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<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:43.61%;"><img style="aspect-ratio:608/394;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Start_X_blog_688924cc06.jpg" alt="StartX blog.jpg" width="608" height="394"></figure>In the high-stakes world of venture creation and strategic corporate expansion, gaining early visibility into breakthroughs isn't just an advantage—it is essential. Moon Creative Lab’s partnership with&nbsp;<a href="https://web.startx.com/">StartX</a>, the premier accelerator for Stanford-affiliated founders, gives Moon early access and insight into Silicon Valley's most promising startups and emerging technologies.&nbsp;<h3>Stanford’s Entrepreneurial Elite</h3>Through community, strategic collaboration, and mentorship, StartX has built an ecosystem responsible for generating immense value across the technology landscape. It provides specialized support across high-impact verticals, anchored in Artificial Intelligence, Clean Energy, and Biotechnology through dedicated initiatives like&nbsp;<a href="https://startx.com/pages/med#:~:text=StartX%20Med%20companies%20apply%20through%20the%20same,4%20years%20and%20counting.%20*%20Life%20Science.">StartX Med</a>. Built exclusively for the Stanford community—including over 85 tenured Stanford professors—the accelerator has supported founders in achieving remarkable milestones:&nbsp;<ul><li>$200B+ in total portfolio valuation</li><li>$42M average capital raised per company</li><li>30 Unicorns valued at over $1 Billion</li><li>146+ Companies valued at over $100 Million</li></ul>&nbsp;StartX serves as a direct channel between university research labs and commercial industrial applications. By partnering with StartX, Moon gains an insider seat at the table. This relationship provides Moon with direct visibility into and sourcing of next-generation breakthroughs before they hit the mainstream, creating opportunities to connect with cutting-edge technology and apply it to real-world challenges across industries.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>Moon x NeuralX</h3>The value of this partnership is already proving itself in practice. Through the StartX network, Moon connected with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.neuralx.ai/">NeuralX</a>, an AI-driven aquaculture startup founded by AI researcher Dr. Masaki Nakada.&nbsp;Powered by proprietary 3D training, the NeuralX platform takes standard underwater camera feeds and turns it into 24/7 decision intelligence—actionable recommendations on precise feeding, harvest timing, and fish health. Aquaculture businesses can see 92%+ biomass accuracy while flagging behavioral anomalies 2–5 days before disease symptoms appear, and achieve a guaranteed 4.0x ROI by optimizing feed costs, mitigating mortality loss, and automating compliance to unlock premium seafood market pricing.&nbsp;A clear example of the synergy between Moon and StartX, NeuralX illustrates a blueprint for how StartX’s cohort can bridge the gap between AI research and commercial scalability across global industries.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img style="aspect-ratio:6000/3376;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Start_X_VIP_night_70b6d11e9b.jpg" alt="StartX VIP night.jpg" width="6000" height="3376"></figure><h3>Front-Row Access at StartX VIP Night</h3>The Moon and StartX collaboration extended onto the Stanford University campus when members of Moon’s Palo Alto leadership team attended the StartX: S26 VIP Night event.During this event, Moon executives viewed rapid-fire pitches and live product demonstrations from Silicon Valley’s newest wave of founders. The event offered early access to emerging technological shifts, allowing the Moon team to actively evaluate new founders and technologies that align with Moon’s broader strategic vision.&nbsp;<h3>Shaping the Future Through Strategic Synergy</h3>The partnership puts Moon and StartX in a unique position to match early-stage Stanford innovation with global industrial application.&nbsp;StartX’s concentration on frontier technology breakthroughs&nbsp;across AI, Biotech, and Energy, paired with Moon’s focus on integrating pioneering innovation into practical applications,&nbsp;can&nbsp;not just solve industry challenges, but unlock immediate ROI and sustainable business operations.&nbsp;<h3>Looking To Bridge Silicon Valley Innovation With Global Enterprise?</h3>Moon Creative Lab works alongside industry leaders and venture partners to turn early-stage breakthroughs into real-world strategic value. <a href="https://cxaid.share.hsforms.com/2Qhnaej1vQwiazvFNHgIXnA?utm_source=website&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=blog">Get in touch with us</a> to learn more about our strategic initiatives, corporate innovation partnerships, and co-creation opportunities across AI, biotech, and sustainability.

