[Case Study] mct Inc. Publishes 'Patient Experience Design Case Study' Co-created with Major Pharmaceutical Company
mct Inc. released a case study of the 'BRIDGE Project' co-created with AstraZeneca, developing 'Ajisai', a notebook tool that supports the emotional and psychological journey of endometrial cancer patients.
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- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 21:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 12:31
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mct Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Hideaki Shirane) has published a case study article on the 'BRIDGE Project', an initiative co-created with AstraZeneca K.K. to generate new patient experiences.
Introduction
AstraZeneca K.K. (hereinafter AstraZeneca) has been advancing the 'BRIDGE' project since 2020, based on the concept of providing experiences that are valuable to patients.
Among these numerous attempts, one tangible form came to fruition in 2025. That is 'Ajisai', a notebook that accompanies the journey of endometrial cancer patients.
While endometrial cancer can be expected to be completely cured through surgery, many patients carry invisible physical and mental burdens, such as daily life difficulties due to aftereffects and the fluctuation of identity due to the loss of their uterus.
It is easy to hold up 'patient perspective' as a buzzword, but the process of staying close to these complex mindsets and sublimating them into something tangible involved much trial and error. How did the project team overcome the challenges and put their heart into this single booklet? We will introduce their journey.
Project | Idea Prototyping & Validation Interviews - Final Output Production
Support Detail | Co-creation with Medical Affairs BRIDGE Team
Period | Approx. 1 year
Background
Although ideas existed in the early stages, it was necessary to examine specific detailed designs and implementation strategies.
Upon social implementation (launch), it was necessary to verify whether it matched the needs of patients and doctors, and to improve its accuracy.
Key step
Set finding a 'life goal' as the concept of the booklet (AstraZeneca). Based on that idea, designed a prototype structured so that users naturally reach their life goal by answering questions (mct).
Through validation interviews, confirmed the need to 'have feelings acknowledged' more than just visible daily help. Based on the results, materialized the persona of the patient to whom we want to deliver this (AstraZeneca + mct).
Set the worldview of the booklet to be delivered to patients (AstraZeneca). Based on that, established design criteria and refined the design into an expression that users naturally pick up and can use without hesitation (mct).
Outcomes
Launched 'Ajisai', a notebook for endometrial cancer patients to organize their emotions and spell out their thoughts for the future.
Beyond mere production support, shared the importance and significance of 'User-Centered Design in the medical field' with the client team through dialogue with patients and medical professionals.
Product
'Ajisai' is a notebook-style support tool where those who have experienced endometrial cancer write out their own words along with prompts. Across 16 pages, users can gradually organize their thoughts, values, and future way of living while looking back on their present, past, and future. What is written can also become an opportunity to share feelings with family members, partners, and medical professionals.
Process
Starting from the seeds of ideas from the person in charge, the project team worked together to advance from prototyping to validation and finalization. AstraZeneca established the 'purpose, meaning, and naming of this booklet', which is the core of the project. Two experience designers from mct translated these into concrete questions and structure, collaborating with graphic designers from Daishinsha Delight. In the validation interviews, all involved parties took in the feelings of patients and their families, finishing it into the form of a booklet.
Project Background
Transcending the boundaries of a pharmaceutical company, accompanying patients' 'better lives'
- First, please tell us how the 'BRIDGE Project' promoted by your company started.
AstraZeneca has provided pharmaceuticals as a front-runner in the oncology field. Meanwhile, the main role of the Medical Affairs department was centered on so-called confidence activities: generating evidence and holding repeated discussions with doctors. However, while continuing these activities, we began to feel, 'Perhaps we are not delivering sufficient value to patients with just that.'
- What specific challenges did you feel?
When listening to patients, we realized there are truly many difficulties in their daily lives. No matter how good the medicine we deliver is, medicine alone cannot solve all the challenges a patient faces. We felt there were areas we simply couldn't reach through interactions with doctors and evidence activities alone.
- And that is how the BRIDGE project was born.
Yes. Around 2020, as a pharmaceutical company...
Introduction
AstraZeneca K.K. (hereinafter AstraZeneca) has been advancing the 'BRIDGE' project since 2020, based on the concept of providing experiences that are valuable to patients.
Among these numerous attempts, one tangible form came to fruition in 2025. That is 'Ajisai', a notebook that accompanies the journey of endometrial cancer patients.
While endometrial cancer can be expected to be completely cured through surgery, many patients carry invisible physical and mental burdens, such as daily life difficulties due to aftereffects and the fluctuation of identity due to the loss of their uterus.
It is easy to hold up 'patient perspective' as a buzzword, but the process of staying close to these complex mindsets and sublimating them into something tangible involved much trial and error. How did the project team overcome the challenges and put their heart into this single booklet? We will introduce their journey.
Project | Idea Prototyping & Validation Interviews - Final Output Production
Support Detail | Co-creation with Medical Affairs BRIDGE Team
Period | Approx. 1 year
Background
Although ideas existed in the early stages, it was necessary to examine specific detailed designs and implementation strategies.
Upon social implementation (launch), it was necessary to verify whether it matched the needs of patients and doctors, and to improve its accuracy.
Key step
Set finding a 'life goal' as the concept of the booklet (AstraZeneca). Based on that idea, designed a prototype structured so that users naturally reach their life goal by answering questions (mct).
Through validation interviews, confirmed the need to 'have feelings acknowledged' more than just visible daily help. Based on the results, materialized the persona of the patient to whom we want to deliver this (AstraZeneca + mct).
Set the worldview of the booklet to be delivered to patients (AstraZeneca). Based on that, established design criteria and refined the design into an expression that users naturally pick up and can use without hesitation (mct).
Outcomes
Launched 'Ajisai', a notebook for endometrial cancer patients to organize their emotions and spell out their thoughts for the future.
Beyond mere production support, shared the importance and significance of 'User-Centered Design in the medical field' with the client team through dialogue with patients and medical professionals.
Product
'Ajisai' is a notebook-style support tool where those who have experienced endometrial cancer write out their own words along with prompts. Across 16 pages, users can gradually organize their thoughts, values, and future way of living while looking back on their present, past, and future. What is written can also become an opportunity to share feelings with family members, partners, and medical professionals.
Process
Starting from the seeds of ideas from the person in charge, the project team worked together to advance from prototyping to validation and finalization. AstraZeneca established the 'purpose, meaning, and naming of this booklet', which is the core of the project. Two experience designers from mct translated these into concrete questions and structure, collaborating with graphic designers from Daishinsha Delight. In the validation interviews, all involved parties took in the feelings of patients and their families, finishing it into the form of a booklet.
Project Background
Transcending the boundaries of a pharmaceutical company, accompanying patients' 'better lives'
- First, please tell us how the 'BRIDGE Project' promoted by your company started.
AstraZeneca has provided pharmaceuticals as a front-runner in the oncology field. Meanwhile, the main role of the Medical Affairs department was centered on so-called confidence activities: generating evidence and holding repeated discussions with doctors. However, while continuing these activities, we began to feel, 'Perhaps we are not delivering sufficient value to patients with just that.'
- What specific challenges did you feel?
When listening to patients, we realized there are truly many difficulties in their daily lives. No matter how good the medicine we deliver is, medicine alone cannot solve all the challenges a patient faces. We felt there were areas we simply couldn't reach through interactions with doctors and evidence activities alone.
- And that is how the BRIDGE project was born.
Yes. Around 2020, as a pharmaceutical company...