On the last day of a Designathon – our one-week innovation format – we are always super curious how well a digital product will be received by its users. We recently had an intense week of workshopping and an insightful user test in the end with a start-up in the shoe industry. While doing everything …

We kept delighting our customers with thoughtfully designed products and services that make them feel empowered and ease their day-to-day life. And that’s great, right? Well, not exactly. We could cater to one or multiple target groups within the different projects. However, we often neglected the planet as our primary stakeholder. We didn’t zoom out …

[the following post was published as a press release] Thomas Elm, previously COO of Fenics GO, has joined the Goodpatch Europe team as a Managing Director in Europe. Boris Jitsukata takes charge of global business expansion in the Tokyo HQ. Goodpatch is an international design company with studios in Tokyo, Berlin, and Munich.  In June …

I could not remember how I came to order this book on Amazon in January 2020, but let’s say the recommendation algorithm worked its magic again. With not so much background on this book, first published in 1933, I set out to learn the Japanese way of experiencing both light and particularly darkness. I never …

Once upon a time, QR codes were a nerdy tool with poor usability. The QR code (which stands for “quick response”) was invented in 1994 by a Japanese named Masahiro Hara. It has always been popular for payments and other services in Asia, but the rest of the world hadn’t quite accepted them until recently. …

I haven’t opened up PowerPoint once since joining Goodpatch. In fact, it’s not even downloaded onto my work laptop. I would bet that there are a total of two people that work here with a Microsoft Office subscription. For context, I joined Goodpatch from one of the big-three Management Consultancies. I don’t think a single …

There is a lot we can learn from the Japanese government’s approach to promoting the topic of Design amongst businesses. Three years ago, Japan released a report titled ‘Declaration of Design Management’, which has sparked conversation on how and why Design should be viewed as an asset in a company. The report outlines the role Design …

For years, western countries were inspired by Japanese concepts and beliefs. Zen-Buddhism served as a basis for minimalistic design; Kaizen pushes companies to a never ending optimization, and the bento box influenced us at Goodpatch to structure our approach to project work. Of course, everyone knows the ideas of Marie Kondo.  Another Japanese concept that …

Hi there, this is Boris. In May, we celebrated the 6 Year Anniversary of the Berlin Studio of our design firm Goodpatch. It’s been a wild ride since we first opened doors here in this unique city in 2015. I am proud of the team how everyone kept moving during the pandemic, and it is …

What does it take to experience and not just learn about design thinking? At Goodpatch, we think it is essential to go beyond theory and solve real problems. Together with the University of Zurich and Stanford University, we created a 5-day Design Thinking Learning Expedition. In this program, executive MBA students experience the entire design …

Prototyping is a powerful way to test your ideas. It allows your users to interact with an early stage idea and gives everyone in your team more confidence when designing new product features. Prototyping, therefore, allows you to clarify hypotheses at an early stage. Low-resolution prototyping is a crucial first step when it comes to …

Why planet-centric design matters The past decade has seen us finally understand human-centric design. We got so good at optimizing everything for convenience, distraction, and addiction that people changed their long-lived behaviors. The products and services were just too desirable. We keep scrolling, buying products that perfectly complement all the stuff we already have, and …

For those who have no idea I’m talking about; Telegram is a messaging service equal to WhatsApp, Lime or iMessage. It was created in 2013 by Pawel Durow, an entrepreneur and founder of the Russian equivalent to Facebook. Telegram is a weird thing: Almost everyone has it installed but my guess is that merely around 5% …

The current pandemic has inspired us to take the Designathon, one of our most successful workshop formats, and adapt it to a remote setting. Doing so made sure we could continue the inspiring work with our partners and clients, regardless of the location and local restrictions. Working between Tokyo and Berlin, remote work was nothing …

Five ways for your virtual events to connect with audiences beyond screens In 2020, conferences and events were different. What used to be a gathering in impressive locations now takes place virtually in everyone’s living room. While events have become a lot more inclusive and approachable, all the small interactions happening in-between are now hidden …

With remote work being the new normal in COVID-19 times, there’s no excuse left for not testing your digital product with a more diverse user group. COVID-19 has impacted every single aspect of our lives. The need to keep a safe distance so that infection numbers stay manageable has influenced the ways we interact with …

Before I went to Japan, I had tried exactly one Ramen shop before in Germany. After the first Bowl in Japan, I was in love with this simple, variable dish in which the chefs put so much dedication. My goal was to eat 100 different bowls in the eight months I stayed there; I ended …

Thanks to your amazing reactions to our list of sustainable apps, we have decided to do the same with our favourite digital health products. Digital health has been a topic that we, as a design company, have been interested in from day one. We’ve had the opportunity to work with Berlin-based startups like Lykon, Mimi …

We spoke to Martin Koo Rosenmejer, Head of UX and Product Design at SHARE NOW, where he is responsible for the best User Experience.