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<h3>Notice: Beware of Fraudulent Emails Impersonating Moon Creative Lab</h3>We have recently received multiple reports of fraudulent emails impersonating Moon Creative Lab or its hiring staff, sent from domains that are not owned by our company (for example, @mooncreativelab.us).Please note that the only official domain used by our company is @mooncreativelab.com. Any email sent from a different domain is not associated with Moon Creative Lab.If you receive any unexpected or suspicious email, please take the following precautions:<ul><li>Do not open any attachments included in the email.</li><li>Do not click on any links contained in the message.</li><li>Do not reply or provide any&nbsp;personal information (such as your name, address, phone&nbsp;</li></ul><hr>Please note that&nbsp;any hiring-related communication&nbsp;not from the @mooncreativelab.com domain is not authentic or official.For legitimate information about job opportunities, please refer to our official Careers page: 👉<a href=" https://www.mooncreativelab.com/careers"> https://www.mooncreativelab.com/careers</a>

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A huge congratulations goes to Variloom, a Moon Creative Lab venture, for being named an honoree in the <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/innovation-by-design/list">Fast Company 2025 Innovation by Design Awards</a>! <a href="https://www.variloom.com/">Variloom</a> is helping the fashion industry reduce production waste, minimize excess inventory, and reliance on offshore manufacturing through the creation of its first two innovations: 3D printing and a recyclable, customizable material.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:1600/900;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Variloom_Fast_Co_thumb_2455f19f46.png" alt="Variloom Fast Co thumb.png" width="1600" height="900"><figcaption>Variloom's patent-pending recyclable filament used to create custom 3D-printed garments.</figcaption></figure>Now in its 14th year, the Innovation by Design Awards celebrate the designers and businesses addressing today’s most urgent challenges while anticipating the problems of tomorrow. The program is one of the most prestigious design competitions in the industry, spotlighting work that exemplifies originality, beauty, sustainability, user insight, cultural significance, and measurable business impact. Honorees, which include nearly 300 projects, products, and services from The New York Times, Jones Knowles Ritchie, Adobe, and others, were selected by a panel of leading designers, business executives from leading organizations, and Fast Company editors.&nbsp; Variloom’s on-demand and on-site 3D print-to-shape fabrication system for how soft goods and apparel are made, gives brands and suppliers the ability to design and produce customizable, recyclable fabrics in days instead of months, all while bringing the manufacturing closer to the consumer. The system is capable of printing across a range of sizes from small components to large-format fabrics, enabling bespoke creations and custom-designed details for everything from shirts and pants to handbags and shoes, all while integrating seamlessly into existing supply chains. &nbsp; “When Moon Creative Lab was first founded by Mitsui &amp; Co., it was meant to create big and bold businesses that would have an exponential impact on the world,” said Mary Ann Gallo, Chief Growth Officer, Moon Creative Lab. “Variloom is a venture that is doing just that. WIth its patent-pending soft material and 3D printing system, Variloom is helping brands reduce waste, shorten lead times, and remove the need for large inventory positions, while also supporting sustainable, customizable production closer to the consumer.” Fast Company’s editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan explains “The Innovation by Design Awards celebrate bold ideas and work that proves design is a true driver of business and societal progress. This year’s honorees show how creative thinking can unlock new markets, build stronger organizations, and deliver meaningful impact at scale.”&nbsp; Head <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/innovation-by-design/list">here</a> to see the complete list of winners and honorees, and read about the winners in the Fall issue of Fast Company magazine on newsstands September 23, 2025.&nbsp;If you'd like to receive the latest updates from Moon Creative Lab,&nbsp;please sign up to be a Moon Community Member <a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1OHQANbcgR9q4ky5Q4M6wMQcxaid ">here</a>. We'll send you invitations to speaker events featuring industry pioneers, panel discussions, new ventures, and more.&nbsp; &nbsp;

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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>

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<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:4200/2801;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/mcl_Dr_Conway_Ai_In_Healthcare_047_a767a7faad.jpg" alt="mcl_DrConway_AiInHealthcare_047.jpg" width="4200" height="2801"><figcaption>Fireside Chat with Dr. Allan Conway.</figcaption></figure>A part of Moon Creative Lab’s Speaker Series events, AI in Healthcare: Pioneering Precision was an insightful talk on how artificial intelligence is emerging in the healthcare industry.Dr. Allan Conway, Clinical Associate Professor of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, UCSF and MarinHealth, was the first surgeon to use AI technology in a vascular surgical procedure for aneurysm repair. In a Fireside Chat with Moon, he shared his insights on how AI enables medical professionals to perform complex procedures with greater precision, and how AI can improve healthcare and patient outcomes.