chatbots, building their own complex LLM systems that they can use in their work.&nbsp;<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Design_x_AI_Nic_3145b233a8.jpg" alt="Design x AI Nic.jpg">Some of the participants were completely new to learning about and working with AI, while others seemed to be more familiar with it. But regardless of their AI knowledge, everyone was eager to learn and build. Lots of conversations even continued after the workshop was over, filling our studios with lively discussions and insightful perspectives.&nbsp;&nbsp;“I liked that there were so many opportunities to ask questions and develop a really good understanding of the content. The presented content was very clear and simple, and at the same time, it became clear through the answers that Nic and Daniel [facilitators] were really knowledgeable far beyond what they presented,” said one participant in the Palo Alto workshop.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Design_x_AI_Rika_a47694e804.jpg" alt="Design x AI Rika.jpg">Some participants were very focused on taking what they learned about LLMs and applying that to the specific needs of their company’s department. “In each workshop, the group experienced an ‘aha’ moment: a moment where they understood that LLMs are statistical models, trained on the Internet, that predict the next word in a sequence of words. For many participants, understanding this technical fact and considering how it impacted the utility of LLMs as tools was a huge unlock,” said&nbsp;<a href="mailto:nic@mooncreativelab.com">Nic Schumann</a>, Moon engineer and workshop facilitator.&nbsp;“Our premise for the workshops was that understanding – even in broad terms – how LLM’s work, helps designers and business-builders make much better informed decisions about where to apply the technology and where not to,” Nic added.&nbsp;Of course, the AI landscape is rapidly evolving with new tools and technologies being introduced constantly. With Moon’s Design x AI Workshops, we can learn and explore these new resources together and apply them to better, more innovative business creation.&nbsp;<a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1viPhBVoDSl6EqouYB4Ckhwcxaid">Stay connected</a> to receive updates on more workshops and events to come.&nbsp;

small_AI workshop.jpg

thumbnail_AI workshop.jpg

AI workshop.jpg

Breaking Preconceptions To Reach the Core of the Challenge

The Future of Work: Embracing a Role-Playing Approach With AI

The Facilitator’s Playbook: Tips, Tricks, and Takeaways

Design x AI Workshop: Going Beyond the Chat Interface

Subscribe to Moon's newsletter!