In 2016, the HAPTIC DESIGN PROJECT was launched as an initiative to pioneer explorations into the untapped potential of connections between haptic research, design, and business. Managed and organized by Loftwork’s MTRL division, the project facilitated new connections between various creators and researchers through meetups and awards. It has become one of the catalysts for spreading the field of haptic design worldwide, which continues to evolve today.

Professor Kouta Minamizawa at Keio University Graduate School of Media Design (KMD), the organizer of this project, practices expanding his research areas into society while maintaining contact with industry and social sectors as a researcher. At the same time, FabCafe has remained a consistent partner in numerous projects.

In this interview, we will revisit Professor Minamizawa’s activities. The first part of this interview covers the origins of his career as a researcher and the circumstances that led to him hosting an award that questioned the role of “haptics” in society. The interviewers were Kazuya “Benkei” Ohara, the head of Loftwork’s MTRL division, and Emi Nagashima, MTRL’s Vice-manager.

In this interview

From left to right: Professor Kouta Minamizawa (Keio University Graduate School of Media Design), Emi Nagashima ( MTRL Vice-manager; Loftwork Co., Ltd.), and Kazuya “Benkei” Ohara (MTRL Division Head, Loftwork Co., Ltd.)

Co-Creation with Corporations for a Breakthrough

Ohara: I have been working with Professor Minamizawa on various projects up to the present, but our first encounter dates back to 2016. At that time, the MTRL team was just getting started, and we were making plans to create a community that fosters connections with various people, centered at FabCafe Tokyo in Shibuya.

Around that time, Introduction to Touch: Like Experiencing the World for the First Time (Asahi Press), authored by Professor Minamizawa and others from the TECHTILE Project*, had just been published. Because I myself have a respect and interest in academia, I invited Professor Minamizawa to conduct a TECHTILE workshop at FabCafe Tokyo and also organized a talk to celebrate the publication.

* TECHTILE Project: An initiative that started in 2007 that aims to create value through tactile experiences enabled by cutting-edge technology. This initiative began in the form of exhibitions that foster discussions and creations among people from diverse fields such as art, design, science, and engineering. From 2011 to 2012, they conducted various activities such as workshops, symposiums, the development of prototyping tools, publishing, and study sessions in collaboration with the Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media (YCAM).

Kouta Minamizawa, Professor at Keio University Graduate School of Media Design (KMD).

Minamizawa: Yes, that’s right. About six months after that event, the HAPTIC DESIGN AWARD started, and, looking back, it really happened at an incredible speed. At that time, I was also considering how to spread the field of haptics into society, and I saw the event as an opportunity to learn about MTRL’s activities. I had a feeling they might find our work interesting. It also coincided with us applying for a significant budget, so when we successfully secured the budget, I reached out to you. In hindsight, the timing was just right.

I created the TECHTILE toolkit in December 2010, and for the next few years, we tirelessly conducted TECHTILE workshops using this toolkit. However, I felt the limitations. We held workshops monthly at museums, art galleries, and schools, had a major exhibition at Miraikan (the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation), and organized hackathons, probably reaching hundreds of thousands of people who experienced our toolkit. But we needed a breakthrough to move forward. Meeting the people at MTRL felt like a prelude to entering a new phase of our activities.

Developed by Professor Minamizawa, the TECHTILE toolkit converts tactile sensations into audio data, allowing for recording, editing, and playback. Similar to a tin can telephone, it transfers tactile sensations from one cup to another, making it easy to share tactile experiences.

Integrating Business Management Expertise into Research

Professor Minamizawa, in addition to publishing papers and books, you also conduct research while engaging with society and the industry. What inspired you to adopt this approach?

Minamizawa: Originally, alongside my research activities, I had experience with a student startup during my university days. At that time, there was a boom in student entrepreneurship, and dynamic web startup were gaining a lot of attention. In my senior year of undergraduate studies, I joined an alum’s company, and then, during my master’s program, I took over that company as CEO. While managing the company, I also developed e-commerce sites for small shops and reservation systems for inns.

Nagashima: I see!

In conjunction with this interview, we have created a timeline tracing Professor Minamizawa’s career. You can view it in the part two of the interview.

Minamizawa: Haha, that’s right. Even back then, I wasn’t only interested in research, but I was also curious about launching products and services into the market. After completing my master’s degree, I was contemplating whether to continue with the startup, join a research lab, or seek employment at a company.

Back then, the world of research was mainly focused on pure creation, quite unlike what we were doing at our company — forming teams, setting goals, and managing progress and deliverables. So, I thought that bringing business management knowledge into research might actually allow me to do something even more interesting than in a small IT business, which is why I decided to pursue a doctoral program.

At the same time, I considered that, compared to other paths, a research lab might be the place where I could act most independently. Joining a company generally means that you won’t be able to make a significant mark under your own name for the first ten years or so, but as a researcher, once you earn your PhD and become an assistant professor, you can start working on your own responsibilities. I thought it was a unique position, different from being a freelancer while retaining some autonomy within the large organization of a university.