<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:4200/2801;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/mcl_Dr_Conway_Ai_In_Healthcare_019_9a783f7378.jpg" alt="mcl_DrConway_AiInHealthcare_019.jpg" width="4200" height="2801"></figure>Opportunities for AI in Healthcare Allan discussed how AI can play a significant part in making healthcare professionals’ jobs much more efficient. By optimizing workflow and reducing the daily tasks that are part of medical professionals’ jobs, such as charting patient data and documentation, healthcare can become more accessible. More efficient operations and automated tasks would allow doctors to see more patients and spend more time interacting with them than on paperwork. Relieving some of the administrative burden that doctors face daily could lead to improved patient communication, wider availability of healthcare, and better access to care for underserved communities.Not only would AI make daily administrative tasks more efficient, but it would also help increase efficiency in the operating room. Allan envisions AI reducing surgery times by 20-30 minutes, which would allow doctors to treat more patients.&nbsp;The Current State of AI Allan and his team at MarinHealth used Cydar Maps, an AI-powered surgical platform that can create a detailed 3D map of a patient’s anatomy. Such visualization helps with pre-surgical planning, image guidance during surgery, and automated evaluation of surgical outcomes. This technology allows medical teams to better visualize during the surgery, operate with more precision, make better decisions in the operating room, and guide care throughout the patient’s entire journey.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/mcl_Dr_Conway_Ai_In_Healthcare_036_8a0e663cf1.jpg" alt="mcl_DrConway_AiInHealthcare_036.jpg">Implementation Challenges Like with any new technology, implementing AI in healthcare has not been immediate. Allan attributed the lack of AI-prevalence to financial hurdles. Most AI technology comes with high subscription costs, and many medical institutions might be reluctant to invest heavily into something that might not have the data to back the technology up — yet. But as AI technology is adopted, Allan is hopeful that as the data grows, so will implementation across the industry. To help overcome the financial hurdles AI technology faces, Allan thinks philanthropy and product champions are key. More philanthropic support from strong believers and evangelists of new technology could be key to ushering more AI in healthcare. No, AI Will Not Replace Surgeons With new ideas comes new misconceptions — and Allan addressed those head-on by assuring that AI will not replace surgeons. He emphasized the need to wane expectations about AI capabilities and that, instead of focusing on the fear of AI, the focus should be on enhancing and augmenting the work of medical professionals, not entirely replacing them.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:4200/2801;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/mcl_Dr_Conway_Ai_In_Healthcare_110_1e5f3785f2.jpg" alt="mcl_DrConway_AiInHealthcare_110.jpg" width="4200" height="2801"><figcaption>Pictured: Dr. Allan Conway and Moon CMO Mary Ann Gallo</figcaption></figure>Moon’s Focus&nbsp; Moon is always open and welcoming to new ideas, and one particular focus area of ours is AI in Healthcare. How might we leverage cutting-edge technologies to deliver more personalized and better outcomes for patients around the world? How can we use AI to augment the already-incredible abilities of medical professionals and transform healthcare as we know it? If you have ideas, we’d love to hear them! Chat with us, attend an event, and meet incredible innovators and entrepreneurs by joining our Moon Community <a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1OHQANbcgR9q4ky5Q4M6wMQcxaid">here</a>.Interested in being a featured speaker at Moon or partnering for your event? Reach out to us <a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1u98RYOcPTfefjoRhgX-xewcxaid">here</a>.&nbsp;

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In this three-part series, we look at the purpose, method, and importance of research for startups. While there are numerous research methods, quick and easy methods such as interviews will help you when you’re working with limited resources. The question arises: are we truly gathering sufficient information?In this first blog, we focus on field research, which is labor and time-intensive, exploring its purpose and importance, and looking at real-life examples from Moon Creative Lab.Table of Contents<ol><li>Two main purposes of research</li><li>Research Methods</li><li>Importance of field research</li><li>When should you choose field research?</li></ol><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image1_331fcbb1db.png" alt="image1.png"><h3>1. Two main purposes of research</h3>If you are new to creating a business or service, or a seasoned entrepreneur then you should consider research, and here's why. There are two main purposes of research; gathering information to help expand business horizons and corroboration to facilitate decision making.&nbsp;Gathering information to help expand horizonsWe live in a world where many goods and services already exist. But when you want to create something new and unprecedented, research can help you enhance your concept by incorporating useful information from different sources.&nbsp;Research, which is the accumulation of knowledge and experience that one does not already have, can broaden your perspective and enable you to come up with new ideas.&nbsp;Support to facilitate decision-makingThe process of developing a new business is having to make a series of decisions with no correct answers. So it is necessary to gather information to support the decision and to objectively verify a hypothesis.Research gathers materials to support decision-making and suggests what choices should be made. This not only lowers the risk that a new product will fail but also builds the confidence needed to invest resources into the idea and gives investors and teams confidence in its success. This is an important step to pave the way when venturing into uncharted territory.&nbsp;<h3>2. Research methods (use of quantitative and qualitative methods)</h3>There are two types of research methods: quantitative and qualitative, each tailored to the purpose of the research.&nbsp;<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image4_87c9e607f5.png" alt="image4.png">Quantitative research is good for answering questions such as "what" and "how much." It is a method of gathering and analyzing information based on numbers and statistics. Examples include surveys, internet research, and web analytics. It is suitable for large-scale market research, handling large amounts of data, and quantifying trends and patterns.