Valuing employee growth will lead to the future of Untype
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 10:39 am
With a company motto of "Sincerity, Wisdom, and Heart" and a philosophy of "thinking outside the box," UNTYPE is working to create an environment where employees can grow and communicate smoothly, despite being a small company. The process up to that point was a repeated process of trial and error, but why do they continue to build their organization so proactively? Continuing from the first half , we asked UNTYPE CEO Taro Yamashita and co-founder and art director Tasuku Miki about the thoughts behind their philosophy and the vision UNTYPE has for the future.
Beyond imagination, but without losing sight of the essence. The key philosophy
--At first glance, the word "unconventional" used in your philosophy may sound like an unconventional approach, but upon careful reading, you can sense your intention to offer essential value that breaks away from the mold created by trends.
Miki: Web design has its trends and patterns for each era, but if you are trapped by them, you will only produce something that is a cut-out of the time. As a creator myself, I want to pursue universality that can be used in any era. That is why I believe that you should continue to learn the essence without being bound by patterns and use the means that are appropriate for your purpose.
Yamashita: By doing so, we can take the optimal approach and create a sustainable design that will not be left behind by the times. What I think is great about Miki is that he always presents the best design that exceeds the client's imagination by finding a matching point while reconciling what the client wants with what is unique to Untype. I think that this builds trust and leads to repeat business.
-Are there any recent examples where you were able to capture that unique Untype style?
Miki: It was a project for a major office supplies e-commerce website. Rather than focusing on a flashy appearance, we proposed content that went beyond what the client had in mind.
Yamashita: It was a case that was quite difficult in the initial stages, but thanks to Miki's in-depth thoughts and opinions, I think we were able to find a compromise that the client was satisfied with.
How do you go about your daily work?
Miki: Rather than creating rigid documents, I carefully read the client's intentions and present a design while conveying the logic.
Yamashita: That may be because cyprus b2b leads our clients tend to place more importance on logic than artistic expression. Therefore, we need to listen carefully and then explain in a logical manner why we do things that way. It is important to have a dialogue, and we often take our time and proceed carefully.
-Do you also support young employees so that they can create products that are unique to UNTYPE?
Miki: Yes. At first, I can't help but start by looking at the appearance, so I first ask the designer to explain the intention of the design. I point out any ambiguous parts and tell them, "It will be even better when you can clearly communicate the concept."
Yamashita: Once employees are able to explain the intentions of the design to a certain extent, we give them discretion at an early stage. We just provide guidelines and act as a course correction when the direction changes, and then let each employee work in their own way. By doing this, employees will work with a sense of responsibility and the quality will improve surprisingly.
Towards a company where employees stay: Untype's current initiatives
- It is important to develop employees and have them settle in the company at the same time. What kind of initiatives are you currently taking?
Yamashita: We have established a personnel evaluation system. The first is to set aside time for individual interviews once a month so that employees can work with a sense of security, and have them communicate their everyday thoughts to management. The second is to visualize how they are evaluated by clients and the company.
At UNTYPE, we ask employees to set individual and team goals every quarter, and we evaluate how much each person has achieved each quarter and discuss and decide what we want to do going forward.
Miki: I think that this kind of communication and feedback gives employees confidence and makes them want to take on more challenges at Untype.
--It seems like it would be a good fit for people who want solid indicators and want to feel their own growth.
Miki: It's an easy-to-understand way to improve your level. When we ask them to set goals, we don't allow vague goals. We ask them to set specific goals, such as "Right now I lack this skill, so I want to learn this technique in this way."
Yamashita: When you enter society, you tend to lose sight of your goals because you are overwhelmed by your daily work, but by setting clear goals and working towards them, both the company and the employees themselves can feel that they are growing little by little. I believe that this will also lead to career development.
Beyond imagination, but without losing sight of the essence. The key philosophy
--At first glance, the word "unconventional" used in your philosophy may sound like an unconventional approach, but upon careful reading, you can sense your intention to offer essential value that breaks away from the mold created by trends.
Miki: Web design has its trends and patterns for each era, but if you are trapped by them, you will only produce something that is a cut-out of the time. As a creator myself, I want to pursue universality that can be used in any era. That is why I believe that you should continue to learn the essence without being bound by patterns and use the means that are appropriate for your purpose.
Yamashita: By doing so, we can take the optimal approach and create a sustainable design that will not be left behind by the times. What I think is great about Miki is that he always presents the best design that exceeds the client's imagination by finding a matching point while reconciling what the client wants with what is unique to Untype. I think that this builds trust and leads to repeat business.
-Are there any recent examples where you were able to capture that unique Untype style?
Miki: It was a project for a major office supplies e-commerce website. Rather than focusing on a flashy appearance, we proposed content that went beyond what the client had in mind.
Yamashita: It was a case that was quite difficult in the initial stages, but thanks to Miki's in-depth thoughts and opinions, I think we were able to find a compromise that the client was satisfied with.
How do you go about your daily work?
Miki: Rather than creating rigid documents, I carefully read the client's intentions and present a design while conveying the logic.
Yamashita: That may be because cyprus b2b leads our clients tend to place more importance on logic than artistic expression. Therefore, we need to listen carefully and then explain in a logical manner why we do things that way. It is important to have a dialogue, and we often take our time and proceed carefully.
-Do you also support young employees so that they can create products that are unique to UNTYPE?
Miki: Yes. At first, I can't help but start by looking at the appearance, so I first ask the designer to explain the intention of the design. I point out any ambiguous parts and tell them, "It will be even better when you can clearly communicate the concept."
Yamashita: Once employees are able to explain the intentions of the design to a certain extent, we give them discretion at an early stage. We just provide guidelines and act as a course correction when the direction changes, and then let each employee work in their own way. By doing this, employees will work with a sense of responsibility and the quality will improve surprisingly.
Towards a company where employees stay: Untype's current initiatives
- It is important to develop employees and have them settle in the company at the same time. What kind of initiatives are you currently taking?
Yamashita: We have established a personnel evaluation system. The first is to set aside time for individual interviews once a month so that employees can work with a sense of security, and have them communicate their everyday thoughts to management. The second is to visualize how they are evaluated by clients and the company.
At UNTYPE, we ask employees to set individual and team goals every quarter, and we evaluate how much each person has achieved each quarter and discuss and decide what we want to do going forward.
Miki: I think that this kind of communication and feedback gives employees confidence and makes them want to take on more challenges at Untype.
--It seems like it would be a good fit for people who want solid indicators and want to feel their own growth.
Miki: It's an easy-to-understand way to improve your level. When we ask them to set goals, we don't allow vague goals. We ask them to set specific goals, such as "Right now I lack this skill, so I want to learn this technique in this way."
Yamashita: When you enter society, you tend to lose sight of your goals because you are overwhelmed by your daily work, but by setting clear goals and working towards them, both the company and the employees themselves can feel that they are growing little by little. I believe that this will also lead to career development.