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<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blog_anna_2_837cd2adad.jpg" alt="blog anna (2).jpg">Moon Creative Lab, in collaboration with Mitsui &amp; Co., HR &amp; General Affairs division, proudly participated in Mitsui’s 2024 Mission, Vision, Values + Diversity &amp; Inclusion (MVV + D&amp;I) Month initiatives. This is our second time collaborating with Mitsui &amp; Co., to promote D&amp;I at the company on a wide scale. Our mission was to enhance inclusion for Mitsui’s global workforce, culminating in a highly successful MVV + D&amp;I workshop conducted in both English and Japanese.With over 400 participants joining from around the globe, the workshop focused on the theme of "surprising commonalities" to build relationships and foster unity within our diverse teams.&nbsp;<h3>The Power of Commonality in Diversity and Inclusion</h3>While recognizing and embracing our differences is essential in any discussion about diversity and inclusion, we decided to highlight the often-overlooked power of commonalities. By discovering unexpected similarities, we aimed to break down psychological barriers and enhance empathy among colleagues, ultimately encouraging collaboration.For example, finding out in conversation that they have a dog of the same breed can bring them closer together. It reminds people that there are many more commonalities than people think. This ultimately contributes to building psychological safety that allows people to actively express their opinions and share ideas, leading to better team performance.&nbsp;<h3>Engaging and Inclusive Workshop Design</h3>In our interactive exercise, participants were randomly divided into groups of four and tasked with uncovering surprising commonalities for 15 minutes. To spark conversations, we encouraged everyone to share unique experiences, hobbies, and aspects of their lives. Some talked about their hidden talents, introduced unusual hobbies, or said they are actually afraid of something! This approach worked very well with participants who were meeting each other for the first time and led to many different discoveries.&nbsp;<h3>Discovering Unique Connections</h3><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image2_0d5a3c4f0e.jpg" alt="image2.jpg">The results were remarkable. Participants uncovered a wide range of surprising commonalities, such as:&nbsp;- A shared fear of heights. - Having all four wisdom teeth removed. - Growing up with three siblings. - Experiencing bee stings. - Losing baggage at airports.<h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>Positive Feedback and Future Applications</h3>Feedback from the survey was overwhelmingly positive, with comments like:&nbsp;- “I enjoyed connecting with colleagues across the world.” - “Language does not matter when finding commonalities.” - “Discovering commonalities helped me connect with people quickly.”&nbsp;The enthusiasm didn’t stop there. We received numerous requests for workshop materials from participants eager to replicate the activity within their own teams. Recognizing the value of this exercise, we created a toolkit that is now available exclusively for all Mitsui &amp; Co., employees to ensure everyone has access to this powerful method of fostering inclusion.&nbsp;I tested this activity with my core team and co-facilitator before the workshop. When my co-facilitator and I discovered we both had accidentally stapled our fingers before, and members of my team and I had all eaten crocodile, the process of finding a surprising commonality was a fascinating experience. It made me realize that even with our diverse backgrounds, we still share unexpected similarities. Finding these unique things in common helped me feel more connected to my team and built empathy within the group.&nbsp;<h3>Conclusion</h3>Our MVV + D&amp;I workshop demonstrated that finding common ground, even in the most surprising ways, can be a simple yet powerful tool for promoting inclusion and unity. By continuing to explore and embrace our shared experiences, we can build stronger, more empathetic teams across our global organization.&nbsp;Moon Creative Lab has been striving to be the leading company that thrives on D&amp;I, and we hope that we can continue to make positive contributions to Mitsui &amp; Co., and beyond. Moon’s studio in Omotesando, Tokyo also hosts various events, so please&nbsp;<a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1OHQANbcgR9q4ky5Q4M6wMQcxaid">subscribe to our newsletter</a> and check our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/moon-creative-lab">LinkedIn</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/stories/page/1">Moon Stories Blog</a> and for updates.&nbsp;Author: Anna Hiraoka - Senior Learning and Development Specialist

