#3 Social Impact through CO:Design between Japanese SMEs and U.S. Design Students
- CO:Design & Strategy
- May 30
- 2 min read
Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) are the vital backbone of Japan, accounting for 99.7% of domestic companies. However, many of these product-driven, artisan businesses face challenges due to a shortage of global talent, which limits their ability to build external networks and execute global expansion strategies. To bridge this gap and drive innovation, Japanese SMEs are increasingly seeking international talent and partnerships. Yet, cultural norms, ethnic homogeneity, and language barriers continue to make access to global markets difficult.
To address these challenges and generate meaningful social impact in underserved and declining communities across Japan, CO:Design & Strategy collaborated with the Parsons School of Design to create a workshop that brought together MS Strategic Design and Management students and companies from Japan’s Chugoku region, comprised of five prefectures that include Hiroshima, Okayama, Yamaguchi, Shimane, and Tottori prefectures, to explore opportunities for U.S. market entry through strategic design.
Supported by JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization), a Japanese government agency that supports small and medium-sized enterprises in global business expansion, the workshop offered a hands-on, cross-cultural learning experience. Five participating companies, DENTO, KAJIKOBO HIROMITSU, ATOATONO, WEAVE HARISA, and FLEUR PARLER, represent the diverse prefectures of the Chugoku region and are deeply rooted in Japanese craftsmanship and lifestyle culture. Each company collaborated closely with student teams to co-design strategies for product refinement, branding, and market entry in the U.S.
Over the course of the program, students worked in teams directly with the companies to address business challenges. The workshop began with companies sharing their brand stories and goals for the U.S. market, followed by five weeks of student-led research including user interviews and market analysis. During this time, students engaged directly with the products to develop strategic insights. The program ended with teams presenting branding and positioning strategies to industry professionals for feedback.
Beyond the workshop itself, the program fostered meaningful dialogue and ongoing relationships between students and companies. It demonstrated the value of combining design, research, and cross-cultural perspectives to address real business challenges providing students with hands-on experience while supporting Japanese companies in exploring new pathways for global expansion.
At CO:Design, this initiative is a definitive expression of our brand mission. We believe that addressing complex business challenges requires more than isolated expertise; it demands the integration of global talent with diverse skillsets, and distinct cultural perspectives. By facilitating this connection between the design of Parsons students and the craftsmanship of Japanese SMEs, we create an ecosystem where traditional craftsmanship and modern strategic design converge. Our role is to serve as the unifying force that combines these elements, delivering impactful results that empower local artisans to thrive on a global stage.
The impact of this collaboration transcends the final presentations. It has developed an ongoing dialogue with Japanese artisans to see their work through a global lens while providing students with real-world business experience. We are creating a collaborative ecosystem that proves how cross-cultural partnership can breathe new life into heritage industries and drive immediate social impact.
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