about us
Bridging the innovation gap
Wayfinder helps bridge cultural and language barriers to help tech companies succeed in new markets.
Wayfinder: One who finds a way
Wayfinding is the ancient Polynesian art of navigating the open seas through observation of the stars, the wind and ocean currents. We act as your Wayfinders in Japan - utilizing our team's unique experience and the observational practice of user research to guide you towards success.
Our Mission
After China and the US, Japan has the third highest app store revenue in the world, and extremely high smartphone penetration rates, making it an attractive market for tech companies worldwide. Despite this, countless companies have failed to succeed in Japan due to a lack of understanding of local user needs.
On the other hand, the number of Japanese tech startups is on the rise, and the government is actively encouraging the development of innovative new products and services. In order to grow, many of these Japanese startups aim to expand overseas, but cultural and language barriers make this difficult.
Wayfinder was started in response to this situation, to utilize UX research and design to help both global and Japanese tech companies overcome the cultural and linguistic barriers to success.
On the other hand, the number of Japanese tech startups is on the rise, and the government is actively encouraging the development of innovative new products and services. In order to grow, many of these Japanese startups aim to expand overseas, but cultural and language barriers make this difficult.
Wayfinder was started in response to this situation, to utilize UX research and design to help both global and Japanese tech companies overcome the cultural and linguistic barriers to success.
Our Experience
We have experience working with digital and physical products for companies in a wide range of industries.
Consumer Electronics
Automotive
Medical Devices
SaaS
Virtual Reality
Consumer Apps
Streaming Services
Gaming
E-Commerce
Our Offices
Our office is a 2 minute walk from Ichigaya Station in central Tokyo, with a view of the remnants of the outer moat of Edo Castle. In the Spring, it is a popular place to view the cherry blossoms.
We also have partnerships with leading UX agencies around the world to support Japanese tech companies expanding into Europe, North America and Australia.
We also have partnerships with leading UX agencies around the world to support Japanese tech companies expanding into Europe, North America and Australia.
Address
7th Floor
Musashino Art University Ichigaya Campus
1-4 Ichigaya-Tamachi
Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Musashino Art University Ichigaya Campus
1-4 Ichigaya-Tamachi
Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Our Team
Our team members are bilingual, bicultural UX professionals with experience working for major Japanese and international tech companies.
Maxwell Forrest
Founder, Principal Consultant
Originally from Australia, Maxwell has lived in Japan for over a decade and worked in UX in Japan’s top tech companies, including LINE, Mercari and Toyota’s Woven City smart city project.
Before founding Wayfinder, he worked as a freelance consultant helping global companies like Google, HP and IKEA conduct research to understand Japanese consumers and localize their digital experiences to the Japanese market.
He is the Japan Country Manager for the Interaction Design Foundation and runs Tokyo UX Meetup.
Before founding Wayfinder, he worked as a freelance consultant helping global companies like Google, HP and IKEA conduct research to understand Japanese consumers and localize their digital experiences to the Japanese market.
He is the Japan Country Manager for the Interaction Design Foundation and runs Tokyo UX Meetup.