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Hear from a Moon Design Lead on how language plays a key role in managing projects, and the importance of creating spaces that take diverse languages into consideration.<hr><h3>Key Learnings</h3><ul><li>Be considerate of multiple languages used across a team.&nbsp;</li><li>Diversity produces more powerful conversations and outcomes.</li><li>Connecting through language creates empathy amongst team members.</li></ul><hr><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/PXL_20230426_092649278_2_1578932014.jpg" alt="PXL_20230426_092649278~2.jpg">I have never joined a project that departed from a specific business unit but had the aim to aggregate not only different departments but also a very complex system of stakeholders and project partners. But that changed with my recent experience with Agritech, a project that was born inside the Mobility Business team at Mitsui &amp; Co.’s headquarters. When the project arrived at Moon through a workshop, it was already formed by professionals from Logistics, DX, Machinery, and Food Business Units. Not only that, but the team had members from Mitsui &amp; Co. Japan and Mitsui &amp; Co. São Paulo, Brazil. The project was born from a unique business opportunity to collaborate with a development team from a partner (a large Japanese electronics manufacturer) that had been developing solutions in global connectivity and smart sensing on a planetary scale.&nbsp;&nbsp;As Moon, our initial challenge was to facilitate conversations among such a diverse team, and also support possible paths where the technologies developed by the partner could be applied to generate business in Brazil – while also improving the quality of processes in areas where Mitsui &amp; Co. is active in South America.&nbsp;&nbsp;Because Moon has its headquarters in Palo Alto, and a big part of our team and structure work on an English-speaking basis, English tends to become the main language used when we host workshops or work on projects with teams coming from different backgrounds. This is also common for Mitsui &amp; Co. since the company is present in more than 60 countries globally.&nbsp;&nbsp;For me, this project was especially exciting, not only because I was familiar with the Brazilian context and would work with a product targeting the place where I lived for a big part of my life, but also because I was in the middle of a large group of professionals who could speak three languages I am fluent in Portuguese, English, and Japanese. In the beginning, I was excited thinking about how that would be advantageous to me since I was leading the project. However, what came after was the realization of how language plays a key role in efficiently managing projects, as well as generating successful business. But this realization also came with learning about how to create spaces, frameworks, and processes that consider that.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/IMG_0050_9fd9d55fb5.jpg" alt="IMG_0050.jpg">It is important to remember that English is a useful, global&nbsp;lingua franca, but it also presents as a hegemonic power that can affect a professional’s confidence and work quality when we get lost in translation. The key learning I had was that the language barrier might cover up creativity. Many professionals who might have brilliant insights might step back, afraid of attempting to speak up in English which they might feel is insufficient. This was a common comment we received from professionals in Japan while running user interviews for&nbsp;<a href="https://goril.jp/">GORIL</a>, a language-learning app and former Moon venture that I also worked on. When people have to communicate in a language in which they aren’t fluent, defending their point of view or presenting a proposal might be negatively affected. In other words, the rhetoric might lack its full potential. Lastly, miscommunication also happens when people are listening. When information is being passed verbally in a language that one is not 100% fluent in, interpretation might be difficult, hence, reacting or responding to it might also be compromised.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/GORIL_285e5dfa13.jpeg" alt="GORIL.jpeg">I could list a dozen more aspects of miscommunication issues. Still, instead, I want to bring up some key learning tactics to improve communication and efficiency when two or more languages are being used in a project work environment.&nbsp;1. The Ones Who Get It All Make sure your team has an individual who can fluently deal with the languages involved in the project. This person can step in to clarify lost in translation moments and additionally might have cultural insights into each language, which can be helpful for conflict handling.2. Plain Language No matter if the language is English or another, if the other team members speak the language that is being used but is not 100% fluent, make sure to speak slowly and with seamless breaks between words – this is a classic podcast technique, by the way. Do not bring many expressions, figurative language, or highly complex vocabulary.3. Read People's Reactions and Add ComplementsNot just the facilitator, but also other team members should have the role of checking on everyone’s reactions and complementing conversations, statements, or questions that might sound too complex to be interpreted. They could even rephrase sentences for someone who could not fully communicate in the language being used, helping to close any gaps. Rephrasing is a great tool, and to be honest, sometimes it happens even if you do speak the same language. It is not always that we can be 100% clear using words.&nbsp;4. Allow Plurality Create teams who can speak multiple languages. The more bilingual or trilingual members you have, the more powerful the conversations and outcomes will be. And if some of the members do not speak a certain language, support them in learning it, even if they don’t become fluent or use it in daily life. Connecting with the language of their colleagues or business partners is an important tool for increasing empathy.&nbsp;<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/PXL_20230320_163413890_41462b4011.jpg" alt="PXL_20230320_163413890.jpg">In our project with Mitsui &amp; Co., our partner, and many Brazilian stakeholders, we live within three languages. Of course, sometimes things become more complex, but what we try to avoid by all means is criticism and team members behaving with an air of superiority due to their language capabilities. But more important than anything, we make sure that all the information, coming from whichever of the three languages, is easily translated as context to all members so everyone can always be on the same page, at all times.&nbsp;Machi Rezende, Design Lead<img class="image_resized" style="width:25%;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Moon_Creative_Lab_Machi_1_da27c89ed0.jpg" alt="Moon Creative Lab_Machi_1.jpg">