&nbsp;Qualitative research answers the "why" questions. This method is used to gain a deeper understanding of your target audience’s feelings, behaviors, and values, as well as to uncover the reasons and motivations behind them. It is a good method to focus on specific cases, individual experiences, etc., to gain deep insights and test hypotheses. Examples include interviews, observations, and field research. While interviews are an easy choice in terms of funding, time, and effort, it is important to be aware of the importance of field research, which can yield discoveries that cannot be obtained through interviews, and select research methods accordingly.&nbsp;<h3>3: Importance of field research</h3><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image5_92bb462650.png" alt="image5.png">Field research is a research method that involves visiting a site, observing, and interacting with a subject in their living environment. Also known as "ethnography," it is a research method used in the field of cultural anthropology. It has the following characteristics:&nbsp;Capturing the whole picture and context of a problemWhen designing a service, it is important to consider the overall picture and context in which it will be used, such as the surrounding environment, background, and related factors when a certain event occurs.Field research allows for deeper exploration than online or in-office interviews because it seeks to understand the whole situation through direct observation of people's lives.For example, in our research for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.raxi.co.jp">Raxi</a>, a treatment app for type 2 diabetics that Moon was incubating, we first visited patients in their homes to understand their living environment and observe the actual situation.There were problems that we would have missed had we not visited them in person. Specifically, many patients lived alone, were retired from work, and had no one to communicate with daily. There was no one to see them, no one to notice their efforts, no opportunity to praise them. In other words, they were lonely. We thought that the motivation to improve lifestyle was a matter of the patient's self-consciousness, but through research, we realized that motivation is supported by others, and we were able to recognize the shift in perspective.When asked "Why can't the patient continue to improve his/her lifestyle?" it is easy for the interviewee to be blindsided by the question. Many typical daily living conditions that we take for granted or don’t think about aren’t always the same. Living situations and access to certain resources look different for everyone, and it is this kind of insight that is important when conceiving and defining the functionality of a service.With this in mind, we built a process for goal-setting with healthcare professionals into the prototype of Raxi, and a feature that tracks and celebrates not only results such as blood glucose levels but also the actions of patients who have achieved 10 days of walking.By gathering these insights, field research can provide suggestions for conceiving the functionality of the service and defining requirements.&nbsp;Through experience, we can understand the emotions of the people involvedSeeing is believing, but the best way to understand is not only to see but also to go one step further and experience it. By placing yourself in the environment where your research subjects live and reliving their lives from their perspective, you can share not only knowledge but also emotions to gain deeper insights. Through this process, the Raxi team designed the service as if it were created by the user.When we researched type 2 diabetes, we learned through desk research and interviews with nutritionists that "blood glucose" is a key numerical indicator. Our team then lived with a blood glucose monitor on our arms for 24 hours a day for two weeks and experienced days of living while keeping our blood glucose levels in mind.Witnessing the "blood glucose spike" after eating and the sudden drop in blood glucose levels causing sleepiness after eating, we naturally began to pay more attention to the order of our meals. Based on this experience, we recognized that the ability to visually grasp the fluctuation of numerical values and feel the changes in one's body is a powerful factor that leads to behavioral changes.Based on these results, the prototype incorporates a dashboard that allows users to see their own blood glucose and blood pressure levels, as well as a function that allows them to note down their diet, exercise, and behavioral habits&nbsp; (e.g., stop snacking) on the same day and notice the correlation between them.&nbsp;Don't be fooled by contradictions between words and actions<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image4_0d47d4083d.jpg" alt="image4.jpg"></figure>It is not unusual for a person's words to be inconsistent with his or her actions. Especially in interviews, there are cases in which a particular aspect is not mentioned because they are too obvious to them, or they say something different from what they actually are because they want to be thought of differently.Researchers also have prejudices. When they see a neatly dressed person, they tend to imagine a neat home or environment.Field research helps reduce the risk of concluding with prejudice by trying to understand the issue as objectively as possible.&nbsp;When we visited the home of a type 2 diabetic patient, we were shown their refrigerator which contained a large amount of melon soda. It was an important detail that was not mentioned during the online interview we conducted beforehand.&nbsp;<h3>4. When should you choose field research?</h3><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image2_9ede0b1a79.png" alt="image2.png">While it can provide more concrete insights than interviews, it is also more costly. Here are some situations in which field research is likely to be the most effective:&nbsp;Understanding a space&nbsp;When designing a soccer stadium, it is of course possible to interview users about the atmosphere of the game and the stadium's conductivity. Still, by visiting the stadium and seeing the site yourself, you can understand the facts with a clearer understanding. However, if you want to get an interpretation of what users think about the stadium, an interview is appropriate.