Design and sensitivity create a new value of the material.Mitsui Chemical "MOLP®" Experiment like "Club activities" -Design information site [JDN]

"MOLP® (MOLP)", which Mitsui Chemical started in 2015 as "Sawai's attractive lab", participated in the interior lifestyle exhibition, exhibited at Milan Salone, and various designers and creators.It has attracted a lot of attention through activities that go beyond the framework of material manufacturers, such as collaboration.

This project, which features Kaku Tago, who is known for the practice of design management, as a creative partner, and acts as a keyword "Laboratory to think from sensitivity," this project has caused Mitsui Chemistry, which has more than 100 years of history.Is it?He talked about the concept of the project and the future through interviews with Mr. Rari Matsunaga and Mr. Tago, the Mitsui Chemical Corporate Communication Department, the device of the project.

“部活”のような場所で、有機的なコミュニケーションが生まれていく

Mitsui Chemical Corporate Communication Department Yuri Matsunaga

――Please tell us how you start MOLP's activities.

Mitsui Chemical Matsunaga Yuri Matsunaga (Matsunaga): One of the various awareness of Mitsui Chemistry is that corporate branding as a company has not been established.I'm in a department that works for public relations, so I would like to publicize what kind of products of my company are used for example, but in many cases it can't be opened.While I wanted to show that I was contributing to society as a material manufacturer, there was a difficulty of being able to talk easily.

One of the themes of starting MOLP is that we can put the value of the material into the expression and talk.As a result, I wanted to make a product marketing and self -branded at the same time.

――When you started your activities, what did you ask Tago for a creative partner?

Matsunaga: From a public relations perspective, I was investigating a lot of ways to change the current situation, but since I liked Bauhaus for a long time, the idea of "forming the form" and there.I remembered the idea that beauty would be born, and thought about the relationship between functional expression, marketing, and design.Meanwhile, I was very impressed by reading Tago's book "Design Management".

One of the most impressive things was "Btoctob".Communication was missing in our business model.I thought that not only the closed economic zone that exchanged things and money, but also openly communicating, creating a chance to create a new business together with new customers.After that, I asked Mr. Tago's lecture in Osaka and actually met, but after understanding the corporate culture, the good parts of the company, and the bad parts of the company, we ran alongside.I felt that there was only Tago -san who was able to do it, so I officially asked.

――How did Tago feel when he received a request from Matsunaga?

Moted Tago (hereinafter, Tago): I felt very grateful.Every day, even if we are able to create a project while facing products and projects, it is rare that we can think of the material itself.I thought it would be wonderful if the material manufacturer had a relationship that could communicate with customers and could convey it with the message of contribution to the world.

Moted representative Tagaku Tago

Tago: In recent years, various chemical manufacturers have collaborated with external creators, but I thought that MOLP could be able to delve into the possibilities as an initiative in the company.So, I felt the significance of doing MOLP as a "club activity".Looking at various companies, I tend to do new initiatives in an organizational feeling, but I wanted to make a more loose and flexible project.

In an organic gathering like club activities, there are many places in ordinary organizations where you can exchange such things as "I want to do this, but what do you think?"MOLP is aiming for such a place, where I play the role of curation.At least, I don't think there is such an effort in the chemical industry.

研究者が、自分の口でストーリーを語るために

―― Please tell us about the beginning of the activity.

Tago: I think that what you are careful about when you are involved as a designer in such a form is to have them removing the bias for the design.Even if you just came from outside, you could get a wall, or say, "I don't know the design ...".

Rather than that, if you know about the design, you should be able to find out that everyone in the organization is designed.First of all, I wanted to know that.

Matsunaga: At first, we asked Tago to come to the company, and we asked the members who gathered to introduce their usual work and products and introduce them on an elevator pitch of 3 minutes.Everyone starts introducing each other, but they speak for 15 or 20 minutes to greatly exceed their holding time.I couldn't stop it because I couldn't get to the essence.Then, after finishing, it looks like "What is it?" (Laughs).

Tago: I wanted to know what kind of air in the workplace was working with.

It is often a common pattern for those who work in large companies, but they are working on routines, and they are familiar with their work themselves, but they are not very interested.But isn't that boring?While talking to the members through lectures and training camps, it's bad to say, but there are places that seemed to be as expected (laughs).

Tago: I think researchers have been working on functions and performance all the time, but when a story such as contributing to society is created, the viewpoints and ideas change a lot.Each of them is not connected, so it doesn't become a story, and as a result it doesn't work well.If so, I think it would be nice to be able to speak as a story with your own mouth by enhancing the editing power that connects them.