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At Moon Creative Lab, we’re lucky to work with an amazing group of women that lead and support everyone in our US and Japan offices.&nbsp;To commemorate this year’s International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, we did a few things to celebrate the wonderful women of Moon and educate ourselves to create a better, more aware, and more equal future:&nbsp;At both of Moon’s offices in Tokyo and Palo Alto, you can meet women of diverse backgrounds and talents. Celebrating International Women's Day is an opportunity to highlight the diverse perspectives of women, and in doing so, we hope to unite all of our employees and continue to move toward a common vision, one in which each of us, regardless of gender, has a sense of belonging. We want to unleash people's creative potential, create new value, and enrich the world. We created a one-minute video highlighting the women who work here and why all of us at Moon believe it is important to celebrate International Women's Day.<figure class="media"><oembed url="https://vimeo.com/927801263?share=copy"></oembed></figure>&nbsp;We understand the disparity between men and women in the startup space and love supporting women entrepreneurs. We hosted a workshop with the young women of Mitsui &amp; Co. where we shared our learnings and empowered and inspired them to dream big.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image3_df1baf5976.jpg" alt="image3.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;This year, we also wanted to highlight the amazing women from all walks of life that currently work at Moon. We hosted an online panel discussion with Mary Ann Gallo (CMO), Miki Yamada (Operations Lead), and Yukari Tago (Founder/CEO of Lullaby). In this discussion, we were able to explore the wins and challenges that each of these women have faced, and continue to face, to get to where they are today.One of the panelists shared a powerful comment that resonated with many of us here at Moon:<blockquote>“I say to myself, ‘You're here for a reason!'"&nbsp;</blockquote>"By adopting such a mindset that I'm here for a reason, that I'm expected and called to this discussion, I can't afford not to speak up and disappoint them. Whenever I feel timid that I might say the wrong thing, these words give me a push. I also learned that even people who seem confident now have underestimated themselves at times in the past, which encourages me to think that I might be able to change.”&nbsp;Last but not least, we wanted to do something fun, creative, and in-person with our fellow Moon Mates. We wanted to highlight the future of young people in the world and how we can make incremental changes in our daily lives towards making the world a more equitable place for the next generation. The team held an in-person workshop focused on the environment that we grow up in and how our biases as adults can affect and appear in their lives through the decisions we make for them as adults that can dictate their future.&nbsp;We first did an activity which forced us to think about not how we perceive careers, but how we think our culture would perceive a career. Through this activity, we had productive discussions about how the media and the world has changed so much since 10, 20, or 30 years ago when we were all much younger. For example, previously in Japan, you may have thought of skateboarding as a sport for males and not females, but because of Japan’s recent achievements at the 2020 Tokyo Skateboarding Olympics, skateboarding has become much more popular and accessible for young women.Afterwards, we took a <a href="https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html">Gender and Career Implicit Association Test</a> provided by Harvard University. The goal of the Implicit Association Test is to educate the public about bias and to provide a “virtual laboratory” for collecting data on the internet. The test itself was quite standard and is on the older side, but the discussion that it brought up was very relevant to our everyday lives. Some participants that assumed they did not have a strong implicit bias were particularly surprised to have gotten the “Strong Association for Male with Career and Female with Family” result. This led to interesting and productive conversations around the accuracy of the tests, but also about how our perception of ourselves can actually be very different from what is seen by others.In the end, we wanted people to leave the workshop with the intention to create a more positive world for future generations, and we hope that we all can become more and more aware of our influence in the world.<figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image1_7e33891baa.jpg" alt="image1.jpg"></figure>While we love hosting events and celebrating IWD and Women’s History Month, we recognize that women should be respected and empowered everyday, not just during these times. We hope that by hosting these types of events every year, we are able to encourage other people to support the women in their communities in their own ways, inspired by our stories.

