Hitachi Europe commissioned Liminal, who contracted Holis to research pathways toward a zero-carbon future through the design of societal transitions and to guide their European design strategy for future challenges in integrated energy and mobility. The project entailed identifying potential partnerships and strategies for building relationships and engagement. Additionally, it required considering the role of design within Hitachi culture and developing effective techniques for engaging both internal and external stakeholders.
Liminal worked with Holis throughout the project to conduct research using various techniques and approaches. We interviewed 18 people from their network in various sectors, including corporate, start-up, academic, and government. Additionally, we researched 40 relevant organizations, mapped 156 organisations, and explored six pre-existing frameworks for measuring an organisation's Net Zero transition.
We developed a system in Miro that guided the design of new services and products following a “Japanese design-thinking" approach. A significant amount of this work was to determine how the different roles inside Hitachi are engaged in this process to ensure a smooth flow. It also focused on when and how external entities, such as clients and partners, are involved in this process.
In the end, we compiled a report showcasing various ideas, organisations, and stakeholders dedicated to sustainability. We also created a framework organized into five themes with specific case examples to present the formal research findings. Hitachi Design Europe has used this market research to guide their overall design transition process.