――When was the turning point in which MOLP's activity rides on track?

Matsunaga: I think the interior lifestyle exhibition exhibited in 2016 was the turning point.Until now, Mitsui Chemicals had exhibited at such exhibitions, such as materials and car exhibitions, but they did not go to the "BtoC" exhibition like the interior lifestyle exhibition.hey.There was no such idea.

I decided to exhibit, and as I proceeded with discussions, I came up with the idea of the project, but the work of embodying it began, and when the early mock was completed, everyone's eyes changed.。The timing of Tago's design is impressive.Suddenly everyone began to move actively.

Tago: When we see that we are heading for this direction, everyone is motivated.I think the atmosphere of having to do it came out at that time.On the day of the interior lifestyle exhibition, it was in a state where researchers and general customers were mixed, but all members explained the materials and products while struggling with customers.Under such circumstances, the moment I saw the reaction of ordinary people, "I have never touched this!"

デザインと感性が、“カガク”の新しい価値をつくる

――Please tell us more about MOLP's concept, “Thinking Kagaku from sensitivity”.

Tago: This concept is that when you capture the material with your five senses, you can not find something other than performance.Chemistry must be established in mathematical formulas, and innovation occurs when the answer is derived properly, but if you follow only numbers and functions, you will compete for small differences as much as possible.

For example, even if you say, "The resin you make is transparent," you don't know how much it is compared to another manufacturer with a small difference. If so, I think it would be better to have a different story. In Japanese, use onomatope when turning sensitivity to sound. Onomatopoeia is actually one indicator of phenomena and sensation. For example, when a designer ordered a material manufacturer, he said, "I hope it has a bit more tick because it's cheap." However, from the business point of view, even if it is said to be "ticking" ... (laughs). But if the definition of "ticking" is made in the company, I think you can tell exactly what the designer is saying. I thought that there was a market that could be opened by sensitivity.

"NAGORI" has a combination of ceramic texture and thermal conductivity.He won the Good Design Award in 2018 and was also selected as the "Good Design Best 100".

Matsunaga: "NAGORI", born from a MOLP project, triggered one of the researchers when everyone was discussing."I don't taste a meal to eat with plastic tableware."If we were only, it would end with "That's right!", But Tago responded, "It's interesting!

Tago: The fact that plastic tableware has functionality but not accompanied by sensitivity has resonated in me.Plastic has the image of "cheap, light and hard to crack" in Japan, but in Europe, it is quite common to be branded as one material.When I wondered why Japan could not do this, I thought that light was a cheap sense of cheapness.So, on the contrary, I wondered if I could feel the value from my unexpectedness by making heavy plastic.

Sensitive items, such as the weight and texture when touched, are not easily recognized in the material manufacturer.If such a thing is designed properly and the value of a new plastic is transmitted, it may be a completely different application.I thought that if a new value could be created in a heavy plastic field, it might be possible to fight in a place that was not a lightness.

Matsunaga: MOLP is also a place for experiments, so that's why you can freely.It's a stance of having something you want to do, so it's like making a market while experimenting.Without thinking about "how many markets can be sold", let's make a club activity called MOLP with friends and customers who sympathize with them.

“部活”が文化として続いていくために

――What do you think about the future of MOLP's activities?

Matsunaga: In a situation where the needs and markets in the world are changing dramatically, I think it should be normal for a naturally developed cobblestone project to be born, but that is the case in Mitsui Chemistry.I felt that there were few.Now that various projects are progressing in the company, it is changing.There is also an increasing feeling that MOLP's activities are more likely to do this.So, if the whole company becomes such a culture, I don't think it is necessary if MOLP is needed.

Tago: I want this activity to become an internal culture in the future.It is true that synergies are born in the company through the activities of MOLP, and internal revitalization is occurring.I think it makes sense to jump over the name Mitsui Chemistry and get the name of MOLP.It is nothing less than the power of Mitsui Chemistry that shows such surprising events to customers with the power of chemistry, but MOLP appears to complain of the power of chemistry that contributed to people.I want it.

Matsunaga: Developing new materials and causing a new business is not the essence of MOLP.As a result, such ideas come out naturally, so they do it, but the essence is to change communication.By paying attention to MOLP's activities from the outside, people outside the company will feel the charm of sozy and become interested in that possibility.At the same time, I would like to be able to recall, "Yes, let's ask MOLP and Mitsui Chemistry!"And I want to connect to my friends in the company again to the social significance and value of what we are doing.

Shooting: Arisa Kasai coverage / sentence / edit: Toshihiro Horai (JDN)

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