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Creating an environment and work culture that is inclusive and welcoming to all backgrounds has always been a priority here at Moon. Diversity is our superpower; we have a vast array of talented people who bring their unique experiences, knowledge, passions, and mastery to their work to help entrepreneurs and innovators bring new business ideas to life. But, as with all great feats, it takes hard, endless work. And likely, with those great feats, getting recognized for that work is an incredible feeling.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/machianna_d2e758795d.jpeg" alt="machianna.jpeg"><figcaption>Anna Hiraoka and Machi Rezende representing Moon at the&nbsp; work with Pride PRIDE Index Award ceremony.</figcaption></figure>We are thrilled to have been a recipient of Japan’s <a href="https://workwithpride.jp/pride-i/">work with Pride PRIDE Index 2023</a> Gold Award. The PRIDE Index recognizes companies in Japan that support the promotion and establishment of diversity management in their organization. To evaluate these companies, a jury of external professionals belonging to academia and NGOs measures a company’s efforts based on five aspects:<ul><li>Policy&nbsp;</li><li>Representation&nbsp;</li><li>Inspiration</li><li>Development</li><li>Engagement/empowerment&nbsp;</li></ul>Inside each category, points are awarded for tangible actions that a company needs to commit to receive the certification.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/gold_2023_aa4e17ac8b.png" alt="gold_2023.png"></figure>Aside from having clearly stated policies that support and protect those who identify as LGBTQIA, Moon takes great effort and care to ensure representation by creating safe spaces and taking actions to increase allyship. By having events like a <a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/stories/pride-art-show-2023">Pride art show and gallery</a>, <a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/stories/creative-night">open mic sessions</a>, and discussions where we can share thoughts and perspectives, we are not only growing our community and allies, but we are increasing understanding amongst our community and making sure that everyone’s voices are heard. We support and accept one another wholeheartedly, including using gender-neutral language, using self-identified pronouns, and providing continuous support during gender reassignment procedures. We know that diversity, equity, and inclusion all require intentional action to create change, and to that, our work can never be done. And that work transcends beyond Moon, which was apparent at the work with Pride PRIDE Index Awards ceremony.&nbsp;Machi Rezende, Design Lead at Moon, attended the ceremony in Tokyo where he witnessed not just the great strides Japanese businesses are making towards creating safe and supportive work communities for LGBTQIA people, but also acknowledged that much work is yet to be done:&nbsp;“In 2023’s work with Pride Report, 326 companies were awarded a gold prize, 56 received the silver prize, and 15 achieved a bronze status. To see many companies engaged in such initiatives is inspiring. However, by crossing the number of corporations who were dedicated to applying for the certification with the number of established companies in the country it becomes clear that there is still much to be done.&nbsp;Even at Moon, where we are proud of being a place where Diversity is celebrated and Inclusion is among our practices, it was clear that our HR department, together with volunteers from our team, had to work hard to further improve our policies and actions related to the creation of safe spaces and equality toward LGBTQIA individuals. It was our first time applying for the work with Pride recognition, and although the achievement of the Gold status fills our hearts with the feeling of accomplishment, we know that we still have space to improve even further.&nbsp;<blockquote>"Although the achievement of the Gold status fills our hearts with the feeling of accomplishment, we know that we still have space to improve even further."&nbsp;</blockquote>The acknowledgment that there is still work to be done was clearly conveyed by the organizers of the certification during the conference. The urge for the normalization of the queer existence within corporate spaces – and society – and the role of allies, was echoed among the guest speakers. The call for action to change from within and normalize the lives of LGBTQIA people was also expressed by singer Shinjiro Atae, who was interviewed at the award ceremony. He emphasized the message that although any queer person should be able to safely come out if they feel like it, the ideal scenario has to be the normalization of the plurality of sexual orientations and gender expressions in society.