Why I joined Ubie: An Intersection of Culture, Impact, and AI in Japan

Background

As a designer, my career journey follows a passion for creating unique experiences, solving complex problems, and working with incredible people. I have always sought opportunities that challenge me, broaden my expertise, and positively impact the world. When the opportunity arose to join Ubie, a Japanese health tech startup in Tokyo, my decision was a fusion of professional growth, cultural fascination, and the urge to impact the US healthcare system significantly. In this blog post, I will share the driving forces behind my decision and why the role feels like a great blend of culture, impact, and AI.

TLDR: Driven by a desire to impact healthcare, a fascination with Japanese culture, and the potential of AI, I joined the Tokyo-based startup Ubie to create a better healthcare guide for everyone.

Culture

Japan has always held a special place in my heart, and joining a Japanese company allowed me to immerse myself in its unique culture. Growing up I had many fascinations with Japanese pop culture but over time I’ve learned more about the more nuanced aspects of Japan’s culture. Here are some cultural aspects that particularly resonate with me as a designer:

Omotenashi (おもてなし) is a Japanese term that represents the country’s approach to hospitality. It embodies providing detailed service in various ways to allow guests to spend a relaxing and memorable time by predicting their needs. The concept of Omotenashi goes beyond just providing excellent service; it’s about offering service from the heart, treating guests with the utmost respect, and ensuring their comfort and satisfaction without expecting anything in return. This cultural emphasis on respectful and anticipatory service provides daily inspiration for designers looking to create exceptional user experiences.

A fantastic obsession with improving the craft in everything you do is called Kaizen (改善), which means continuous improvement or incremental change. It is a philosophy that encourages the constant pursuit of betterment and refinement. This cultural concept around meticulous attention to detail, precision, and quality was a big draw for me to come to Japan to experience this in work and daily life.

The term Monozukuri (ものづくり) is used in Japanese culture to describe their focus on innovation, manufacturing and making things. It encapsulates the spirit of craftsmanship and dedication to continuous improvement, which extends to the technological innovation we’re driving towards at Ubie. You can witness this in many different everyday mediums, from thoughtful product packaging to the precision in electronics and even the attentiveness of servers in dining experiences.

Impact

Ubie’s mission to be “a healthcare guide for everyone” resonated deeply with me as someone who’s experienced many pain points as a patient within the US healthcare system. In 2020, I encountered these issues firsthand when trying to self-diagnose symptoms until finally becoming hospitalized with a condition called Atrial Fibrillation. Fortunately, it was an experience where I got the proper care. Still, it was followed by a long journey of finding the right doctors, understanding my condition and treatment, and, in some cases, receiving surprise billing.

Reflecting on this experience, I believe designers are well-equipped to address the many challenges my family and many others experience seeking healthcare in the US. With my background in service design and public sector experience, I’ve seen how impactful design can be working with federal agencies in Washington, DC. I’m excited to translate these experiences into the healthcare space, which is riddled with a complex ecosystem of healthcare providers, insurers, and pharmaceutical companies that need (service design) to make the right changes to address these issues.

Already, I’m seeing some exciting impacts for our customers that address a range of pain points, from accessibility to healthcare services and fragmented care to our most prominent area, disease prediction. For example, A woman in her 30s, experiencing eye pain and dizziness, utilized Ubie’s Symptom Checker, which suggested possible health concerns and the importance of a medical assessment. She was later diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). This woman’s story is one of many we’re starting to hear. I’m optimistic that we’re only just getting started helping people in similar situations.

Artificial Intelligence

Being part of a team dedicated to harnessing AI to tackle (literally) life-saving problems was another compelling factor in my decision to join Ubie. We are at a critical point where AI is reshaping many industries, opening up new healthcare possibilities that require thoughtful design consideration around ethics and privacy. In recent years, I have designed other applications of AI-based services, but mainly for more utility-based applications. The ability to work on services with life-saving outcomes is a big responsibility but one that I welcome.

At Ubie, we have a team of dedicated doctors and data scientists working tirelessly to improve our AI models to better leverage this tech in practical and ethical ways. It’s been fascinating to learn directly from doctors how impossible it is to retain so much medical information in even the brightest minds when there are around 10,000 known diseases — something we take for granted as patients who want an accurate diagnosis.

AI also holds significant potential to streamline processes, personalize care, and improve outcomes, which will continue to disrupt several areas in the US healthcare market in the coming years. With the recent introduction of LLMs, revolutionizing how healthcare is delivered and experienced is not a matter of if but when now. Areas like diagnosis, risk assessment, treatment optimization, and patient monitoring are all on the table for us to reimagine the experience by leveraging this technology.

Summary

Joining Ubie has been more than just a career move; it’s a chance to be part of a transformative journey working in healthcare while gaining daily inspiration from life in Japan. I’m excited for the opportunity to impact the US healthcare market and be part of a team at the forefront of AI integration in healthcare. Together, I believe we can create a healthcare system that is more accessible, efficient, and patient-centered. I can’t wait to share more about the exciting things Ubie is working on here.