Moon is hiring an Associate Design Researcher (Contractor) who is passionate, self-driven, and open to deepening their skills within Design/UX Research as well as expanding their skills in different areas within Design (e.g. Strategic Design, UX/UI, Product Design, etc.). The ideal candidate is infinitely curious, analytical, and creative.
You can work collaboratively with cross-disciplinary teams to bridge the gap between user needs/behaviors/aspirations, business priorities/strategy, and product development. As a contractor, you will work with Team/Design leads to define/refine and execute the scope of work across different stages of new product development/business creation for the project(s) at Moon.
This is a part-time contract role based in Tokyo for an initial term of 3 months, requiring a minimum of 20 hours per week. There is a possibility of contract extension based on the business needs and performance.
What You’ll Do at Moon- Work closely with Design Leads, Business Creators, and Entrepreneurs in bringing a new product to life
- Assist with/execute various aspects of Research planning to address project goals, business/product decisions
- Execute various research types of research, included but not limited to Market Research, Qualitative Research and User Studies (emphasis on Qualitative Research)
- Synthesize research, identify key insights, and collaborate with the team to define implications for key business/product decisions
- Join brainstorming sessions, as needed, and be a thought partner to the broader team - expanding your thinking into different areas but bringing your unique POV/experience to the table (as both a researcher and beyond)
- Assist in defining opportunities for potential research projects and working with the team to prioritize what can/should be done
- Experiment with proven and develop new research studies
While your main focus will be on supporting teams at moon on research you will also have a chance to experience:
- Design initial concepts, user flows, visual design, and prototypes on a small team
- Leverage design and prototyping tools to bring ideas to life
- Share experiences and tech know-how across project boundaries and team boundaries
- Experience an early-stage startup environment first-hand with the safety net of the broader venture studio
- Experience New Business Creation for large corporations
- Create human-centered future visions that enable stakeholders to experience the world we want to create
- Use creativity to inspire others and influence our way of working
- A degree with course work relevant to Design, the Scientific Process/Methodology, the Human Condition (e.g. Product/Service Design, Psychology, Sociology, etc) OR relevant experience in Design Research, Strategic Design, or UX Research
- Experience with Secondary research methods (Desktop/Market Research)
- Proficiency in common design tools, like Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Sketch
- A passion for human-centered design
- Proficiency in Google Suite, Slack, Figma
- Proactive attitude, fast paced and self motivated; ready to take on tasks outside of role with strong agility to change and to be flexible/resilientDesire to learn new things
- Exceptional listening skills and communication (written and verbal) skills. Strong Stakeholder management & Team collaboration skills.
- Understanding of foundational principles of Design Research/Qualitative Research and a strong desire to experiment
- Critical thinking and problem solving skills
- Experience creating actionable research “reports”/outcomes that can be leveraged/implemented by the team (willingness to break the mold of a classic report)
- Native level Japanese
- Previous experience with Exploratory Research in early stage product development/new business creation
- Experience with Quantitative Research Methodologies / Synthesis
- Experience experimenting AI tools effectively to conduct research
- Experience working in deep-tech / AI
- Experience working with a cross-cultural/international organization
- Experience in/understanding of other design areas (e.g. Product Design, Service Design, Brand Design, etc.)
- Business level English
If you identify with Moon's values and would like to contribute to our work, please submit your resume and optionally, a cover letter.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYERMoon Creative Lab is an equal opportunity employer; applicants are considered for all roles without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex, national origin, citizenship status, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, marital, parental, veteran or military status, unfavorable military discharge, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law.
Skills Required
- Degree with relevant coursework (Product/Service Design, Psychology, Sociology) OR relevant experience in Design Research/UX Research/Strategic Design
- Experience with secondary research methods (desktop/market research)
- Proficiency in design tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Sketch
- Proficiency in Google Suite and Slack
- Passion for human-centered design
- Proactive, fast-paced, self-motivated, flexible and resilient
- Exceptional listening and written/verbal communication skills; strong stakeholder management and team collaboration
- Understanding of foundational principles of Design Research/Qualitative Research and desire to experiment
- Critical thinking and problem solving skills
- Experience creating actionable research reports/outcomes usable by product teams
- Native level Japanese
- Ability to commit minimum 20 hours per week (part-time contract, Tokyo-based; initial 3-month term)
- Previous experience with exploratory research in early-stage product/new business creation
- Experience with quantitative research methodologies/synthesis
- Experience using AI tools to conduct research
- Experience working in deep-tech/AI or cross-cultural/international organizations
- Familiarity with other design disciplines (Product, Service, Brand Design)
- Business level English
What We Do
Are you hungry to make people’s lives better? Do you frame problems around people’s actual lived needs? Do you wish you could work across disciplines, across industries, and across cultures? If you’re nodding excitedly, you should know about Moon. Moon Creative Lab is a human-centered venture studio that powers the creation of new businesses. Moon’s mission is to help Mitsui & Co, one of Japan’s largest organizations, in its pursuit to become a more future-forward, entrepreneurial company. We work to unlock the creativity of Mitsui’s 45,000 strong global workforce to build innovative businesses that will have an exponential impact on the world. We do this by bringing together the best talent in design, engineering, product and more to create bold new ventures from zero to launch. Moon transforms ideas into bold new ventures and provides the resources and expertise to light the way to a more creative future. We are human-centered in our approach and hands-on in our delivery. Our team of talented designers, engineers, product leaders and marketers help our idea owners connect with real users to create prototypes and MVPs and bring them to market quickly. Moon is looking for people who are passionate about unlocking the innate creativity of others while designing impactful businesses. Come join us!
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