&nbsp;Wanting to know behavior that occurs in a spaceWhen you want to know how people choose products in a supermarket, accompanying them during the actual shopping and engaging in repeated observation and dialogue can not only provide information that is closer to reality but also make it easier for the interviewee to respond.&nbsp;When it is difficult to empathize with the userWhen the researcher's own living environment, behavior patterns, and values are far removed from those of the user, it is quite possible that the researcher may not be able to empathize with the issues the user is facing just by listening to what the user has to say or looking at their environment.This is when field research really becomes important. By gaining real, direct insight into other people's lives, it is possible to design services with empathy. As we introduced in the case study of diabetic patients, field research enables us to learn what kind of people they are, what kind of life they lead, and how they feel at any given moment, all while working together with them. I distinctly remember that I gradually developed a sense of empathy, even though I was full of questions at first.&nbsp;Targeting users from different cultures&nbsp;When targeting a region or a person from a different culture than your own, it is essential to understand the cultural context. One obvious example is when a Japanese development team is creating a service for the Indian market, targeting a different country. After going through localized field research, designing a service while taking into account cultural aspects, such as living environment and values, can help build a service that is more easily adopted.&nbsp;The amount of information is insufficientIf the information obtained from interviews is limited and no new insights are gained, it is worth conducting field research. While interviews are primarily based on verbal communication, field research can provide rich information through non-verbal communication, including visual information, and can also provide insight into lifestyles and environments that cannot be expressed in words. Field research is also useful as a means of gaining new insights into lifestyles and the environment.&nbsp;Differentiating your product from similar products or needing inspirationIn an industrial society that has aimed for economic growth, people have so far sought products that fulfill their needs based on efficiency and rationality. However, many of these needs are already being met. From the consumer's point of view, the market is flooded with many similar products, and from the business's point of view, it is no longer easy to find a point to differentiate itself by meeting obvious needs.Field research enables us to broaden our perspective and reconsider the framework of our services by obtaining a variety of insights not only at the moment a product is used, but also into the behavior before and after, the surrounding environment, and the emotional transitions of the user.Take the example of Philips' Hue, a wireless smart lighting product that was a hit when it launched in 2012, which can be controlled from a smartphone to reproduce any color. The question that was probably asked in the planning stages of Hue was "How can we enrich our lifestyles with lighting?” These products were never created from the conventional standpoint of creating a brighter light bulb or creating a light bulb that lasts longer and reduces electricity bills. In this way, finding expectations that have not been found and embodying them as a value will help to create ideas that have never existed before.

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Carbon Mileage is a venture from Houston, Texas that incentivizes air travelers to make carbon-conscious choices to enable a sustainable aviation ecosystem. Currently incubating at Moon Creative Lab, the Carbon Mileage team underwent a quick sprint to better understand decarbonization within the airline industry and plan their next course of action.&nbsp;<hr><h3>Key Learnings:</h3><ul><li>Defining a problem statement.</li><li>Identifying key users and stakeholders.</li><li>Understanding users through research.</li></ul><hr><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Carbon_mileage_pledge_9f7a3bbd54.png" alt="Carbon mileage pledge.png"></figure>The Moon team recently met with Carbon Mileage, one of the ventures selected to be part of our Boost incubation program. Over the course of two days at our Palo Alto studio, we dug into the problem the team is seeking to solve: incentivizing decarbonization in the airline industry. Two days might seem like a lofty goal, but for us, we thrive in a short-time bound environment. Rather than spending unreasonable amounts of time reworking the same problem over and over again, two days allowed the team to make quicker decisions and confidently map out all necessary steps.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Before the workshop began, the team outlined four main goals they were wanting to achieve during the two days:&nbsp;<ol><li>Define the problem statement.&nbsp;</li><li>Name the biggest assumptions and build a user research plan to de-risk them.</li><li>Commit to a product hypothesis.</li><li>Work on team building to sustain momentum remotely.&nbsp;</li></ol>&nbsp;<h3>Defining a Clear Problem Statement</h3>Before any project starts, it’s important for the team to align on a clear problem statement before identifying a possible solution. By defining a problem statement, this prepares the team to further investigate different solutions through proper research and confidently act on the best proposed solution.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Carbon Mileage defined their clear problem statement as, “How might we engage air travelers in decarbonization efforts?” which evolved from the original statement that fixated on the idea of an incentivisation program. The original problem statement felt narrow and closed-minded to how much broader the team could explore decarbonization efforts. By switching the problem of only having an incentivization program to thinking more broadly towards engaging customers, this allowed the team to think much deeper into possible solutions.