Work / Nikon

Envisaging future products and services through co-creation

What started as a project without a brief has gone on to become a partnership that has spanned two decades. The first time tangerine and Nikon worked together, the arrangement was simply to help one of Nikon’s rising stars to take a broader view of the future of photography.

Today it has grown into a design leadership training programme, with Nikon’s next generation design leaders being based in our office for six to twelve months each year. Together we are identifying the changes that are transforming their global market and creating strategies and concepts to take advantage of these shifts. 

Services

  • Product Design
  • Design Engineering
  • Colour, material & finish
  • User Experience & UI
  • Trend Forecasting & Vision Setting

Learning

A first step in our programme of design immersion, is to settle the designers into quality accommodation and life in London, allowing them to soak-up the diversity and vitality of the city. “London, with all its different nationalities, is a power source of creativity,” they have told us.

Each participant is looking to view the world outside of the lens of their day-to-day work and expand their knowledge. From insight research in London to guided Cultural Safari visits across Europe, we are helping them to experience new things and see differently.

Together we find new opportunities for Nikon’s future products and services while we develop the skills of their next generation leaders.

Leaping

We work side by side with Nikon to explore how best to respond to newly identified opportunities. 

Through further research, workshops with subject experts, consumers and design students from top UK creative universities, idea development and prototyping, we highlight the opportunities best suited to achieving Nikon’s goals. ​​

Throughout this process participants are mentored to grow their confidence, improve communication and learn new approaches.

Landing

At the end of the programme, we jointly present findings to the executives at Nikon’s headquarters in Tokyo. Outlining the strategic focus and a range of opportunities and innovative responses that have the potential to unlock new products and services for Nikon’s future. 

 Beyond each programme, attendees return to their organisations equipped to spread new insight across their businesses and multiply the impact of their new knowledge.

 Such has been the success of Design Immersion, we have continued to work with Nikon and many other global brands in this way for over 10 years.

Creative Leap

10+ years

Design Immersion partnership

Thanks to the design leadership programme at tangerine, I began to look at things and think about ideas in a completely different way. I got an incredibly positive response from our Chief Executive. He said it was absolutely fascinating, and I am sure my experiences with tangerine in London will have an enormous impact and inspiration on the future products and success of the Nikon Corporation.

Hiroki Hosaka, UI Designer, Nikon Corporation