The Monosas site is
Can you connect with society?

I'm Taichi Manabe, head of the Production Department.
In the first installment of this column, I would like to write about the renewal of the Monosasu website.

The Producing & Design Department, which I belong to, works to create value that can be shared with society through corporate activities, using the creative power of design and art.

Through our series "Is our work connected to society?" we hope to continue to question our way of thinking and working, and thereby contribute in some way to the activities and work that will help build the society of the future.

A website as a place for people

Monosus' website has given up on renewing itself many times in the past.

At the planning stage, we asked Yoshiaki Nishimura , author of " Creating Your Own Job " and " Creating a Place for People, " to get involved, and I was also involved in a role similar to planning and direction.

After having an interview-like conversation with Nishimura, together with CEO Hayashi, about the direction of the renewal, we have published some excerpts from the email he sent us.

The CEO's blog is very informative.

However, it's difficult to maintain the motivation to keep writing.

However, if you write it for your own staff (as part of their training),

It's easy to continue.

I read that story somewhere.

That is certainly true,

I think it also has benefits for the writer.

Hayashi-san and other department leaders took turns.

Each person's latest concerns and discoveries

It was written with the intention of communicating with Monosus members and is now available to the public.

Basically, it's a blog, but for example, the top page of Monosas' website is

It is a calendar.

Example: Foresight diary

http://www.nttdata.com/jp/ja/diary/calendar_200703.html

This shape is always expressing the cutting edge of Monosus.

Would it be interesting?

As the person ordering the work,

Achievements and what kind of people are doing it,

I think you want to know the cutting edge (the direction it is heading in),

As for Kamiyama and Thailand,

As a symbolic project,

I think it would be good if it could be expressed well.

When I worked with Nishimura on a project, I noticed that rather than preparing a proposal and holding meetings, especially in the early stages, we exchanged emails like this to share our thoughts. I feel that this light but (actually heavy) close communication helps visualize the surrounding situation that is there but not yet visible, and fosters an environment in which everyone can continue to be involved.

Monosus' management style seems to be one that respects the values of the people who are there and creates a place for everyone, helping them grow together, rather than simply recruiting people when necessary to expand the business.

Through this exchange, I began to think that, just as a company or organization creates jobs for everyone and creates a place for each person, it would be great if the Monosus website itself could function as a "place for people."

One of the places we treasure is the one where everyone can gather. Every year, we hold our company anniversary party in a small office building in Yoyogi, hoping that all our clients, partners, and employees can gather together like they would at a dinner table with friends in the neighborhood. We hope that the Monosus website can grow into a place like this.

Whether or not you can continue to be involved.

We have established the Monosasu Editorial Department to coincide with the website renewal.

The editorial department has an editor-in-chief and other editorial staff, and although it's still early days, all employees are enthusiastic about becoming writers. The CEO, Hayashi, is not the editor-in-chief, but rather the designer Nakaniwa, who raised her hand and said, "I want to do it!", is in charge of the editor-in-chief as part of the company's work.

Why did we create this system?

This is something I learned from Nishimura while working on several projects with him, but rather than creating products that are finished once they are delivered, both inside and outside the company, we want to create products that are "paired relationships" that allow both parties to grow through continued involvement.

We hope that the projects we undertake will be of some use in the activities and work that will shape the society of the future. Perhaps that is why we decided to renew this website, in order to think about and put into practice this idea not just by ourselves and Monosas, but also with like-minded people.

Monosus, monosus, monosas. English, katakana, hiragana. Just like a person's name, the way a company name is written can change its presence. In line with the site renewal, we changed the site name to "monosasa." The theme is "attachment."

We will convey the "honest present."

After much back and forth, I sent an email to all the editorial staff (actually, three other people) outlining the direction of the renewal. I've transcribed it below, as I thought it might convey "these are the thoughts behind our creation and operation."

What is a company website anyway?

Since this is information from a company website, I think the only people who read it every day are the president and a few employees.

So, let's create a service that will be found in searches, like a curated media, so that people can visit the site every day! I don't think it's a case of saying that.

When people hear about Monosus and become interested, or when they think they want to work at Monosus, I think it's important for us to convey the "honest current state" of the company, rather than a website that is overly expressive in terms of marketing and design.

Be open about what's going well and what's bothering you.

The problem we are facing may lead to a new project with another company.

I want people to read it carefully and it gradually comes to mind.
Deliberately slow down the speed of communication.
I thought that such a site would be a good fit for Monosus.
Monosus's "honest present" is also important for working employees.
When you're busy with work every day, it's easy to lose sight of the company as a whole.
We start by reading it in the words of the president and everyone in other departments.

Also, by updating ourselves every day, we learn, suffer, and are strengthened.
And within the company, we ourselves become more open.

Now and in the future, Monosus will continue to build close relationships with our clients and colleagues!

Whether the Monosasu site can connect with society remains to be seen. We would be happy if you could come and read our honest thoughts about the present situation somewhere.