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>Analyzing Target Customers and Stakeholders&nbsp;</h3>After defining the problem statement, it’s important to analyze who the true stakeholders are, also known as the target audience of the Carbon Mileage program and all those who would be involved in Carbon Milage’s solution. The team outlined four main stakeholders: airlines, air travelers, travel organizers, and sustainable fuel suppliers. Beyond identifying stakeholders, it’s important to get to know them even more by determining what motivates them to act a certain way or make specific purchasing decisions. By specifying key motivations, Carbon Mileage can leverage this information as a way to build engagement amongst target users and explore solutions to their problem statement.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>Mapping Out the User Journey To Better Understand the User Experience</h3><figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/carbon_mileage_2_d30c966b9b.png" alt="carbon mileage 2.png"></figure>Aligning the user journey with the product hypothesis allowed the team to visually see where in the target audience’s journey it would make the most sense to implement Carbon Mileage.&nbsp;The team first explored, “How might Carbon Mileage reward travelers?” Some ideas included priority boarding, travel status, points redeemable for sustainable merch, and additional airline miles. Then the team explored how this might align with reduced carbon emissions. Ideas included buying carbon credits to compensate for annual travel and traveling with lighter bags to reduce fuel usage.&nbsp;While listing all of these ideas out is important, what makes the ideas even more tangible is creating concept cards to help paint a clearer picture of what direction the team feels is the ideal solution. By creating prototypes of the ideas, the team is able to confidently visualize the possibility of an idea before acting on it.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Carbon_Mileage_bd0574516a.png" alt="Carbon Mileage.png">&nbsp;<h3>Name Assumptions and Build a Research Plan to De-Risk Them&nbsp;</h3>With these concept cards, the team then built out a user research guide to de-risk any of their previous assumptions. By gathering early feedback from Moon team members, the Carbon Mileage team was able to commit to a product direction during the workshop.&nbsp;What was unique about this user testing experience was that it was the first time Carbon Mileage team members asked open-ended questions and avoided leading questions about their product. A leading question might look like, “Would you pack lighter if it meant to be rewarded by product credits?” rather than open-ended questions like, “What is the first thing that comes to mind about air travel?” The reason for asking open-ended questions versus leading questions was to widen the knowledge base for the team, unleashing new insights into what potential customers might bring. Many times teams lean on assumptions to answer the root of their problem rather than exploring the truest needs of their users.&nbsp;Taking the exploration even further, the team created a landing page to test the value proposition with users. Why a landing page? It’s quick, it’s tangible, and it’s the first exploration of the product that might speak to potential customers.&nbsp;<h3>What’s Next for Carbon Mileage &nbsp;</h3>The team agreed that there needs to be even more exploration of de-risking the most critical assumptions by engaging further user research with key stakeholders, focusing on travelers and airlines. Additionally, there needs to be a design experiment to test the theory that IF consumers were rewarded for choosing carbon reduction efforts, they would do so.Since this workshop was only two days, the team agreed that this would need to happen at a later time. We look forward to learning more about Carbon Mileage in the coming months as they begin to explore further together with Moon.If a workshop similar to this sounds interesting to you and your team, Moon would love to hear from you. Contact us at <a href="mailto:hello@mooncreativelab.com">hello@mooncreativelab.com</a> to start the conversation of how we can help your organization, team, or startup begin digging deeper into the root of the problem you’re seeking to solve.&nbsp; &nbsp;

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Problem definition is the first step in creating a business. At Moon Creative Lab, we emphasize the importance of first delving into problem definitions from multiple angles. In the business incubation process, it is only after a problem is defined that a vision or concept can be created.In this article, we introduce essential tips that can be applied to problem definition and user-research preparation. Table of Contents<ul><li>Four essential tips in problem definition&nbsp;</li><li>Tennis Bear as an example&nbsp;</li><li>Necessary rules in brainstorming</li><li>How to check your bias&nbsp;</li><li>Preparation for user research&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><h3>Four essential tips in problem definition</h3>Defining a problem is the first step needed before creating a project vision or concept. It is necessary to consider various factors such as what are the users' problems, who are the people in need and whether there are competitors.There are four points we analyze at Moon to help us define the problem we are looking to solve.&nbsp;①&nbsp;Pain Points + AspirationsTo make problem definitions more concrete, we need to know the challenges people are facing. We try to identify the problem by answering the following questions:What needs currently exist? &nbsp; What are the unfulfilled needs? Are there any needs that people aren't aware of?&nbsp; ②&nbsp;Problem Scale + Opportunity&nbsp;Analyzing the problem with statistics and other data can help better understand the scale and severity of needs. The results of further investigation can help provide hints for identifying solutions. If there is no data found, we can conduct simple research such as interviews to help identify the specific solutions needed. &nbsp;③&nbsp;User ExplorationIdentify ideas that could have potential solutions and start thinking about the end users.