If you work eight hours a day, travel over forty minutes by public transport to the office and back, go shopping and cook, there is not much time left for sports. At least that is how I see it. Probably a lousy excuse, you might think. So did I, but instead of letting my excuses …

Do you want to start an event series? Are you working in a niche space and want to expand your network? Or maybe, like us, you’re a design studio that wants to tap into their local community and amplify topics you’re passionate about. Regardless of who you are or what you’re trying to achieve, starting a …

The story of Goodpatch began in 2011, the year Tsuchiya-san went to San Francisco and dreamed of creating products that would change the world.

In an effort to live more sustainable lives, many of us are making changes, big and small, to the way we eat, move, and consume. It’s exciting to see a growing number of startups and digital products emerge around the topic of sustainability and that make use of social innovation and design to come up …

Goodpatch Inc. is pleased to announce that its shares are now listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers Market

The Minimum Lovable Product® is more than just a methodology, it is a valuable mindset that can be used when building new products and services.

We had the pleasure of speaking with Stéphane Martin about his career as a designer and manager, and current role as Principal UX Designer at Riot Games.

The Designathon process supports streamlined, strategic decision-making for the best possible solutions. Here are our tips to run one successfully.

Pandemic or not, your tax return deadline hasn’t changed. Here’s a list of TaxTech startups, who can help make your next tax session a breeze.

We recently had the pleasure of speaking to Arielle Kilroy, VP of Product at Small Improvements, where she innovates around HR tech and the future of work.

Goodpatch Inc. is pleased to announce that the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Inc. has approved the listing of its shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Workshops are a fantastic way to build alignment, prompt feedback, advance ideas, and learn new skills. Here are some tips for your next remote workshop.

Things to keep in mind for your next user research interview.

We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jeff Gothelf, author, coach, and consultant, about his career, digital transformation, and his newest book, Forever Employable.

Insights from a talk on the future of UX in mobility.

A more personal view of the management lessons I’ve learned the past 5 years at Goodpatch.

We know a thing or two about remote user testing tools and best practices

An interview with Audrey Tsang, CPO of the #1 doctor-recommended period & cycle tracking app.

With this blog post, I would like to share my experience as a parent working from home: what’s worked well and what hasn’t.

As a product designer working on mobility at Goodpatch, I decided to take a closer look into RATP app’s UX architecture and have suggested design solutions.

The Product Crunch: Future Food Edition featured talks from Franziska Lienert, Too Good To Go; Eldad Arnon, InFarm; and Sarmishta Pantham, Marley Spoon.

According to Einstein: Play is the highest form of research. We couldn’t agree more. Event featuring a talk from a Senior Product Designer at LEGO Group.

Based on observations and user research, the differences and opportunities to improve accessibility for wheelchair users in both Berlin & Paris.

Communication tools like Slack can both enable and impede the flow of information. Here are our biggest tips for communication via Slack.

The Product Crunch: Good Cause Edition featured three companies focused on social and environmental impact: ProjectTogether, Tomorrow Bank & SPACE10.

The Product Crunch: Venture Edition featured three talks from entrepreneurs who know what it’s like to acquire capital and build companies from scratch.

On Thursday, February 20, the Berlin product community escaped from the cold and gathered in Goodpatch’s Berlin studio to discuss the future of fashion.

We opened the Product Crunch: Venture Edition with an insightful chat with Stephanie Kaiser, founder of the health-tech platform, Heartbeat Labs.

There’s a lot designers can do to streamline the customer experience for the stores that are sustainable.

We recently had the pleasure of hosting the blogfoster team for a Product:Hour session. They came to us for feedback on their website and style guide.

The way podcast creators choose to craft their stories and use sound, has a huge influence on whether a podcast is good or completely addictive.

As transportation infrastructure is pushed to its limit, demand for a new means of transport and pressure to optimize the existing system continues to grow.

In theory, public transportation should be really simple. Read a map, plan your route and occasionally maybe change trains. The problem is that it’s not.

Public transportation information design reflects a science of presenting information and should deliver the right information to the user.

It’s always nice to get more than expected, especially when it’s for free. In the product world, it’s called going the “extra mile.”

Before my first day as Design Strategist, I had the opportunity to get to know my colleagues and learn three very important things about Goodpatch.

A company’s brand and product should not be treated separately, but as two dimensions that need to blend in order to create a great user experience.

Just like our ancestors, we hunt and gather, but we’ve moved on from bows and arrows to new tools: technologies and innovative tools like our smartphone.

FemTech products are entering mainstream media. Here are 5 startups that are thinking holistically about their products and investing in design.

As a Design Strategist, it’s my job to analyse, improve and create new products and services, so here are the five things I want to redesign this week.

Yahoo Lodge is a large, free, co-working space in Tokyo. With a scenic view, onsite buffet, and room for individuals and teams, it beats working in a cafe.

The more international our teams become, the more important it is for us to be able to facilitate online workshops and get the same, or even better results.