&nbsp;Another eye-opening presentation was made by Takai Yutosato, a professor at Gunma University. In her speech, she tried to bring attention to the struggles of transgender individuals. As Professor Takai highlighted, although the inequalities toward Lesbians and Gays, for instance, are deeply problematic, transgender people are the ones suffering in an endless cycle of poverty and mental health issues. She further invoked the audience, which included many representatives from corporate HR departments, to take action and think about means to remediate the struggles of the trans community and include them in their set of actions. Her presentation was deeply moving, engraving in everyone’s mind the recognition that there is still lots to be done.”&nbsp;For Moon, and we hope for many other companies as well, the work with Pride Certification is not a company goal or a way to performatively display a diverse culture with a certificate on the wall or a logo stamped on the homepage. Rather, it’s an opportunity to learn more about LGBTQIA issues and to improve workplaces for people of that community. The work with Pride organization and the work they do are prime examples of how the corporate sector can engage in meaningful dialogue with society, academia, and government. At Moon, we already knew we were working with pride, but now we see how much we could improve and what we still have to work on. Have ideas on how workplaces can improve diversity, equity, and inclusion? Let us know at <a href="mailto:hello@mooncreativelab.com">hello@mooncreativelab.com</a>.&nbsp;

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Moon Creative Lab thrives on building an inclusive and diverse community – it’s what keeps us creative, innovative, and human-centered. And though we celebrate inclusivity all year long, the month of June, which is International Pride Month, was a great opportunity to spotlight our LGBTQIA+ community.Throughout June, our team led learning sessions, discussions, and other fun activities like trivia to celebrate Pride as a company. We also organized a community-based art show where artists could showcase their queer-themed art to the public.Following an open call to digital artists around the world, an art show and pop-up exhibition was held at our Tokyo studio in Omotesando. The event, which was open to all, displayed the beautiful, queer-themed art on windows and walls throughout the office. Visitors were able to admire art that celebrated the LGBTQIA+ community, socialize over drinks, and listen to their peers discuss building a diverse community during an open mic session. “The community and the people that came through were super chill, and we were just chatting. It was a nice event not only for queer people but for their friends, too. And the open mic portion, where anyone could talk about whatever they’re doing or anything they want to share – it was really fun,” says Hoan Phan, who was also chosen as the featured artist during the exhibit.<figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/PXL_20230619_012117552_1_d94a5829da.jpg" alt="PXL_20230619_012117552 (1).jpg"><figcaption>Featured art piece from artist <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hoanhoanhoan/">Hoan Phan</a>.</figcaption></figure>Hoan says the inspiration for his art piece came from a traditional Vietnamese dish called bánh bèo, which is also a slang term used to describe queer men. “I thought this could be an interesting concept. This slang in Vietnamese, when used as an adjective, could be a bit negative… I wanted to change this kind of mindset because we are a new generation. It’s not just like, being feminine means being weird.” Aside from using the illustration of bánh bèo, Hoan wanted to instill a sense of confidence to emphasize the reclamation of the slang term. Characters are illustrated in various poses, much like those in the dance style of voguing. One character in particular strikes a strong resemblance to gender-defying, cultural icon Grace Jones. “You can see some Grace Jones there. I love her,” Hoan gushes. “I was thinking of voguing or ballroom culture, which would be a good fit for this because the people in this scene have a lot of confidence, show good energy, and have a lot of freedom expressing themselves. So I thought putting these two pieces together could be fun.”<blockquote>"It’s not just like, being feminine means being weird.”</blockquote><figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Pride_event_photo_ca365a97fe.jpg" alt="Pride event photo.jpg"><figcaption>Hoan Phan at Moon's Pride art show.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>Hoan’s work of art is brimming with fantastic detail, allowing the viewer to take notice of something different with each view. But those details aren’t just there to embellish, fill, or adorn – Hoan is much more thoughtful, instilling significance and symbolism into every small aspect, something that he hopes is conveyed to the observer. “My work, generally, is really colorful. Through this piece, I would like people to feel a very positive energy through the poses of the characters. When you look at more details, you see small things, so I would like for them to spend a little bit more time, traveling around, moving their eyes through the piece, looking into the details. Even though it’s small details, it’s simple, but I think it’s fun because each detail stands for some meaning. For example, the nail polish – it’s like a ‘yeah, I’m pretty!’ kind of thing. Or when you see the chili, it’s like being a ‘spicy’ person!”<blockquote>"I would like people to feel a very positive energy."</blockquote><figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Pride_art_show_700ef34dbc.jpeg" alt="Pride art show.jpeg"></figure>Yu Onodera, Senior FP&amp;A Analyst at Moon, sees events that celebrate our diversity, like the Pride art show, as a way of celebrating Moon’s culture and sharing that with the world. “Moon is a place that embodies diversity, and I am sure most of us are proud of the freedom to be ourselves at Moon. So I hope the Pride event was a great opportunity for attendees to see, feel, and experience our culture.”Machi Rezende, Design Lead at Moon, helped create the Pride art show so that he could increase visibility, awareness, and education throughout the company, and embrace our LGBTQIA+ community to show that Moon is a safe, welcoming, and inclusive place. “I wanted to create a safe space where not only queer individuals, but also allies could co-exist and learn about each other's stories. Instead of a boring presentation, we wanted to create a space of joy where people could feel free to express who they really are. And allies could engage in that dialogue. There is so much invisibility and ignorance around the existence of queer individuals. Opening spaces and media for discussion brings those people out of the shadows they’ve felt they had to hide in. Queer people exist, they are all over, and their existence has to be acknowledged, protected, and celebrated.”&nbsp;<blockquote>"Queer people exist... their existence has to be acknowledged, protected, and celebrated.”</blockquote><figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Moon_Pride_0e25edb349.jpeg" alt="Moon Pride.jpeg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Machi_Yu_4207208345.jpeg" alt="Machi Yu.jpeg"><figcaption>Machi Rezende and Yu Onodera from Moon.</figcaption></figure>We know that culturally diverse teams transcend homogeneous ones when it comes to innovation and creativity. At Moon, being human-centered is a value that lies at our core. And there is no better way to show and practice that value than to welcome, love, and include all humans, no matter their background, their orientation, or how they choose to identify. Stay connected to get invites and updates on upcoming events by <a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1OHQANbcgR9q4ky5Q4M6wMQcxaid">subscribing to our newsletter</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;

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Moon Partnered with Mitsui &amp; Co.’s Diversity Management Department team to celebrate Pride Month.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/D_and_I_Pride_Month_06d98828fa.png" alt="D&amp;I+Pride+Month.png">By being present all over the globe, Mitsui is, in essence, diverse. But its understanding and desire to foster diversity does not stop with geographical presence. Thrive on diversity is one of the company's four core values. Still, many might wonder what diversity really is. Mitsui's HR itself has a whole team of engaged professionals working on Diversity &amp; Inclusion (D&amp;I). With them, there is a wide group of D&amp;I ambassadors, people who dedicate part of their time to engage with this community in order to make Mitsui more diverse and inclusive.Diversity is plural. It means breaking homogeneity from ethnicity to thoughts, from gender to social structures. It means having different people and different ideas innovating together. <a href="https://www.inclusion.me.uk/news/what_does_inclusion_mean">Inclusion</a> is providing the same positions and benefits to all people regardless of race, gender, disability, medical, or other needs. Together, Diversity and Inclusion are about embracing differences based on nationality, religious faith, gender, sexual orientation, or whatsoever.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/LGBT_87695c8377.png" alt="LGBT.png">Among all the actions toward diversity that Moon has started, our team partnered with Diversity Management Dept. of Mitsui to create a series of activities during Pride Month in June 2022. Already well known in many countries, June is considered the month not just to celebrate, but to encourage discussions and actions to increase the awareness of LGBTQIA+ people. While at Moon, we collaborated with Mitsui to host a series of activities. Anna Hiraoka from Diversity Management Dept. of Mitsui worked with Machi Rezende, Moon's Lead UX Designer and current researcher of intersections of Corporate Culture and Gender Diversity at Waseda University, to host an online forum for Mitsui's D&amp;I ambassadors.