New encounters unleash potential ── Using a diverse environment as a springboard for expanding globally

Akane Arimoto works as a designer at the Osaka office. Since joining the company in 2019, she has been active in a wide range of areas, mainly showrooms and displays. Actively participating in overseas projects, Arimoto continues to expand her career possibilities while utilizing her experience from her previous job. She talks about the joys of working as a designer at NOMURA Co.,Ltd.

The key to a project is communication with clients and members

Arimoto belongs to the Second concept design Center of the Creative Division. As of December 2023, she is mainly in charge of corporate projects as a designer.

Arimoto: "About 80% of my work is corporate-related, such as showrooms and displays. In addition, I've recently been involved in commercial projects such as hot spring facilities."

In every project, the designer is involved from the early stages. Arimoto's role is to accompany the client to meetings and negotiate with them to give shape to their ideas.

Arimoto: "While it's important to have concept design skills and keep up with the latest trends, what's truly required is understanding and accurately grasping the client's needs and aspirations. Communication is what determines the success or failure of a project. Above all, I've always focused on building a relationship of trust with our clients."

If you can build trust through communication, you can directly hear the customer's true feelings, which helps you determine the direction you should take and allows you to make more appropriate proposals.
I've always felt that this leads to a more pleasant working environment for everyone involved.

Often, our clients have a vague idea of what they want or are unsure of the direction they should take. In such cases, we strive to take a logical approach rather than relying on intuition. With the help of our planners, we aim to build consensus by providing clear and logical explanations based on research results."

Meanwhile, Arimoto says that the best part of being a designer is being able to collaborate with professionals from a variety of fields.

Arimoto: "Our work is completed by bringing together the efforts of many experts. Even in large-scale projects where you wonder if they can really be done, the interesting thing is that members from various fields pool their wisdom and exert their strengths to make it a reality.

Also, the people who participate in each project are diverse. By interacting with people who have different ways of thinking, I feel like I am broadening my own perspective and growing."

A passion for space creation cultivated in childhood. Seeking new career horizons, I joined NOMURA Co.,Ltd.

Arimoto says that she was interested in art and craftsmanship from a young age, influenced by her parents who were design administration. By the time she was in high school, she aspired to work in space creation and went on to study spatial concept design at an art university.

Arimoto: "When I first entered university, plans were still drawn by hand, and I remember using a T-square to work on the drafting board. It wasn't until my second year that I started using architectural CAD." 

After graduation, Arimoto joined a display company. She mainly worked on showrooms and displays, learning the fundamentals of being a designer, but eventually began to consider changing jobs. She reflects on that process as follows:

Arimoto: "Because the company was small, each employee had to handle a huge workload, and we were constantly working hard. In addition, many of the projects we were in charge of were very similar. I gradually began to feel dissatisfied because there were no opportunities to challenge myself with something new."

As I was looking for a new environment, NOMURA Co.,Ltd., the industry leader with a wide range of business operations, was very appealing to me. I was guided by a junior colleague from my previous company who had already moved to NOMURA Co.,Ltd., and that's how I ended up here today."

Since joining the company, Arimoto has been active in the same field as his previous job, but has also been proactively tackling areas he had no experience in. He has steadily broadened the scope of his career as a designer.

Arimoto: "I've mainly worked on corporate projects such as showrooms and displays, but I've also handled commercial facilities like restaurants. From my first year at the company, I was involved in overseas projects, something I hadn't experienced in my previous job, and from my fifth year, I participated in projects such as hot spring facilities and the World Expo. I've been able to realize the career I envisioned before joining the company."

Successful experiences in overseas projects and hot spring facility projects. New challenges serve as a guidepost for growth

▲ "Spa World Hotel & Resort"

After joining the company in 2019, the first events that Arimoto was in charge of working with his superiors were the International Consumer Electronics Exhibition 2019 Balance of Being (hereinafter referred to as IFA) and the Consumer Electronics Show 2020 (hereinafter referred to as CES).

Arimoto: "IFA is the world's largest trade fair, held every September, mainly at Messe Berlin in Berlin, Germany. I was assigned to Panasonic's project, which showcased a wide range of products under the theme 'A Better Life, A Better World,' and I was in charge of the spatial concept design for some of displays."

The following year, I participated in Panasonic's booth at CES, another global trade fair alongside IFA, and was again in charge of displays space concept design. In both projects, I was involved in the process of translating Panasonic's main concept into spatial concept design."

These were Arimoto's first overseas projects, and he looks back on them as having helped him grow significantly as a designer.

Arimoto: "When I first joined, there were times when I was confused by the differences in the way projects were carried out and the sense of speed, but for me, who had been working with the same clients for a long time in my previous job, being involved in new work with new people was a fresh experience in itself. Through repeated dialogue, and in the process of accepting each other's ways of thinking and being accepted by each other, I felt like my own values were being dramatically updated.

I also felt that it was more important to be assertive overseas than in Japan. I felt that it was best to immediately express my thoughts and feelings and make an effort to communicate them to the other person. I also tried to be conscious of making proposal materials simple and easy to understand for overseas clients. I learned new things about communication and I think it was a very valuable experience."

Furthermore, in 2023, he was entrusted with concept design a hot spring facility, something he had never experienced before.

Arimoto: "I was in charge of renovating the hot spring pool and common areas at Spa World Hotel & Resort, together with the room chief. I was particularly particular about concept design of the outdoor pool. With the help of planners and sales staff who overlap with the target demographic in terms of gender and generation, we incorporated the user's perspective and adopted an infinity pool that takes advantage of the location with a panoramic view of Tsutenkaku Tower. I am proud that we were able to realize an original concept design."

The project expanded beyond initial expectations due to winning one competition after another, and the unfamiliar nature of designing a hot spring facility made the project extremely challenging. However, thanks to the alignment of our concept design vision with the client's, and the cooperation of our in-house production and design teams, we were able to successfully complete the project.

"At the opening ceremony, I had the opportunity to represent the project members on stage and explain the renewal concept, which made it a very memorable experience."

Creativity born from teamwork. Bringing together the power of individuals to create the power of the organization

Arimoto, who will be entering her fifth year at Nomura Co., Ltd. in 2023, describes the appeal of the organizational culture at NOMURA Co.,Ltd. that has supported her growth with these words.

Arimoto: "At our company, which mainly handles large-scale projects, multiple designers form teams to carry out the projects. It is a great joy for us as creators to be able to work together with a diverse team of individuals active in various fields, including those from our partner companies, to create something that could never be achieved by one person alone.

"Our company also offers an environment where anyone with the motivation can participate in any project they want, regardless of their length of employment. Every time I work on a new project, I meet new members and make new discoveries and learn new things, which is very appealing."

Arimoto is currently working on a project for the Osaka-Kansai Expo, a new challenge that has begun.

Arimoto: "Working with the World Expo has been my dream ever since I joined the company. My current goal is to lead the ongoing project to success.

At the same time, I am keenly aware of the importance of working on projects not only in Japan, but also overseas. My long-term goal is to overcome the English communication challenges I faced in both IFA and CES, and to play an active role on the global stage."

Aiming for even greater heights as a designer, Arimoto continues to pursue new possibilities, seeking answers that only she, and only NOMURA Co.,Ltd., can find.

*The contents are as of December 2023.