What kinds of failures are you afraid of the most? What types of failures do you feel confident dealing with? And what separates those two?

We say “Fail Fast” – yet failing is scary, no matter what. What exactly are we afraid of, though? The answer may be surprisingly subjective, or it may just be a fixed idea that has been developed in a particular culture, which we have long forgotten to update. And often, we overlook more critical failures behind that habit. In this talk, Mayu will reflect on her experiences in design and development in Japan and abroad, and discuss how to create an environment where we can embrace failures for creativity.

Mayu Nakamura is a Product Design Lead at ustwo, a global digital product studio. She leads the team to design products and services that provide meaningful changes in people’s lives. Having lived in Tokyo and London, she is an enthusiast of cross-cultural collaboration to achieve higher synergy and creativity. Her background as an interaction designer is a solid motivation to still appreciate hands-on modelling and crafting. However, she also enjoys using design tools to facilitate essential discussions in groups to overcome biases and make desirable outcomes together. Mayu is currently leading the ustwo Tokyo team in Japan, working with local businesses to grow by helping them develop Agile, user-centred mindsets.