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/D_and_I_Presentation_b91d595f68.jpg" alt="D&amp;I+Presentation.jpg">Through an interactive presentation combined with an interactive quiz, participants had the chance to learn more about gender, sexuality, and ways to increase awareness and create safe spaces for LGBTQAI+ employees and professionals in the workplace. In the end, a Q&amp;A session was held.Global surveys and research all over the globe, <a href="https://www.moonstories.blog/blog/working-with-pride#:~:text=like%20this%20one%20in%20Japan">like this one in Japan</a>, show that at least 10% of the world population identifies themselves as LGBTQIA+. This means that one in ten people around us is an LGBTQIA+ person, proving that it is essential for companies to promote policies and actions to create an inclusive and safe space in which everyone can thrive.Machi Rezende Lead UX Designer <a href="mailto:mateus@mooncreativelab.com">mateus@mooncreativelab.com</a>

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In this article, we talk with two Moon Creative Lab Designers about their experiences designing for inclusivity and how inclusive design can reach unexpected and wider audiences.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/110822_Blog_Image_Inclusive_1500x2500_c1f4ad11ce.jpg" alt="Moon Creative Lab_ Inclusive_Design"><hr><h4>Key Takeaways:</h4><ul><li>What is inclusive design</li><li>Examples of inclusive design</li><li>How to design for inclusivity in your own work</li><li>Resources for learning more about inclusive design</li></ul><hr>Inclusive design is a design practice that we are always considering when supporting our ventures. At Moon Creative Lab, one of our core values is “Be Human-Centered” which focuses on designing for human needs rather than the business outcomes – the essence of inclusive design. We believe that unexpected opportunities come when we look outside of ourselves and really get to know our users. &nbsp;With Moon’s parent company, Mitsui &amp; Co., celebrating Diversity &amp; Inclusion Week this September, we interviewed two of our designers in Tokyo on what it means to design businesses, products, and services that are inclusive of everyone.&nbsp;<hr>What does inclusive design mean to you?<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Takuya_Moon_Creative_Lab_0db86155e2.png" alt="Takuya, Senior Design Researcher"><figcaption>Takuya Yamagishi,&nbsp; Senior Design Researcher</figcaption></figure>T.Y. “For me, inclusive design means design that is welcoming for everyone and can apply to many fields, from architecture to consumer product design to employee experience design and more. Sometimes there are conflicts and it is not possible to make everyone happy. However, in my view, we should always strive to maximize the happiness of every user.”<blockquote>Inclusive design is welcoming for everyone.</blockquote><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Machi_Moon_Creative_Lab_63026b0b6e.png" alt="Machi, UI/UX Design Lead"><figcaption>Machi Rezende,&nbsp; UI/UX Design Lead</figcaption></figure>M.R. “For me, inclusive design is all about understanding and including the plurality of people and realities we have in the world. You’d be surprised – a recent study showed that only 21% of people are able to fully use most products, which means that inclusive design, which seeks to lower barriers to effective use, is actually for the majority of people.”<blockquote>Inclusive design is about including the plurality of people and realities.</blockquote><hr>What are some examples of inclusive design?T.Y. “When I studied at design school in Europe, I was impressed by the inclusivity of design there compared to design in Japan. Public notices were clear, simple, intuitive, and visual. In Japan, on the other hand, public notices still tend to be extremely wordy, complex, and non-user-friendly. Things are improving little by little, though. I also noticed that train station ticket gates were wider, allowing easier access for people in wheelchairs.Inclusive design encourages us to think about people who are not the same as us, empathize with them, and question our own assumptions. There is always a danger that we will design things that work best for us, the designer – but we are not everyone, and what works for us may not always work for others.”<blockquote>Inclusive design encourages us to think about people who are not the same as us, empathize with them, and question our own assumptions.