&nbsp;Identifying both the users and related stakeholders can help better understand the overall structure of the business. It is important to identify all stakeholders as clearly as possible and visualize them on a map. <img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/_ff3826e98e.jpg" alt="ユーザーエクスプロレーション.jpg">④ Can We Test?We need to understand the current market and user behavior, confirm how they are currently dealing with problems, what competitive services are available, whether they can be solved with existing services, etc., and examine whether new solutions are needed.<h3>Tennis Bear as an example</h3><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Tennis_Bear_9bafde6d4d_5dc583f819.jpeg" alt="Tennis_Bear_9bafde6d4d.jpeg">Let's look at <a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/ja/ventures/tennis-bear">Tennis Bear</a> which is part of Moon's venture portfolio. Tennis Bear is a digital sports platform that brings recreational players together in Japan that allows users to search and make reservations at local tennis courts. Tennis Bear also allows users to search for players of the similar level as themselves.&nbsp; Below we apply the four essential tips in problem definition for Tennis Bear.&nbsp;① Pain Points + Aspiration.&nbsp; Before there was no way to check court availability online. Finding players at a similar skill level was a struggle among tennis players and these factors became important insights in finding what was needed as a service.② Problem Scale + Opportunity.&nbsp; The team identified the size of the tennis population, the number of courts, how many players are having troubles finding other players and how serious it is for users who love tennis.③ User Exploration.&nbsp; The Tennis Bear team examined various user scenarios such as experienced or inexperienced players, whether they play at a tennis club or whether they are tennis court owners or instructors.④ Can We Test?&nbsp; Tennis Bear searched for an online website that allowed users to check courts’ reservation status. What they found was that there was no service to make a reservation by searching for the availability of tennis courts. Based on this finding the team developed a function that allows users to search and reserve courts all at once.&nbsp; After the service was launched, Tennis Bear realized users were having a hard time finding training partners of a similar level. The team then added a function that allowed users to search for players of a similar level.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/_be63be5dbe.jpg" alt="ポストイットはる.jpg"><figcaption>Brainstorming session using Post-its</figcaption></figure><h3> Necessary rules in brainstorming</h3>Quantity Over Quality&nbsp;Before starting a discussion on your initial problem space, realize this is just the starting point. A single idea often leads to many more ideas in a brainstorming session. The best brainstorming sessions thrive when they are open discussions valuing any and all ideas, and opinions. Remember that quantity is encouraged over quality here!&nbsp;Don't Judge Ideas Right AwayYou might want to judge some of the ideas shared right away which is natural. It's important to have an open mind and consider various possibilities without jumping to conclusions.&nbsp;Steps for a successful brainstorming session.<ol><li>At first, try to come up with ideas by yourself&nbsp;</li><li>Share and discuss ideas with others&nbsp;</li><li>Group similar ideas together &nbsp;</li><li>Vote and pick ideas to prioritize&nbsp;</li></ol>Prioritization can be discussed and decided over time but voting is more effective especially when time is limited.&nbsp;After identifying your problem definition and running a proper brainstorm you'll next need to identify any biases.&nbsp;<h3>How to check your bias</h3>Doing a bias check after sharing honest opinions during a brainstorm session is important to make sure you have seen all perspectives of an idea (not just your own).&nbsp;After the brainstorming session you'll want to separate the hypotheses from the questions. Hypotheses are statements that seem to be true about the ideas where as questions ask whether there is prejudice or risk against that hypothesis.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/_dd80ad9d12.jpg" alt="バイアスチェック.jpg">By analyzing the hypotheses and questions you are able to identify speculation and potential risks. Often times if you are unsure about a hypothesis you will need to consider more research or asking an expert. &nbsp;<h3>Research Preparation</h3><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Design_research_thumbnail_7d739434e4.jpg" alt="Design research thumbnail.jpg">After narrowing our focus through the bias check process the next step is preparing for research. There are two items that are required in order to proceed: a strong vision and a game plan.&nbsp;Clarifying the vision plays a big role in deepening the shared goal and solutions among project members. Think about what needs to be shared to properly communicate your idea to others. Some questions you might ask include:What kind of influence would this create on people, and on whom? What kind of world do you want to create?&nbsp; What is the motivation?&nbsp; What are the barriers?&nbsp;Next, you'll want to develop a game plan which outlines the research plan and concept design. Start by identifying these questions:&nbsp;Who should we talk to?&nbsp; What are the risks?&nbsp; How serious is each risk?&nbsp;Based on the content identified through the brainstorming, we can easily answer these questions with confidence to create a shared vision among team members and develop a game plan.&nbsp;<h3>Next steps after Problem Definition&nbsp;</h3>Moon's incubation process moves from problem definition is just the first step to building a business idea. The next steps include clarification of vision, concept design, user research, prototyping, and product launch.This process is based on the design research methodology. Be sure to learn about the next steps here on Moon Stories!

