Under commission from the Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI Kyushu), Re:public inc. produced the report “Inclusive Design as a Corporate Management Strategy – Toward Better Companies and Stronger Businesses” : the first report on inclusive design to be issued by a national government agency in Japan. Aimed primarily at businesses and organizations, the report introduces the concept of inclusive design as a key approach for future corporate management.

As part of its initiatives related to the SDGs and DE&I (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), METI Kyushu has been promoting Inclusive Design. Inclusive design is a design approach that views the latent needs of users who have traditionally not been the main focus of product development—such as people with disabilities, the elderly, and people of foreign backgrounds—as seeds for new value creation. Through working together with these individuals as active participants of the design process, inclusive design aims to improve accessibility and foster innovation.

In Chapter 1 of the report, we present insights gathered from interviews with 12 companies and organizations that have adopted inclusive design and are already witnessing positive outcomes. Chapter 2 documents the planning and implementation of a co-creation workshop conducted in collaboration with SING Corp., a silicone rubber company, and Kobo maru that supports creative activities mostly by persons with disabilities, both based in Fukuoka. And Finally, Chapter 3 features a roundtable discussion with three prominent experts at the forefront of inclusive design in Japan. Together, the three trace the development of inclusive design in the country and discuss the emerging challenges and areas that inclusive design could address, in an increasingly complex society. The report is richly illustrated with numerous drawings and photographs complementing the text.

In the upcoming years, we plan to actively share the knowledge and insights obtained from this project with a broader audience, helping to pave the way for companies and organizations to embark on inclusive practices.