In the spring of 2023, we conducted our first collaborative class with third-year students in the Department of Industrial, Interior and Craft Design. In 2024, we were fortunate to be invited again and held the second round. This year’s participants were second- and third-year students.
The initial orientation was held on campus, where we explained CITIZEN’s history, the scope of our design work, as well as the theme and preliminary assignment for the class. Because many students did not wear watches and many did not own one, I was a little worried that interest in watches might be low. However, once they handled the watch samples, everyone examined them with keen interest and asked several questions. From this, I felt they had become at least a little more interested in watches.
Rethinking the Value of the Watch
The theme for the 2024 class, continuing from last year, was “MY STYLE” Aimed at students of a generation that does not wear watches (has little interest or information), the assignment was to design starting from a watch they themselves would want. Rather than proposing services that use watches like smartwatches, we asked them to focus on designing the value inherent in the watch itself. We also explained our design philosophy, “Designing Emotion,” and had them incorporate that process into the assignment.
As a preliminary work, we asked students to create two image boards about “things I want.” The first was “what I want now” within a budget they could afford; the second was “what I want someday” with no budget limit. The goal was to first think about what they themselves want and then observe what people around them want, so they could gain ideas and hints for tackling the assignment.
After that, we invited the students to the CITIZEN Museum in our office.
We gave them a thorough tour of the museum to deepen their understanding of CITIZEN and watches. Afterward, the students presented their preliminary assignments on “what I want now” and “what I want someday.”
For “what I want now,” students named practical yet characterful items typical of art students, such as cameras, 3D printers, home appliances, shoes, and cosmetics. On the other hand, for “what I want someday,” many cited things that would enhance quality of life, like houses with courtyards, with fireplaces, and with saunas.
Class in Session
The collaborative class ran for about five weeks. As instructors, we visited the university once a week to check students’ progress and offer advice while moving the class forward.
Since this was also my first time leading a collaborative class, I keenly felt how challenging teaching can be. While respecting free thinking, it was very difficult to judge how far to add realistic viewpoints and practical advice from a corporate perspective. However, the students accepted advice openly and asked questions proactively, and I gradually became accustomed to how best to guide them.
Each week when I joined the class, I witnessed students generating new ideas one after another, and I was inspired by their pure attitude toward learning. I feel I was able to return to the fundamentals of design myself.
Growth Born from Learning Together
At the final presentations, all of the students’ works exceeded expectations, each shining with individuality. Colleagues from within the company also watched that day and were impressed by the high level of completion.
Second-year students took on this assignment shortly after entering the Industrial Design concentration, so I think there were many aspects of the process that left them unsure how to proceed. Even so, their sketches were full of fresh ideas and energy unique to second-years, and they were all appealing and memorable. Third-year students, on the other hand, showed excellent thinking and analytical skills, and their organization of the assignments and their presentations were consistently careful and of high quality.
Through this valuable experience, I learned a great deal from the students. Seeing their new ideas made me strongly feel that I, too, should think more flexibly and approach my work accordingly. I am grateful for how this experience helped me grow, both as a designer and as a person.