Service Design Workshop Provided for Japan-Thailand Joint Training at Thailand's National Institute of Technology (KOSEN-KMITL)
Four digit Inc. provided a service design workshop for a Japan-Thailand joint training program at KOSEN-KMITL, Thailand. The workshop focused on improving elderly QOL and involved students from both countries practicing design thinking for social problem-solving.
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A team from Four digit Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Ryo Taguchi; hereinafter "Four digit"), which provides practical educational programs aimed at fostering service design human resources, conducted a workshop as part of a Japan-Thailand joint training program held at the National Institute of Technology (KOSEN-KMITL) in Thailand.
This program was implemented by Four digit, which has a track record of service design education at multiple universities in Thailand, in response to a request from KOSEN-KMITL. The workshop held at KOSEN-KMITL was attended by 12 students as a "practical learning opportunity for the process of solving social issues using design thinking." Four students from Tokuyama National College of Technology (hereinafter "Tokuyama Kosen") in Japan also participated. Four members from Four digit participated as facilitators and instructors.
### Initiative This Time: Japan and Thailand Students Co-create on the Theme of an Aging Society
The workshop, held from February 25th to 27th, 2026, involved 4 students from Japan (Tokuyama Kosen) and 8 students from Thailand (KOSEN-KMITL) divided into two teams. They set up personas for the elderly and extracted issues from their customer journeys, considering solutions for "improving the quality of life (QOL) for the elderly."
Regarding theme setting, KOSEN-KMITL faculty, Tokuyama Kosen faculty, and Four digit instructors held online meetings in advance to set the content and participants' learning objectives.
Students from both Japan and Thailand deepened their understanding of personas by investigating the living conditions of the elderly in their respective countries beforehand and conducting interviews with elderly individuals in Thailand on the day of the workshop. Lectures and presentations during the workshop were conducted in English, with students from each country communicating and presenting using English as a common language.
#### Comment from Ms. Megumi Abe, Principal of Tokuyama National College of Technology
The workshop, themed around improving the quality of life for the elderly in both countries, with Japanese and Thai students forming mixed groups, was a new endeavor for our school. Students learned design thinking using English as a tool, engaged in interviews to explore the customer's perspective for solving social issues, and developed an attitude of viewing things from diverse perspectives. This initiative, emphasizing the user's perspective rather than just the creator's, has broadened students' horizons and fostered their ability to understand diverse values. We aim to build upon this workshop for continuous development in the future.
#### Comment from Professor Seiji Kano, KOSEN-KMITL
It was a very challenging initiative for students, some of whom were visiting overseas for the first time, to tackle the issue of elderly support. For students from both countries, where declining birthrates are advancing and the elderly are not necessarily close figures, imagining "real elderly people" seemed quite difficult. While technical schools tend to focus on technology, skills based on "customer" requirements like these will become increasingly important. Had they acquired design thinking based on user experience beforehand, the workshop would have been even more fulfilling. We hope this will expand to other Kosen institutions nationwide.
#### Comment from Ming, Instructor, Four digit Thailand Education Team
The goal of Four digit's Service Design School is not merely to impart techniques. It is to convey that design is not solely the role of designers, but something born from collaboration with diverse stakeholders.
This workshop presented a significant challenge for students from different cultures to tackle the theme of "the elderly," a group that may still feel distant from their own lives. Nevertheless, I was deeply impressed by how the students helped each other across nationalities and quickly bonded.
In interviews, they listened sincerely to bridge generational gaps. The elderly individuals who cooperated also highly praised the warm atmosphere. The sight of Thai and Japanese students earnestly analyzing from a user's perspective was very encouraging.
I hope the friendships fostered here become invaluable memories for the students. I expect them to create wonderful solutions in the future, and I am truly honored to be involved in such educational opportunities in Thailand.
### Background of the Initiative
Southeast Asia is experiencing rapid growth in its digital economy, leading to a shortage of individuals with extensive design experience, and similar challenges exist in education.
This program was implemented by Four digit, which has a track record of service design education at multiple universities in Thailand, in response to a request from KOSEN-KMITL. The workshop held at KOSEN-KMITL was attended by 12 students as a "practical learning opportunity for the process of solving social issues using design thinking." Four students from Tokuyama National College of Technology (hereinafter "Tokuyama Kosen") in Japan also participated. Four members from Four digit participated as facilitators and instructors.
### Initiative This Time: Japan and Thailand Students Co-create on the Theme of an Aging Society
The workshop, held from February 25th to 27th, 2026, involved 4 students from Japan (Tokuyama Kosen) and 8 students from Thailand (KOSEN-KMITL) divided into two teams. They set up personas for the elderly and extracted issues from their customer journeys, considering solutions for "improving the quality of life (QOL) for the elderly."
Regarding theme setting, KOSEN-KMITL faculty, Tokuyama Kosen faculty, and Four digit instructors held online meetings in advance to set the content and participants' learning objectives.
Students from both Japan and Thailand deepened their understanding of personas by investigating the living conditions of the elderly in their respective countries beforehand and conducting interviews with elderly individuals in Thailand on the day of the workshop. Lectures and presentations during the workshop were conducted in English, with students from each country communicating and presenting using English as a common language.
#### Comment from Ms. Megumi Abe, Principal of Tokuyama National College of Technology
The workshop, themed around improving the quality of life for the elderly in both countries, with Japanese and Thai students forming mixed groups, was a new endeavor for our school. Students learned design thinking using English as a tool, engaged in interviews to explore the customer's perspective for solving social issues, and developed an attitude of viewing things from diverse perspectives. This initiative, emphasizing the user's perspective rather than just the creator's, has broadened students' horizons and fostered their ability to understand diverse values. We aim to build upon this workshop for continuous development in the future.
#### Comment from Professor Seiji Kano, KOSEN-KMITL
It was a very challenging initiative for students, some of whom were visiting overseas for the first time, to tackle the issue of elderly support. For students from both countries, where declining birthrates are advancing and the elderly are not necessarily close figures, imagining "real elderly people" seemed quite difficult. While technical schools tend to focus on technology, skills based on "customer" requirements like these will become increasingly important. Had they acquired design thinking based on user experience beforehand, the workshop would have been even more fulfilling. We hope this will expand to other Kosen institutions nationwide.
#### Comment from Ming, Instructor, Four digit Thailand Education Team
The goal of Four digit's Service Design School is not merely to impart techniques. It is to convey that design is not solely the role of designers, but something born from collaboration with diverse stakeholders.
This workshop presented a significant challenge for students from different cultures to tackle the theme of "the elderly," a group that may still feel distant from their own lives. Nevertheless, I was deeply impressed by how the students helped each other across nationalities and quickly bonded.
In interviews, they listened sincerely to bridge generational gaps. The elderly individuals who cooperated also highly praised the warm atmosphere. The sight of Thai and Japanese students earnestly analyzing from a user's perspective was very encouraging.
I hope the friendships fostered here become invaluable memories for the students. I expect them to create wonderful solutions in the future, and I am truly honored to be involved in such educational opportunities in Thailand.
### Background of the Initiative
Southeast Asia is experiencing rapid growth in its digital economy, leading to a shortage of individuals with extensive design experience, and similar challenges exist in education.