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Problem Definition 

<h4>Not Starting From Zero:&nbsp; Tips for Starting a New Product or Service</h4><ul><li>Challenge your assumptions</li><li>Understand your customers</li><li>Move fast and test in the market</li></ul><hr><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/CAAV_MBSD_Moon_Creative_Lab_247f21ccca.jpeg" alt="CAAV_MBSD_MoonCreativeLab.jpeg">Innovation can simply be defined as doing something new. And sometimes that “something new” can be taking something that already exists today and using it in a new, different way. That’s what the team at Mitsui Bussan Secure Directions (MBSD), Inc. did when they created a new service (and a new revenue stream for its business).MBSD, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsui, is a leading Japanese provider of IT security services. The company offers a wide range of services including vulnerability assessment, penetration testing, managed security service, and cybersecurity consulting. Its team of security professionals offer a combination of in-depth knowledge and understanding of attackers' methodologies with granular support to bring a comprehensive yet highly technical approach to protect customers in terms of cybersecurity.Two years ago, MBSD’s talented team of engineers developed its own award-winning tool, GyoiThon, using sophisticated machine learning to help their enterprise customers track the software running on their web servers – which can be a big challenge since proliferation of web servers go hand in hand with the proliferation of services an enterprise may deploy to support its business. Tracking that software is essential to ensuring OS and middleware software updates are deployed and security risks are mitigated. The tool used by MBSD’s security consultants was very effective. Even though the engineering team initially had no intentions of selling it to customers as a product or service, they knew they had something customers wanted and needed.So, how do you turn an internal tool into something that customers can buy and use on their own? Where do you start?&nbsp;<hr><h3>1. Challenge your assumptions&nbsp;</h3><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/CAAV_Yo_Hayashi_5fbaf20dd9.jpeg" alt="CAAV_Yo+Hayashi.jpeg"><figcaption>Yo Hayashi,&nbsp; GM of R&amp;D Division,&nbsp; GM of IoT &amp; Advanced Analytics Division MBSD</figcaption></figure>“We didn’t know how to move forward with this project,” said Yo Hayashi, General Manager of R&amp;D DIvision, General Manager of IoT &amp; Advanced Analytics Division, MBSD.“We have very knowledgeable engineers – they know about the market and the customers’ voice, but their perceptions were already fixed. Talking to Moon, we realized we had to take a step back to really understand our customers and what they really needed step by step.”Working with the Moon Creative Lab team, Yo and the MBSD team worked to challenge their assumptions of what they already knew about their customers and their needs. They worked together to clearly define the personas of their potential customers and put themselves in their shoes.<hr><h3>2. Understand your customers</h3><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Moon_Creative_Lab_Vlad_2_a16b935e8a.jpg" alt="Moon+Creative+Lab_Vlad_2.jpg"><figcaption>Vlad Almonnord,&nbsp; Moon Design Director</figcaption></figure>“We wanted to get clarity on the entire ecosystem,” said Vlad Almonnord, Design Director, Moon Creative Lab. “Who is the actual end user versus who are we selling to? What is their day-to-day life? How will this new service enable them to make key decisions in their job? Becoming truly empathetic of the customer was a big light switch.”This revealed several challenges that IT teams face within an organization and humanized a complex industry. “It not only helped us in expanding the offerings of the original service, but also helped drive a lot of clarity on how to deliver actionable information to different stakeholders involved in the value chain (the type and granularity of information is different for each stakeholder or decision maker in the ecosystem).”<hr><h3>3. Move fast and test the market</h3>MBSD then worked with the Moon Creative Lab team to build a prototype service called the Continuous Assessment of Asset and Vulnerability (CAAV) based on their core technology. The MBSD team then went and tested the service directly with customers and incorporated feedback to improve the user experience.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/CAAV_MBSD_Logo_4fe4ee91b2.png" alt="CAAV_MBSD_Logo.png">The CAAV service is now available for sale and the team recently acquired its first paying customers! This new service gives MBSD a new conversation to have with their customers as well as a new revenue stream. With CAAV, the MBSD and Moon team proved that innovation for your business does not need to come from zero. It can come from using something that exists today, but used in an entirely new way.For more information on MBSD, visit their corporate <a href="https://www.mbsd.jp/en/company/">website</a> and <a href="https://caav.jp/">CAAV website</a>.

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