Five full weeks have passed since I officially joined a design firm Concent Inc. in the very heart of Tokyo.
In Japan, it's common to employ graduates all at the same time, once a year. This type of employment system has several advantages for both employers and new employees. For instance we get to do training together before cracking on with the professional day to day work. The seminars we attended range from conceptual “what is design” types to business manner classes at an external venue. I found both conceptual and practical seminars very helpful and that definitely was an advantage of getting employed here in Japan as I doubt design studios in London offer that kind of training weeks.
There are seven, including myself, who joined the firm as recent graduates. Those six, with various design backgrounds, are all exceptionally talented. I am extremely fortunate to have such valiant peers, whom I can trust and respect.
コンセントに新卒として入社して、4週間。
飛び抜けて優秀な同期と、「自分たちを知ってもらうための動画とウェブサイト」を作成しました。まさか、コンセントに入社して最初に触るアプリケーションがAfter Effectsになるとは。そして、ウェブのプロフェッショナルを前に、サイトをコーディングすることになるとは。
ただ、自分たちの個性だけじゃなく、デザイン的なレベルを知ってもらう上でも、やることが出来て良かった。考えてみれば、自分たちも内定式の日に１回会っただけで、お互いのことをあまり知らなかったわけで、この一連のプロジェクトをやったことで、他の６人との間に信頼関係が築けたことは、すごく重要だった。
We created a short movie and accompanying website that introduce seven of us to the rest of the people in the company.
こちら、社員総会用の動画。
We also created a website （http://sustoco.concentinc.jp/se7en/）.
Unfortunately (or rather understandably) everything is in Japanese. The main concept of the site is to describe seven of us through key words (tags) rather than from reading individual profiles. We figured people wouldn't really care who Shiho is, but if you happen like the magazine Monocle, you might be interested in talking to Shiho, when you know she also loves that magazine. The site aims to provide a topic of conversation, and is intentionally left vague. It invites the people at the office to ask us questions in the later opportunities to come.
そして、コンセント新入社員スペシャルサイトはこちら（http://sustoco.concentinc.jp/se7en/）
サストコ from Editorsの森部が書いてくれたこちらの記事で、コンセプトについて説明してくれています。
Seven of us have completely different characters and interests. The only mutual thing that connects all of us is that we take design very seriously. That goes true for the rest of the peple at the office. That led to the short films where we talk rather seriously about the subject of design.
Coming from Central Saint Martins, where the importance of verbal expression in design was valued highly, I thought I was trained well in speaking about design. Though after hearing myself speak, I sound rather abstract and vague. I sound like I am saying something good but they are rather superficial and anyone with intellectuality can spot the shallowness of my speech. Even with flaws, I'm glad I had the opportunity to record my thoughts at the very beginning of my professional design career. Speaking about it, as well as listening myself speaking it, make me want to think even more about my design philosophy. Listening to other six of them was also inspiring. I admit I was jealous of fluency of how others spoke about design with solid logic and clarity.
新卒は７人とも個性が見事にバラバラで、「デザインについて真剣に考えてきた」というくらいしか共通点が見いだせない。それなのにも関わらず、みんな「コンセントっぽい」。「会社」という共同体って上手く出来ていますね。
せっかく「デザインについて真剣に考えてきた」７人が、「デザインについて真剣に考えている」人たちの会社に入るということで、デザインについて真剣に話している動画もサイトに載せています。
会社の方々から、ポジティブな感想をいただけたプロジェクトでしたが、先輩のひとりが、「企画編集、コンテンツつくり、デザイン、エンジニアリング、グループワーク、コンセプトメイキング、プロジェクトマネージメント、サービスデザイン的視点、、コンセントのすべてがつまってる」と言ってくださったのが一番嬉しかったかな。受け入れらた気がして。