Projects from
Ohashi Laboratory
Transition Design — Our Methodology
Climate change, aging societies, food insecurity, educational inequality—these are Wicked Problems where multiple issues interlock, defying any single solution or innovation. What is needed is transition: a systemic transformation spanning technology, institutions, markets, culture, and human values.
Transition Design is the methodology that (1) maps the structure of present wicked problems with diverse stakeholders, (2) envisions preferable futures unconstrained by the current regime, and (3) designs transition pathways—theories of change—to realize those futures.
Ohashi Lab practices this methodology across diverse domains including food systems, disaster risk, elderly care, education, and deep tech, iterating between theory and practice to deepen the methodology itself. Beyond research, we build the infrastructure for real-world impact: the Transition Design Study Group for international scholarly exchange, the Transition Ecosystem Association for social implementation, and the Co-creation Semiconductor Innovation Arena (SiCA) where talent development and societal transformation happen simultaneously.
Food, Agriculture & Natural Capital Transition
Livestock production faces a turning point. We approach the challenge through transition design across production, consumption, and distribution to build a sustainable food system.
Disaster Risk Reduction by Design
Communication infrastructure failure during major disasters amplifies damage. We tackle disaster risk reduction through transition design, addressing technology, institutions, and human behavior.
Projects coming soon.
Wellbeing & Care Design
From elderly assistive technology to youth third places, we design environments where people can live with dignity. Our approaches span caregiver speech analysis, walking-aid robotics, telemedicine, and social work.
Projects coming soon.
Learning Design
How do we teach? How do we cultivate creativity? We explore transformative approaches to instructional design and design thinking education.
Projects coming soon.
Deep Tech × Transition Design
Social implementation of deep tech requires ecosystem-wide transformation. We apply transition design to semiconductor industry restructuring and talent development.
Projects coming soon.
Research Publications
View the full list of papers, conference presentations, awards, and more.