Designing a “participatory UX” for complex agricultural operations
ROLE
Product Designer (Lead)
TEAM
CEO & CTO - 9-member startup
MY CONTRIBUTION
Product Designer (Lead)
UI / UX design, UX research, visual design, copywriting, design strategy, design system.
DURATION
2022-2025
Description
From precision data to everyday use.
Reposaku turns large-scale agricultural operations - vehicles, workers, and fields - into a single, legible system that everyone can join.
I rebuilt the experience around clarity, shared awareness, and low-friction input, so even non-technical and elderly users can operate with confidence.
Highlights
Real-time map UI for all vehicles and tasks
Plug-and-play device (no pairing / setup; just power it from the vehicle)
Flows and screens designed for first-time users and busy, time-critical work
Good Design Award 2025 – GOLD AWARD
GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2025
GOLD AWARD
(TOP20)
Evaluation Comments
The work is highly praised for its thoroughly user-friendly service design philosophy. Based on the close observation of the diverse needs and user demographics, operations that can be intuitively handled by elderly or inexperienced users, detailed safety considerations, and measures to address real issues are incorporated. In response to issues such as labor shortage and population aging in the agricultural industry, digital technologies are being used to transfer know-how and improve work efficiency, thereby reducing the burden on the farmers and promoting entry into the agriculture. In the future, it is expected to expand general-purpose value to local communities and industries by further ensuring user-centered design and expanding it to multiple fields and regions.
本作品は、徹底的にユーザーに寄り添ったサービス設計哲学が高く評価された。現場の多様なニーズや利用者層を深く観察し、高齢者や経験の浅い利用者でも直感的に扱える操作環境や細やかな安全配慮、リアルな課題への対応策が随所に盛り込まれている。農業界における担い手不足・高齢化などの課題に対し、デジタル技術を通じてノウハウの継承や作業効率の向上を実現し、現場の負担軽減と参入促進につなげている点も大きい。今後はさらなるユーザー中心設計の徹底と多分野・多地域への展開によって、地域社会や各産業に対する汎用的価値の拡大が期待される。
グッドデザイン賞2025 審査委員の選ぶ「私の選んだ一品」にも選出。
Hong Khai Seng / Design Director
This system, designed with striking simplicity and intuition, respects the dignity of farmers while drawing beauty from the efforts of everyone working in the fields. Visually, it conveys a sense of playfulness and sincerity that resonates with younger generations as well, offering powerful inspiration to people around the world. (Translation)
Hong Khai Seng／デザインディレクター
非常にシンプルで直感的に設計されたこの仕組みは、農家の尊厳を大切にしつつ、畑で働くすべての人々の努力から美を生み出している。 ビジュアル面では、若い世代にも響くような遊び心や純真さも感じられ、世界中にとって大きな刺激となっている。(以上訳文）
A four-minute final presentation for the GOOD DESIGN AWARD
I delivered a presentation focusing on an inclusive design that removes UI barriers one by one based on on-site observations, and on building a precise data foundation toward automation.
Background
IT isn’t the enemy - complexity is.
IT aversion blocks the data needed for automation.
In Japanese agriculture, 60% are 70+ and 70% lack successors. Automation needs precise data from everyone, yet “We’re bad with IT” often stops adoption.
Insights
The issue isn't people - it's context and design.
Two years farming in the field showed sunlight, gloves, and time pressure make fine phone actions unrealistic.
At a senior smartphone class, we saw how unfamiliar terms and complex flows can erode self-efficacy - UI can hurt dignity.
Approach
Remove the operation itself
Zero-install
Simply plug the device into the vehicle’s USB to acquire and send your location.
No login required: hold a paper membership card up to the smartphone camera to open the map.
“Loose” operations
No input required during busy work. You can tidy things up later by adding tags.
Usable with no initial setup
With progressive feature release, the core functions are available immediately.
Game-like UI/UX that makes people want to use it
A UI that you’ll want to show off, which helps word of mouth spread.
Deliberately not “system-like”; we stage it to look fun - like a game.
Result
Efficiency gains and adoption beyond agriculture.
Effects: +18% efficiency / −84% radio calls / −58% admin / −10% dump-haul time.
Adoption: about 200 companies nationwide (3.3× in two years), embedded at 24 JA and high share at TMR centers; some towns collect data across entire regions.
Lateral use: 11 municipalities / 19 companies (snow removal, logistics, bear-prevention).
Awards: GOOD DESIGN GOLD AWARD
