FOURDIGIT’s forte is service design centered on the digital space. It also offers support for the development of associated digital products, digital transformation (DX), and new business launches. In addition to Vietnam, it has other bases in Southeast Asia, in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, the capital cities of Thailand and Malaysia.

Ryo Taguchi
Representative Director, CEO
FOURDIGIT Inc.

Commenting on business development in Southeast Asia, Taguchi pointed out that “culture and national character differ greatly from one country to another across the region.” Of Vietnam, he said, “There are many young people, infrastructure is getting better and the foundation for growth is being laid.”

Typically, as an economy develops, more services are created. Users will therefore choose the best experiences from the various available services. “What is essential is not just design on the surface, but the design of the service’s entire user experience, including consideration for what kind of value is delivered,” explained Taguchi. “We help with this design process,” he added.

An indispensable part of designing a service is to get a deeper understanding of users. From their behavior, you consider what kind of life they live, how they are using the service and how you want them to use the service. Then, based on all this, you can create a service that meets the needs of users. “Even so,” said Taguchi, “it is rare that something you create is successful from the start and remains successful in the long term.”

The reason is that the environment changes over time in various ways. Taguchi explained, “Some changes will always occur with time, such as in the user environment, in updates to the systems of the devices the service is used on and in security measures, etc.” Therefore, the process of modifying the experience of service use to address the changes in the environment needs to be repeated. “It is vital to think of design not as something that is consumed once, but rather as something that is built up little by little, like an asset,” he added.

The process of human-centered design (HCD)

The market environment in Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries has changed dramatically in a short period of time. Taguchi said, “I started coming to Vietnam frequently about eight years ago, and I’ve been doing business in Ho Chi Minh City for five years now. In this time, Vietnam has really changed.” He noted that as cityscapes and fashions have changed, so have user behaviors.

“As Vietnamese society becomes more diverse, it is very important to offer services focused on the desires and behaviors of users,” stressed Taguchi.

Design support for a Japanese company in Vietnam

As an example of the service design work of FOURDIGIT, Suenari described a payment app provided by the AEON Group in Japan. FOURDIGIT is supporting the design of the services provided via this app.

The AEON payment app includes a variety of functions such as balance checking, QR code payment and coupon distribution. Suenari recalled, “While it provides many functions, in our service design we tried hard to avoid confusing users.”

Therefore, to make it simple for users to access the functions they want to use the most, “the app was designed to allow each user to choose the best experience for their needs,” said Suenari. Specifically, when the app is launched, the functions that the user uses most frequently are displayed first.

AEON Group’s payment app has won numerous awards overseas

Takehiro Suenari (left)
Director, COO
FOURDIGIT Inc.

Yasuhiro Nishimura(right)
Chairman of the Board
FOURDIGIT Vietnam

As an example of FOURDIGIT’s work in Vietnam, Nishimura cited a Japanese automaker that improved the user interface of an app it offers in Vietnam.

FOURDIGIT became involved after the automaker was frustrated by the poor usability of its app. “They consulted us because they were troubled when the app had become difficult to use after a variety of functions had been added to it,” said Nishimura.

FOURDIGIT therefore set out by investigating how users were using the app and what they wanted from it. “From the survey findings, we identified issues and incorporated improvement measures into the actual design,” added Nishimura.

As a result, the usability of the app improved. “We were able to get Vietnamese managers to understand the process and value of user experience design,” said Nishimura. They were able to get them to recognize that service design is not just about app usability – it can also be applied to various other aspects, like in stores. In fact, immediately after the app project, the managers took part in a project focused on customer experience at car dealerships.

The project with the automaker is ongoing. “We are also supporting the design of services related to new products such as electric vehicles, as well as services in finance and other spheres,” said Nishimura.

Suenari recounted that a particularly unique aspect of this initiative with the manufacturer was the user insight gained while developing ideas about a motorcycle maintenance support service. Many Vietnamese, both men and women, use motorcycles for daily transportation. However, explained Suenari, “Just like mama-chari (“mom’s bikes”) in Japan, motorcycles are regarded as mere tools for daily mobility, so little or no attention is paid to whether they are in good condition.”

Since motorcycles are machines that also use electricity, if they are not maintained at regular intervals the risk of accidents and other problems will arise. However, many older people and women face a hurdle when it comes to maintaining their motorcycles. When FOURDIGIT conducted a survey, explained Suenari, “We found, for example, that female university students tended to get their fathers or boyfriends to help them maintain their motorcycles.” He pointed out that in other cases, too, the service design process starts with a deep understanding of what users are doing in their daily lives, which then points the way to the final experience design.

Making use of experts is the key to generating new ideas

“In Vietnam, the hurdles to getting people to understand service design are just as high as in other ASEAN countries,” said Nishimura. For example, many Vietnamese companies have in-house designers. “If we ask them if we can get involved in service design, they often respond by saying that they already have designers in the company,” he said.

Nishimura explained that when in-house designers are in charge, however, “the scope of design tends to be limited to superficial visual aspects, or the ideas are locked up within the company.” On the other hand, support from a specialist company like FOURDIGIT “enables excellent service design based on solid research,” asserted Nishimura.

“When companies need to shape new ideas that are difficult to come up with in-house, we would like to see them take advantage of the knowledge of experts like us, who can offer experience drawn from a range of different industries,” stressed Suenari.

Types of design services offered by FOURDIGIT