What was the reasoning behind deciding to conduct the HAPTIC DESIGN AWARD in collaboration with Loftwork, rather than through university research activities?

Minamizawa: At the time, I was moving from the University of Tokyo to Keio University (KMD) and was about to apply for a research grant known as Kakenhi. When I mentioned this, one of the professors at KMD laughed and said, ‘What are you going to do with that?’ At the National Universities like the University of Tokyo, it was common to continue research activities with the help of government funding like Kakenhi, but he told me, ‘Your research will not be useful unless you collaborate with the industry and immerse yourself in it.’ KMD had such an unique innovative culture, and it resonated with me greatly due to my own experiences running a student startup.

Additionally, just before I formed a connection with Loftwork in 2014, I had co-organized an event known as a Shockathon — a hackathon for haptic technology. New projects were born from there, and my network was expanding. I was feeling a reasonable sense of accomplishment, but, as I mentioned earlier about the workshops, I felt a lack of opportunities to move to the next step.

At the Shockathon, there were enthusiasts for cutting-edge gadgets — people who, despite having corporate affiliations, would spend their weekends indulging in their favorite engineering activities. I sensed a movement forming that could link haptic technology to business. However, I also started hearing from participants who said, ‘We don’t know what resources or skill sets are necessary to start actual products or services, or how to persuade our companies.’ Looking back now, I think what was needed was a design perspective to transform what was created into valuable offerings. We needed to identify what was necessary to create user-valuable products, services, or even businesses, and at that time, we hadn’t fully articulated it.

An Award Showcasing Innovators in Haptic Design

From Visual and Auditory Design to Touchable Design — HAPTIC DESIGN

Ohara: What I feel was a real achievement from conducting the HAPTIC DESIGN AWARD was the ability to visualize, through the format of an award, that there are creators around the world with similar aspirations. We received entries from all over the world, and were able to globally share the concept and terminology of haptic design. Of course, this also led to the development of products and services and collaborations with companies, but more than that, it allowed us to create a diverse landscape for the field of haptic design. I believe it was an opportunity for us at Loftwork to truly demonstrate the value of the award.

Under the auspices of the JST ACCEL Embodied Media project, the HAPTIC DESIGN AWARD recognized ideas and works for new experiences, products, and services based on the design of touch.

Minamizawa: Yes, indeed. While there is an enjoyment in actually creating something during hackathons and workshops, most of the time, things tend to stop there. Through the award, we realized how many people are interested in haptic design, and I believe we were able to foster a climate where new opportunities are emerging. This could lead to management decisions for companies, and we also managed to create a community where people who want to get involved can consult when they face challenges, which I think was a significant achievement.

At the same time, I think the significance of being able to call those who submitted entries ‘haptic designers’ as a result of the award was also substantial. When a job title is created, work tends to follow, and expertise accumulates. There are examples of participants in the award now thriving as haptic designers within companies, so it was significant that we were able to create a situation where such individuals could build their track records.

Unveiling the Value of an Unnamed Field to Society

Nagashima: When we were organizing the HAPTIC DESIGN AWARD, I was in charge of inviting participants to the award, and it was striking to see how many people were engaged in activities that they themselves did not realize were haptic design. In fact, some of the winners were people we had invited, and in the acceptance comments, one mentioned, “I was happy to realize that my activities fell within the realm of haptic design.” That made me feel that the award had helped create a new field.

Minamizawa: From our perspective, there were many activities in the world that we could consider haptic design, even though the people doing them might have seen them from a different angle. During a meetup organized by Loftwork, we had the chance to discuss with the toy designer Shinpei Takahashi, who created the “Mugen Puchi-Puchi” (Endless Bubble Wrap). It was memorable when he said, ‘I realized what I was creating involved touch.’ He thought of it as creating ‘an addictive sensation,’ but had not consciously considered his work under the term ‘touch.’ Reflecting back, the sharing of the term ‘haptic design’ through the award was a success.

The winning entries for the HAPTIC DESIGN AWARD 2017. Clockwise, from top left: “The Third Thumb” by Dani Clode, winner of the HAPTIC DESIGN GRAND PRIZE; “Voice of Stone” by MATHRAX; “Fuku Brush” by Ryusuke Namiki; as·phyx·i·a” by Maria Takeuchi & Frederico Phillips, winner of the JUDGE’S SELECTED Award.

Ohara: I believe that fashion designers, product designers, and architects who submitted to the award were also unconsciously incorporating touch as an element of design. By questioning the field of haptic design through the format of an award, we might have conveyed the value of craftsmanship in a field that still lacks a name.

For MTRL as well, it was an opportunity to feel the significance of exploring the potential of cutting-edge and fundamental research whose societal implications are not yet understood, together with academics. Expanding the circle of activities through awards and meetups is something unique to Loftwork, and I am keen to continue pushing this strongly moving forward.

Text: Toshihiro Horiai
Photography: Ayami Kawashima
Editing: AWRD editorial team