</blockquote>M.R. “When talking about inclusivity, we usually think about the Physical aspect of design - <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ergonomics">ergonomics</a>, accessibility, design for the elderly and the physically challenged, and so on. But there are also cognitive and emotional aspects to consider.From a cognitive perspective, for example, we should consider such things as color blindness, but also dyslexia, which, as studies show, affects up to 12% of people globally. And also consider deepening our understanding of the wide range of neurodiversity that humans exhibit. Not everyone processes information in the same way and our design should take that into account.In terms of emotional inclusivity, we must also consider how people feel when using the products that we design. Recently there have been great improvements. For example, Instagram now provides more pronoun options for people who don’t identify as Male or Female. And you may have noticed that Slack now includes a range of skin color options for emojis so people can represent themselves online in the way that feels most comfortable for them. These changes may seem subtle, but they have a huge positive emotional impact on those who may otherwise feel excluded or ignored.”<blockquote>Not everyone processes information in the same way, and we must also consider how people feel when using the products that we design.</blockquote><hr>In your own work, how do you design for inclusivity?T.Y. “I am currently working on <a href="https://www.goril.jp/">GORIL</a>, a Moon Creative Lab venture that is creating an innovative way for people to improve their English pronunciation. Originally the project was called “Speak Like Native,” but in the process of interviewing potential users, we learned that the main goal of attaining native-like speech excludes many people, and our project has evolved as a result. We decided to avoid idiomatic expressions and use simpler, more direct language so that more people can use the product effectively.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/GORIL_Logo_4d44bb3542.png" alt="GORIL_Logo.png">In the past, I also worked on a Moon venture that was developing a product for people with epilepsy, and this forced me to consider many new perspectives. We built a journaling system for the users, but learned that after an epileptic seizure, they are exhausted and unable to write. So, we simplified the design to include only icons indicating the most common range of experiences. This way, users could record their condition in a quick and intuitive way, and we later added an audio function which made it even easier for them.What’s important is that the insight for these improvements came from speaking with epileptic users and getting their feedback on our early prototypes. Without actually speaking with those who would use the product, we were designing in the dark.”<blockquote>Without actually speaking with those who would use the product, we were designing in the dark.</blockquote>M.R. “A while ago I was working on an application for visually impaired people in Japan that helped users navigate around train and subway stations. The app allowed them to find the right exit, restrooms, and so on by scanning QR codes in the station and guiding them around the yellow floor paths.What was interesting about this project was that – as a designer – it wasn’t about making something look good (because the users, by definition, had limited visual ability), but instead about making it work well. Because for these users, this app is not for entertainment or simple convenience, but rather a powerful tool that hugely impacts their lives and can, in some sense, change their reality.&nbsp;<blockquote>It wasn’t about making something look good, but about making it work well.</blockquote>To build this, we talked with visually impaired people and consulted with support associations in Japan to get a deeper and more authentic understanding of the users’ experiences with the product prototypes. We couldn’t have done this just based on our own experiences and realities.During this project, I also learned some interesting things about how inclusive design principles can contribute to design in general. Did you know that dark mode, which your phone or PC might switch to in the evening, originally comes from products designed for people with visual impairments? Or that text-to-speech technologies were first developed for people who could not read screens, but now are a major component of AI assistants like Alexa and Siri? In the end, inclusive design helps everyone.”<blockquote>In the end, inclusive design helps everyone.</blockquote><hr>Are the products and services you design for inclusive? Learn more about inclusive design here:<ul><li><a href="https://www.inclusivedesigntoolkit.com/whatis/whatis.html">What is Inclusive Design?</a> (Cambridge University)</li><li><a href="https://inclusivedesignprinciples.org/">Inclusive Design Principles</a> (inclusivedesignprinciples.org)</li><li><a href="https://xd.adobe.com/ideas/principles/design-systems/what-is-inclusive-design-principles-and-examples/">Inclusive Design: Principles and Examples</a> (Adobe)</li></ul>

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