2025 Volume 21 Issue 2 Pages 12-19
Design thinking or human-centered design (HCD) approaches are least implemented in infrastructure projects in Japan. Part of the reason is the need for an HCD process suitable for infrastructure with multiple users and stakeholders. The authors proposed an HCD process that considers two stakeholders with unmatched interests and implemented it in an in-person training course for government personnel. A training course designed for the MLIT Hokkaido Bureau, with 40 participants in six groups, revealed that all groups successfully considered the personas of tourists and residents and proposed an information platform, enhancing the existing tourist hub by utilizing the discontinued railway station, among other ideas. Through the discussion outcomes, the record of the wrap-up session, and the feedback from each participant, it became clear that the training program needed to be modified to incorporate more realistic settings.
